I'm probably confusing everyone. I keep posting about sleep problems, and sleeping milestones, but everything seems to be happening at once around here. Anyways, as of yesterday, Noah feels that he should sleep on his stomach. He's taken the two longest naps he's ever taken this way. (1.5 hours!). He still hates tummy time, but when he gets tired, and I lay him on his stomach in his safetsleep, he falls right back asleep. He actually rolled over and fell asleep on his own again today!

I'm sure I'm not alone about this--SIDS scares the heck out of me. I still wake up every hour or two and check Noah's breathing. I'm very paranoid, and I do everything recommended to prevent it. But, if Noah can finally get some rest this way, it leaves me baffled.

What should I do? Force him to sleep on his back? Is there a safe way for him to sleep on his tummy?

I think I remember reading somewhere that stomach sleeping is actually recommended for some refluxers. As far as safety measures to avoid SIDS (and I am with you on that) use a light weight or no blanket at all, remove the bumper pads if you are using them & of course no pillow or stuffed animals.

There was a little baby in the NICU beside Samson and the nurses had placed him on his tummy. I remember the parents coming in & asking about him being on his tummy. The nurse said his tummy was upset & he was gasey & that laying him on his tummy was the best way to sooth it. The baby was sleeping so maybe it does work!!

This whole "back to sleep" thing gets my undies in a bunch.

I really think it depends on the baby. My oldest was in the NICU for several days and the nurses and his ped all said to put him on his stomach! He wasn't a GERDling and was a hefty 10#4.5oz at birth and was actually able to lift his head (I can hear all of you gasp). But that boy could NOT sleep unless he was on his stomach. Some of his evening behavior was similar to Ian's so I do wonder if he was a silent refluxer... but that's neither here nor there.

Hunter liked to sleep on his side. Since day 1.

Ian was all over the place and still his. I do put him to bed on his back, but he rolls over to his side or stomach within seconds. As a tiny baby, he did better for naps if I put him on his stomach. When he would fall asleep on one of us, it was on his tummy.

I think as long as you get all blankets out, bumpers out, make sure the clothing isn't loose, etc., GERDlings just might be better off on their tummies.

Have you talked to the ped about it?

That's wonderful that Noah's sleeping so well! :D I wanted to let you know that you probably shouldn't use the nest if he's tummy sleeping. The safetsleep should be enough. The nest is intended for a place for their bottom to rest against.....

You are probably thinking, "duh, Amanda...I knew that!" But, I had to say something to ease my mind. I just wouldn't want anything to happen to Noah.... :(

He actually rolled over and fell asleep on his own again today!
Once they start to roll over on to their tummies on their own, it's supposed to be safe for them (ie, no more or very little risk of SIDS). Having said that, when my first born started rolling on to his tummy to sleep, I kept turning him over b/c of my fear of SIDS, too. I've read on here that some doctors actually recommend that some GERDlings sleep on their tummies.

I think I remember reading somewhere that stomach sleeping is actually recommended for some refluxers. As far as safety measures to avoid SIDS (and I am with you on that) use a light weight or no blanket at all, remove the bumper pads if you are using them & of course no pillow or stuffed animals.


All the docs gave us the O.K. for belly sleeping. Once we started doing it on a regular basis Eric didn't aspirate in his sleep anymore, and his lungs stayed clear from that point on. His breathing was better too. A lot less gasping, blue spells, ect. They also said that it could help keep his ears clear too, being propped and on his belly.

Eric was also very strong as was able to keep his head up when he was born. They said that was important.

I worried about SIDS too and tried to go back to laying him on his back and it was a no go.

I guess you just have to ask your self which is the lesser of 2 evils. Is it worth the risk? That and talking with your doc about it might help. Maybe just belly sleep during they day, when your better able to react and keep an eye/ear on him?

Whatever you decide to do I'm sure it will be what's best for your baby.

Noah must have overheard us talking about "taking control of his sleeping issues". We had this plan mapped out to get him to sleep, I was just waiting for the courage to let him cry a little. Didn't even have to happen!

He napped a total of SIX hours yesterday on his stomach. He usually average about an hour total. He was in such a great mood!

I follow all of the SIDS precautions (no bumper, no blanket unless supervised nap, right temp, etc...) to a tee. So, sleeping on his tummy wasn't going to fly, until I heard about this angelcare monitor yesterday. I drove 1.5 hours, with my little refluxer, to buy it at Babies'r'Us. Last night was the first night I let him stay on his stomach. He slept from 9:30-4:30, took a bottle, then slept until 7. Not bad! Very sound sleep, too. No thrusting around, coughing...

Duh, Amanda! Like I would forget to take out the nest! Just kidding. Actually, I forgot to take it out, and when I put him in the crib last night, I realized that it needed to come out, so it was a tough maneuver (sp?) around a sleeping baby.

Thanks everyone!

Yeah, Maggie!!! I am so glad that he slept well! How do you like the monitor so far?

Sheila--Thanks for filling me in yesterday! We tested it about a hundred times, and it seems to work fine inclined, just like you said. We can also leave our Hepa filter on (I have dangerous dust allergies), and the vibrations do not affect it. The filter is also great white noise for Noah.

This thing is the BEST baby product that I have found so far. I don't know how I never heard about it before, or I would have put it on my registry! I'm serious, I spend so much time checking Noah in the night, this thing is a dream come true. It was well worth the long and boring drive to St. Louis.

Yea Noah!!!!! So glad to hear you are both getting some sleep!!!

Wish I could say the same was happening here :(

I am so glad... Isn't it amazing that it can detect movements through the mattress?!?!

Ok I am buying one tomorrow!!!! :)

Ok I am buying one tomorrow!!!! :)

LOL!!! :D

Update--Noah still loves his tummy, so I'm still thankful for my AngelCare monitor. He's been sleeping about 7 hours, but he only wakes once (knock on wood).

Brain (fiance) isn't too happy that I always forget to turn it off when I take Noah out of the crib, since the alarm goes off and its really loud, but he loves it, too!

If I could volunteer as a spokesman for this company, I would do it!

maggie,

OOOH the stomache sleeping issue. :roll: I also agree that if he can roll over on his own and sleeps better and is comfy, why the heck not!?
However, this was a HUGE ISSUE between DH and myself and it drove me batty for the first few months of DS's life!!! With the reflux issues, DS was not a good sleeper at ALL and I found him to sleep VERY comfy and for longer periods on his tummy (when DH wasn't around). Well, one day I wanted to show DH how comfy he was sleeping on his tummy, hoping that he would feel bad for ME in my zombielike, sleepless state, and allow me to let him sleep this way. He got all paranoid and insisted he sleep on his back/side...wait, he was in his bouncy chair sleeping at that point. So he insisted he sleep in his bouncy until he was 8 years old! LOL...no kidding.
Well...he is 7 months now and I'm happy to say that he was converted to his crib at 4 months but has grown accustomed to sleeping on his side/back between the wedges and does not like tummy time or lieing on his tummy now. It's DH's FAULT! :smt021