Is it ok for babies to sleep on their stomach?

Senior Member Joined: Jun 23 2009 Posts: 197

I know all the advice out there says to put babies on back to sleep (lowers risk of SIDS), but I recently heard from a highly knowledgeable and respected source that once the baby has some sort of head control, it is ok (even preferable) to put the baby on their stomach to sleep....
(as she quoted the highgly sought after mohel in community-if u love ur baby, put them on their stomach to sleep)
if anybody can shed some advice on this matter.....

Posted: Fri, Jul 03 2009, 1:37 am Post subject:

I used to put my baby on her back and she is now four and half months and a few weeks ago after learning to constantly roll over she now sleeps always on her tummy, I asked the health visitor about it and she said u cant keep rolling her back on her back and leave her like she is.

not "all the advice out there" says on the stomach - throughout my childbearing years the advice seemed to change from baby to baby - some said on the back, some on their side. ASAIK, the conclusion is that the baby's position has nothing to do with SIDS.
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Gold Member Joined: Jan 22 2008 Posts: 1250

I put her on her back consistantly until she was about 2.5 months old. By then I was falling apart from lack of sleep because I had a baby who would not sleep - day or night - unless she was being held. I finally gave up and put her on her stomach and life has never been the same since.

Gold Member Joined: Apr 24 2008 Posts: 1938

The last Ped. I had for the kids ( who was EXCELLENT ) said that if the sheets are tightly fitted on the bed and there is nothing else around the baby I.e animals/pillows/etc. then it's fine to put baby on his/her belly.

Silver Member Joined: Nov 09 2004 Posts: 502

I was going to post the same thing. my 6 week old always wants to be held, seems much more comfy on her tummy, I have put her down like that for some nps. I figure sleeping in her crib on her tummy is better than sleeping in my bed

Executive Member Joined: Dec 11 2008 Posts: 409

With my first I tried on the back but we never got sleep until I switched to the stomach. Now with my second I didn't even bother trying on the back! Even in hospital I put on the side so that they couldn't complain that I put on the stomach.

Posted: Fri, Jul 03 2009, 9:36 am Post subject:

I've had babies who I davka put on their tummies ... they were most happy that way ...

people change their ideas back & forth & back again ...

honest if a baby spits up while on their back it can be a choking hazzard ...

some of my kids slept nice on their side for the start of the night/nap ...
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Senior Member Joined: Jun 23 2009 Posts: 197

thanks for all the answers! she started sleeping poorly on her back so I switched to tummy but DH freaked out (hes a woorry type Smile

)...just needed some reassurance Smile

Senior Member Joined: Jun 23 2009 Posts: 197

o and yea, the thought that she might choke if she spits up while on her back did occur to me....much more scary.....

Beginner Joined: Nov 30 2007 Posts: 18

Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 11161

Platinum Member Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 9790

Looking at actual statistics, I have not been convinced SIDS rates have gone down from Back To Sleep. With modern technology and autopsies, many deaths are now attributed to other causes, and not lumped into one category as 'SIDS'...there actually was a post recently by a member here who B"H caught her baby struggling to breathe IIRC, and the hospital told her if she hadn't found her baby (CH"V), it would have been considered a "SIDS" death. There are many factors why babies die, and in the past decade, we've been learning so much more.
That background being said, the mortality rate of babies has not gone down. Other categories are being attributed with the cause of death instead of SIDS. I am not so sure back sleeping has been the elixir some claim it to be.

I also think that tummy sleeping is much better for their muscular and neurological development. I have heard from many different people in various medical fields how many problems there are these days because of back sleeping -- the head is compressed, there are delays in motor skills, increase in torticollis, etc etc

My babies don't sleep on their backs. Sleeping is crucial to their health as well. For me, I have not found the "risks" are really that great in terms of stomach sleeping and SIDS, and I don't feel guilty by allowing my children to sleep on their stomachs. B"H they haven't had delays where many do because of underuse of muscles, and I know because we co-sleep and breastfeed which are proven to reduce the risk of SIDS (possibly because the mother awakens more with the baby and can detect abnormal breathing patterns) we are doing the best thing we can in our situation.

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 11 2004 Posts: 15191

I first tried the "back to sleep" thing, until I caught the baby gagging on spit-up or saliva. 3 times, and I said, no more. I didn't say anything to my pediatrician but he asked me if the baby's sleeping on his stomach and I said, "yes." He told me he can tell because usually babies have a flat spot on their heads from sleeping on their back, and mine didn't. I asked him if it's okay, and he said, "yes, but don't tell anyone." Smile

After that I've always put the babies to sleep on their stomachs, but I'm always around to keep checking on them. There are other factors to in SIDS besides "back to sleep" and they include: no smoking, yes to breastfeeding and pacifiers, and others.
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Platinum Member Joined: May 05 2007 Posts: 6114

My babies sleep on their backs. Of course they would sleep better on their stomachs , but if CH"V anything went wrong, I would never forgive myself. Personally, I think if your ped tells you to put the baby on his back and you don't, you're being negligent.
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Diamond Member Joined: Dec 26 2006 Posts: 3851

With all of my children, except the youngest, stomach sleeping was the way to go. When the youngest was born and I was told to put her on her back or side, at first I was surprised, but I did follow "instructions". More often than not I would put youngest on her side, the back was really hard for me to adjust to. Once she was rolling over, she settled the way she was comfortable.
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Executive Member Joined: Oct 16 2007 Posts: 288

I put my babies to sleep on their back until they rolled over - around 4 or 5 months.
I did it because thats what the ped said, and I would feel guilty if anything happened. c'v.
and they slept the same way as on their stomach, I didn't feel a difference once they moved from their backs.

my baby now, 7 months, has the flattened head though on her side to back of her head, cuz she would sleep with her head facing one way. the ped. said that it should fix on its own. she's been sleeping on her stomach now for about 6 weeks...this did not happen to my other kids though.

Gold Member Joined: Jan 19 2006 Posts: 2218