Sleeping on the stomach

coffee icecream

Thu, Oct 19 2023, 9:33 pm

I know the doctors recommend infants sleeping on their back but what's the reason for that?
Would it be safe to put an infant on their stomach to sleep?

amother

Cyan

Thu, Oct 19 2023, 9:35 pm

No one is going to tell you what to do or take responsibility for your decision.
You need to do your own research and decide for yourself how much risk you’re comfortable with. Good luck with your decision.

HappyMamma

Thu, Oct 19 2023, 9:58 pm

My doctor recommended rotating between sleeping on sides and back so there won't be a flat head issue. They say not to put infants on the stomach so they don't block their airways with their face in the mattress. Once they can pick up their head with ease and turn it from side to side, it should be ok. But definitely ask your doctor to clarify.

BrisketBoss

Thu, Oct 19 2023, 11:08 pm

It's correlated with higher SIDS risk, which seems to be because it makes the baby sleep 'better' / more deeply. The things they recommend to reduce SIDS risk are all things you can achieve maximally with bedsharing and breastfeeding, which is the biological design. But they recommend against bedsharing also because some people do it wrong and accidentally suffocate their babies. With those two options out--and full disclosure, I do both--dealing with baby sleep is very, very hard.

amother

Cognac

Thu, Oct 19 2023, 11:21 pm

coffee icecream wrote:

I know the doctors recommend infants sleeping on their back but what's the reason for that?
Would it be safe to put an infant on their stomach to sleep?

The answer is an unequivocal no.

Do not be the person who has to live the rest of their life knowing that their decision caused their baby to die.

amother

Aqua

Thu, Oct 19 2023, 11:35 pm

don’t feel like the back is safe. If the baby spits up it goes right back to the throat. I like side, and stomach once baby picks up the head

amother

Amber

Thu, Oct 19 2023, 11:40 pm

Dunno. My baby picked up his head right after birth. Don't remember if it was a mamish right after or an hour or two.

BrisketBoss

Thu, Oct 19 2023, 11:43 pm

amother Aqua wrote:

don’t feel like the back is safe. If the baby spits up it goes right back to the throat. I like side, and stomach once baby picks up the head

Yeah, people feel that way, but it's not really true. The way our anatomy is set up, choking on spit up is significantly more likely if baby is on their stomach.

smss

Thu, Oct 19 2023, 11:44 pm

amother Aqua wrote:

don’t feel like the back is safe. If the baby spits up it goes right back to the throat. I like side, and stomach once baby picks up the head

The link I posted discusses this. A lot of people are worried about this, but it actually doesn't increase the risk of choking to sleep on the back. Even that is more likely on the stomach.

amother

White

Fri, Oct 20 2023, 12:23 am

I'll tell you for the first 2 weeks I'm very nervous and then the baby picks up head and moves head side to side and I'm much less nervous. Yes all my kids slept on their stomach.

amother

Firebrick

Fri, Oct 20 2023, 12:35 am

The greatest risk seems to be for babies who are usually put to sleep on their back, and then are put to sleep on their stomach.

I have put some of my babies to sleep on their stomach, but because I cosleep usually put most of them on their backs because it's easier to nurse them that way.

amother

Watermelon

Fri, Oct 20 2023, 4:28 am

I cosleep, with baby on his side (if he falls asleep nursing) or back, and on his stomach when he goes to sleep independently. Basically from day 1. He just wouldn't sleep on his back, he would just cry unless in his seat or on his stomach, and I was losing it. I decided stomach made more sense to me (based on research).

SG18

Fri, Oct 20 2023, 4:29 am

amother

Bottlebrush

Fri, Oct 20 2023, 4:56 am

My kids all slept comfortably on their stomachs - until the one, who died of SIDS!!!

Just because most kids do OK on their stomachs (as did my older children), doesn’t mean they all will (as evidenced by my child, who did not wake up one morning.) PSA: Most children will do OK on their stomachs, but how do you know if your child is one, who won’t? My child had no warning signs, and my pediatrician had given me a green light to put him on his stomach. (It was many years ago, and she has never OK’d it, since.)

It’s true it’s a relatively small risk, and odds are that all will turn out OK - but, given that the potential consequences are devastating and irreversible- is it worth taking the chance???

SG18

Fri, Oct 20 2023, 5:19 am

Forgot to add- I only do stomach sleep in my room with me. When it comes to cosleeping, I wake up from every slight sound of discomfort from my babies. (and baby's only on his stomach on a separate surface.) I do it as carefully as I can, based on the research that I've done, and feel confident that I'm doing what's best for my child.
(At the end of the day, children do die of SIDS- both stomach and back sleepers. We just need to do our best and put our faith in HaShem)

This is not in response to Bottlebrush's loss- that's terrible, I'm so sorry you lost your child