How bad is it for me to put my baby to sleep on his stomach

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Forum -> Children's Health

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teachkids

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 7:29 pm

How's her head control? Is she pushing up on her arms? Honestly, when we hit this point I just sat on the floor with baby and encouraged her to learn to roll over. (We started on her side with toys that she needed to roll to reach. then from back to side to reach. Then we put it together to back to front to reach.) Once she rolled over, tummy sleeping it was.

amother

Copper

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 7:34 pm

The official guidelines recommend for the first year. If your baby rolls over on their own after being placed on back it’s okay to leave them.

6 months is better then 1 month, but still not recommended.

amother

Red

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 7:35 pm

Oy. This reminds me of an acquaintance whose doctor told her that she's a bad mother. You want to hear why? Because the baby had good upper body muscle tone and no bald spot on his head. Twisted Evil

iammom

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 7:39 pm

amother [ Rose ] wrote:

the guidance regarding putting newborns to sleep on their backs isn't controversial.

It is. They say that when the baby is on his/back and s/he throws up, they can choke if they don’t know to put their head to the side.

amother

Bisque

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 8:26 pm

teachkids wrote:

Trying to do this but my baby just won’t budge. She’s got amazing head control and strong- she just doesn’t know she’s supposed to roll how do I teach her?! Try to put her on the side, roll her back and forth etc...
after 5 minutes on her stomach she cries bloody murder also but I make sure to be eye level and she definitely spends a nice amount of tummy time through the day

amother

Rose

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 8:51 pm

iammom wrote:

It is. They say that when the baby is on his/back and s/he throws up, they can choke if they don’t know to put their head to the side.

Who is "they"?

teachkids

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 9:24 pm

amother [ Bisque ] wrote:

I put her on her side so she wasn’t steady and then encouraged her to tip herself by putting a toy or paci or my hand far enough away that she tipped herself reaching. Similarly back to side you put a toy above and to the side so she has to roll a bit to reach it

amother

Taupe

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 9:26 pm

iammom wrote:

It is. They say that when the baby is on his/back and s/he throws up, they can choke if they don’t know to put their head to the side.

First time I hear someone else say this.
My two oldest were tummy sleepers from day one. They didn't like swaddles much. I tried encouraging side sleeping because I was terrified of back sleeping. They often spit up in their sleep.
But they only wanted tummy. Had head control from day one.
My third is a back sleeper. Loved being swaddled the first few weeks. Now, don't you dare tie his hands! Or he'll yell. Lol.
At 4 months he is still a back sleeper but if I actually manage to put him to sleep on his tummy for nap time he'll give me a longer nap. He can also go from back to tummy and tummy to back.
As a newborn I'd wake up to see he spit up in his sleep. It always took my breath away. Gosh. He could have chocked!!!!! I check on him a lot more often then I did with my first two. They also spit up in their sleep but it went onto the sheet straight from their mouth.

#BestBubby

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 2:59 pm

iammom wrote:

It is. They say that when the baby is on his/back and s/he throws up, they can choke if they don’t know to put their head to the side.

Another reason why back sleeping is problematic is that it delays development. Babies are slower to learn to control head/neck, slower to crawl, sit and walk. Also can make flat head from laying on back so much and need a "helmet" to re-shape.

That is why tummy time is so important.

amother

Pewter

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 3:09 pm

My pediatrician was totally fine with me putting my one month old to sleep on her stomach. She says there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to SIDS, and sleep position is only one risk factor, which can be reconsidered if that's the only way a baby will sleep. Which was the case for my baby.

#BestBubby

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 3:22 pm

amother [ Pewter ] wrote:

You have a brave pediatrician. Most doctors are too afraid to contradict official "recommendations" which are really ORDERS and doctors can be sued or lose their license
if disobey. Doctors don't have FREEDOM to practice medicine per THEIR opinion and based on the INDIVIDUAL patient.

amother

Pewter

Thu, Oct 17 2019, 4:19 pm

#BestBubby wrote:

I don't inhabit the black and white world that you seem to be living in. Most of the doctors I've worked with have given me individual recommendations and not parroted general recommendations. I'm sorry that you haven't been as fortunate.

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