3-Month Old Turning onto Stomach During Sleep

I remember my son's doctor saying that when they learn to roll over on their own it is fine to let them sleep on their stomach. I think the only danger of SIDS is when you lay them on their stomach and they can't roll over!

I think they sell a thing you can put under her to help her stay on her back, but I don't think you need it. I was told that once they start rolling over on their own the risk of SIDS decreases. I know the risk isn't gone until she's two, but I really believe that she'll be okay. I know it's hard not to worry.

She is fine, if she is doing it herself.

Don't put fluffy things in the crib like pillows, stuffed animals, or blankets (although I always used a crochet afghan in the crib with mine since it had holes in it, because they hated the sleep sacs and would scream until I took it off.)

I don't think you are worrying too much. She is your baby and you only want what is best and healthiest for her. I am a mother of 5 (still living) children. When they were babies, I would fold a 2 receiving blankets in half and roll them up. I would lay the baby on his/her side and use the blankets to prop them onto their side. They would sleep all night and weren't on their back or on their stomach. I hope this helps.

My son who is now 3 1/2 slept on his belly the day he came home from the hospital. He would not go to sleep or stay asleep on his back. I had to get a eltter from the doctor inorder for the daycare to put him onhis belly as well. He had such bad ear infections that he jsut could not stand ot be on his back. It is ok. They will be fine. Your worrying is only going to make it worse. I beleive SIDS is an internal disorder of an unhealthy baby mainly because of the accounts I have read is that there are no pillows or blankets or bumpers in the crib and sometimes they are on their belly or their back. So I would not worry so much. I have 2 very healthty boys and my youngest is 2. They have never been in the same spot when we wake up in the morning.

Sincerely,

Hi M.

I agree with everyone that she should be fine since she can flip by herself. If you are concerned (like I was) you can purchase a product at Babies R Us called "Angel ??" I can remember the whole name. It is a monitor that attaches to a pad that lays underneath the crib to monitor breathing. If they stop breathing for more than 2 seconds the alarm will sound. I used this with my son and it works great! You wonder how it can sense through the mattress, but it does!! it works very well, but it will cost you around $100+. I was worth the peace of mind for me.
Good Luck
J.

I never really understood why sleeping on their stomache could lead to SIDs unless they have a pillow that is too soft and they bury their face in it. All of my kids were the same way, the prefered to sleep on their stomache. I use to lay them on their side and place small throw pillows in front and back to keep them from rolling over. It didn't always work. I also put a baby monitor in thier crib and kept the reciving end loud and close to me so that I could hear them breathing.

as long as she can turn both ways it's fine. I let my dd sleep on tummy from day one but thats me because that's how she slept better. but as long as she can roll from back to tummy and tummy to back the risk is a lot lower

When my 6 yr old was a baby he would not sleep on his back, always on his belly. He is fine. There is no REAL cause for sids. The main reason for the belly thing is them not being able to turn away from vomit and suffacating. Looks like your little one can do that just fine.

You may want to try a sleep positioner. It has a wedge on either side that is suppose to keep the baby from rolling onto her stomach. Also, I have heard other mothers say that your baby can hold her head up or turn her head when she is on her stomach then you don't have as much to worry about in the way of SIDS, but I can definitely understand your concern.

Both my kids (now 4 and 6) did the same thing. The dr. told me that as long as they did it themselves it was ok. Put her to sleep on her back but it is ok if she turns over (especially if she can flip back onto her back too).
Make sure not to put blankets or pillows in the crib with her. Good luck.

From what I've heard and read once they start turning themselves over you can leave them to sleep that way. I'm no doctor or nurse but I think a lot of the problem with sids is that they get things stuck in front of their faces and can't move it or themselves away from it. If your little girl is moving herself then she can move away from something blocking her airway. Try not to worry too much, my daughter sleeps on her tummy as well, and has for a long time. I think she gets it from me :)

I had the same problem & it worried me. Until one day I asked her pediatrician & he said if she is turning over by herself there is nothing i can do, if I want her to sleep. That if she has the ability to turn over both ways then she has the ability to move her face & not get sufficated. She is almost 7 months old now & only way she will sleep is on her stomach. I still worry. Then my mom told me, "you & your 3 brothers are all alive & when you guys were born you were suppose to sleep newborns on their stomachs." Made me feel a little better but honestly I still check in the middle of the night to make sure she is still breathing.

