Newborn sleeping on stomach

kiwi strawberry

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 8:52 pm

makingthebest wrote:

Is it really dangerous?

He sleeps so so much better and loves being on his stomach.

No.

Vaccines are far more dangerous.

All babies sleep better on their stomachs. Putting them on their back is like putting a turtle on its back. Just cruel.

May you have many healthy years with him full of bracha and nachas.

seeker

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 10:42 pm

Didn't read all the replies.

I do believe that back sleeping is safer. I also want to point out that those recommending using rolled blankets to prop babies on their sides are misguided; that's similarly unsafe due to introducing stuff into the sleep environment in addition to being easy for the baby to flop over from side to stomach.

That said, I had a baby who literally would not sleep any other way. I tried very persistently with any trick I could think of to help her stay asleep on her back, but it was a nonstarter - literally. Sometimes you just have to read the signs. Appropriate safety hishtadlus for this baby was to let her sleep on her stomach. I tried to mitigate the risk by using a very firm mattress with a very tight sheet and nothing extra, and yes I was extra nervous for the first few months and checked on her all the time and maybe slept with one eye open half the time... But the alternative was no sleep for either of us.

So I just want to put this out to validate the parents who feel it's necessary - not just convenient, but necessary - to put the baby to sleep on his or her stomach. You can preach AAP recommendations but if mom says nothing else works, I believe her.

amother

Turquoise

Thu, Jul 04 2024, 4:01 am

So they tell you it's better and safer to sleep on the back. We tried putting my first on his side. He wouldn't stay in that position and didn't sleep well on his back. On his stomach he went. With a tight fitted sheet and keeping an eye on the baby and being nervous for 2 weeks, baby's develop such strong neck muscles and can pick up their heads high and turn from side to side and they develop well. My kids are crawling around 7 months. Some walking at 11. It's not a rush or a competition but bH I have smart kids. Tummy time begins at birth and when they sleep all the time, people start later and then their kids hate it!

gamanit

Thu, Jul 04 2024, 7:54 am

Emily Oster goes through the data in her book Cribsheet. I highly recommend that book for great analysis of what the actual risks are. Anecdotally I've noticed that kids who sleep on their stomachs seem to develop faster in all areas not just crawling. I don't know if any studies have ever been done on this but it would make sense that having high-quality sleep allows their brains to process what they learned that day better. Adults also function better with better sleep. As always there are tradeoffs between safety and health. The safer option is very often not as healthy.

amother

Winterberry

Thu, Jul 04 2024, 9:34 pm

kiwi strawberry wrote:

Thanks, thats what I wanted to hear!
My life became so so much easier and manageable and much happier baby bh

amother

Jean

Fri, Jul 05 2024, 5:58 am

seeker wrote:

This