Did you put your babies to sleep on tummy or back? POLL

amother

Brunette

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 6:41 pm

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’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???

miami85

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 6:43 pm

Most of my kids didn't even like sleeping on their tummies, so I didn't bother. But my 7th was dealing with really bad reflux and would wake up after a few minutes no matter what, swaddling didn't help. So the choice was either co-sleeping or tummy sleeping. So since he was raising his head on his own, I felt that tummy sleeping in the bassinet was probably safer than co-sleeping.

amother

Yellow ↓

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 6:44 pm

I put swaddled and on their back for the first little bit. Then I start trying them on their belly for naps, when I can keep an eye on them, and see if they can comfortably turn their heads from side to side as needed. Once I see they can, I start doing belly sleep for night too. I only use sleep sacks when they're that little- so no blanket needed, they're warm and it can't slip off or cover their face, but their hands are free and their feet can curl up under them like they like.

They sleep so much more happily, they develop better neck strength (which actually correlated to better nursing for some of mine, because they developed necessary muscles in that whole general area), they don't need as much tummy time which they have all hated... It's been all positives for me.

amother

Begonia

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 6:55 pm

amother Brunette wrote:

Op, I'm so so terribly sorry for your loss.
Why do you think it was the tummy sleeping that caused it?
My nephew died of sids while sleeping in his back. He wasn't vaccinated so that's not relevant here either.

I'm not saying sleeping on the tummy didn't cause your babies death. But we truly can't be certain.

Personally, I swaddle my newborns until the learn to undwaddle themselves. The sleep on their back swaddled and laying a bit slanted either thru the mattress of their crib elevated or on an old old very flattened boppy pillow. Her tushy in the whole her head and feet a bit raised. Next to my head on my bed.

Then when they unswaddle themselves, I put them on their tummies or they sleep next to me (super light sleeper here) and I sleep without being covered. I'll just dump the pillows and duvet on the floor next to the bed. Big bed.

amother

Thistle ↓

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 7:19 pm

amother NeonYellow wrote:

I do side sleeping for newborns and then when they can pick their heads up I do tummy. I find back sleeping is no good when the baby is a spitter , they start gagging and coughing- side was best for that.

How do you do that? I may want to try that for my next one.

amother

Petunia ↓

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 7:27 pm

amother Honey wrote:

Always back. I’d rather a fussy baby than a dead one

Yep, and if you don't want the guilt that will eat at you for the rest of your life if you put your baby to sleep on his tummy and he dies, only put him to sleep on his back until he is one year old.

I find it incredible that this question comes up on this website and to see so many mother ignoring warnings of putting babies to sleep on their stomach.

amother

↑ Petunia ↓

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 7:29 pm

amother NeonOrange wrote:

I voted tummy but I don’t do it from day one. I start at about a month or so when I feel like they really lift their head properly. Also I never give a blanket in their crib.

I don't believe that a one month old can lift his head "properly".

↑ giftedmom ↓

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 7:32 pm

amother OP wrote:

For those that put to sleep on their tummy, do you just disregard what the medical world advises? Or have you done your own research?

I’m really considering putting my baby to sleep on tummy right away… I don’t want to deal with the endless stress of trying to get baby to sleep for hours on their back only to wake up 7 minutes later, which is my previous experience.

I did a ton of research and couldn’t find a single reliable study that made sense. Correlation is not causation that’s basic science.

amother

Ultramarine ↓

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 7:33 pm

Infants are physiologically built to sleep on their stomachs. And mothers have been putting babies to sleep on their stomachs for millenia.
If it were truly so dangerous humans would have become extinct years ago.
There is inherent wisdom in our physiological design and we would do well to pay attention to it.

↑ giftedmom ↓

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 7:41 pm

Speaking of studies, there are actual reliable studies that find breastfeeding, any amount doesn’t have to be exclusive, to reduce SIDS by 50%. But the AAP isn’t pushing that because “fed is best”.
I think by Covid we all learned how much we can trust “the medical establishment”.

LovesHashem

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 7:47 pm

amother Mint wrote:

.
There is also the danger of a baby choking on spit up when sleeping on their back. But for some reason that gets pushed to the back burner

This happened with one my babies. Her turned blue, it's a neis I woke up.

It was terrifying. There seems to be risks both ways sadly.

amother

Yarrow

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 7:56 pm

I didn't read all responses but all my babies slept on the stomachs. They don't stay on their sides and they don't sleep on their backs. I'm nervous for about 2 weeks which then they develop such strong neck muscles. Put their head to the side. Yes you need a tight fitted sheet, keep an eye on baby and be careful with blankets, which I use but can end up over their head from kicking etc. My kids are bli ayin hara smart active strong kids today. I basically start at birth.

amother

↑ Honey

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 8:04 pm

amother Yarrow wrote:

Why a blanket? Why not play it safe with a sleep sack??

Tzutzie

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 8:08 pm

LovesHashem wrote:

This happened with one my babies. Her turned blue, it's a neis I woke up.

It was terrifying. There seems to be risks both ways sadly.

I always had that fear! So glad your baby os ok!!!! Especially for my second baby who was an expert projectile vomiter!
The doc just told me it's impossible to vomit in your sleep because of many fancy terms. I didn't make sense, but I just had to convince myself it was safe. But she anyways would only actually sleep on me or on her tummy.
After a week of dangerous sleep deprivation. I just put her to sleep on her tummy. Only to be woken 6 hours later HORRIFIED, checking if she's breathing and with 2 feeding rocks. She def vomited in her sleep, and it was all encrusted in her hair. On BOTH sides of her head.... that means she turned in her sleep.

Usually, I put my babies to sleep on their tummies once they outgrew the swaddle. That baby was a whole 'nuther challange. She came out screaming and never stopped since. 😆 gotta lovem!

↑ giftedmom ↓

Wed, Nov 06 2024, 8:37 pm

Tzutzie wrote:

Ofcourse they vomit in their sleep or they wake up for a sec to vomit. I always put receiving blankets under their heads and change them frequently otherwise I’d have to keep changing the sheet.