I concur with previous posters- I've always heard the same thing from multiple pediatricians.

J.

My son, who is 9 months now, started turning on his stomach to sleep when he was 4 months old (and prior to that, we had a hard time getting him to sleep because he preferred stomach sleeping). He's still alive :) Just make sure you don't have pillows, bumpers, quilts, blankets or stuffed animals near her face.

What I've read says to PUT THEM TO SLEEP on their back, but if they turn over on their own, that's okay.

My son now won't sleep any other way except on his stomach. Like us adults, babies have their sleeping preference.

I have heard that once they are old enough to turn themselves over(both ways) that there is no need to worry..I used to turn my son back over when he would roll on his tummy, but then I just let him sleep however he wanted..

I agree with the first response. She should be alright. Just make sure that there is nothing in the crib that will entangle her or cause her become lodged and unable to move. My son is 4 1/2 now, but I always put him on his tummy to sleep. I just made sure that there was nothing in the way that would block his breathing. I always put him in the one piece pajama's, etc...

Good Luck

M., once they start rolling over you can't keep them on their back. What you can do is make sure their are no blankets, stuffed animals, pillows, or stuff in the crib. Keep the room temperature cool, and eliminate smoke in the house. All of those help to lower the risk of sids as well.

Hi M.,

My son did that at about four months. I called his pediatrician and he said that if he is strong enough to turn over, then he is probably strong enough to continue breathing on his tummy. He told me that there's really nothing you can do to prevent them from rolling over but just make sure that there's nothing like thick padding or toys that will cover their faces.I understand that you can't help thinking about risk of SIDS. I held my breath until my son was about six months. I would wake up all the time to check to see if he was breathing at night. You're not worring too much. You're being a very loving mother. Best wishes to you!

L. P.

I would say very sweetly, that you are worrying to much. SIDS accures because the child does not have enough motor skills to roll themselves "back and forth".

My 21 month old slept on his stomach from the day we brought him home from the hospital. I worried to sometimes I would just check to see if he was breathing. And he always was. He was just a very strong, very active baby even at two weeks. She should be just fine. If you turn her over and she goes right back on her stomach, you just have a stomach sleeper on your hands.

I think she will be okay sleeping on her stomach since she is able to flip on her back too. If you are not comfortable with her flipping over (especially when it is night time and you are asleep), roll up baby blankets and put them on each side of her when you lay her down. I did this for my son when he was a baby. I put the rolled up blankets on the sides of his torso though, not by his face. I was a pretty paranoid mom too...that is normal.

my son is almost 6months old and he has been able to turn his self over since then to he gets so made when he would try to crawl and could get no where too . she should be fine since she can flip her self over

Yes I think you are worrying too much.
I always laid all of mine on their stomachs. They wouldn't sleep on their backs. When they got old enough to turn, they were just like yours... all over the place and up and down.
You laid her on her back like you were supposed to do but when she turns on her stomach, then maybe that is God's way of saying that she is out of the sids danger. I don't see that there is anything you can do. Like I said, mine slept on their stomach the entire time.... I had 4. They are fine.

Hi- My son used to do this also, at a very early age. It scared me to death also. A friend of mine purchased the best gift for us. It's called Bebe sounds, ANgel care monitor. It's a monitor that you put under the mattress and it picks up their breathing movements. If the baby is still for 15 seconds, an alarm immediately goes off. And yes, it does work. My husband went to take our son out of the crib one night, forgot to turn the monitor off and the alarm sounded....scared me to death.
Having this monitor eased our minds and continues to do so even with him being over a year old. Just last week he had a bad chest cold and was having a hard time breathing. Once again, I knew he was safe in the crib, because the monitor would let us know if he stopped breathing....and you can hear them also with this one.

I sure hope this helps.
K.

Hi M.,

My name is J. and I have a 3yr. old and a 6mth. old. Both absolutely refused to sleep on their backs. I think it was uncomfortable for them. When they were newborns I would put them on their side or stomach to sleep and just keep a close eye on them. They are so advanced that they could pick their heads up and turn them at an early age. She may be telling you that she is more comfortable on her stomach, so just monitor her closely. If you really want her on her back they have a product in stores that you position her between and she should stay that way.