HELP!! I Have a Tummy Sleeper on My Hands....

I just had a baby boy on Feb 3rd. and I've read all the updated info on sleeping positions also. I also have an 11 yr old and when he was born I was told the same thing about putting him on his back to sleep. I listen to him sleep sound all night and both my kids are great. I was told 11 yrs ago DO NOT LET THEM SLEEP ON THEIR BACK and now I'm told DO NOT LET THEM SLEEP ON THEIR TUMMY. Ya know what ... However they fall asleep is how I let them be all night, tummy or back. Every one knows we dont know what exactly causes SIDS and only can make guesses. So dont worry and just do whatever makes them comfortable. PS both my sons were formula fed cause of not latching and they are both fine.

SIDS is thought to be a respiratory center disorder (brain). If they stop breathing, it shouldn't matter if they're on their back or stomach. Both of my sons slept on their tummies and are just fine. Co-sleeping helps because the baby is right there with you. In a few years this back sleeping thing will go by the wayside..........
Most infants want to sleep on their tummies.

It seems they change the rules every other year. For one, Formula does not cause Sids, they don't know what causes it.

I went round and round with my doc over this. My now fifteen month old son was a tummy sleeper form the beginning. I didnt have a problem with it since he slept in our room. But when i discussed this with his doc you would have thought i was abusing him with the look he gave me. He told met he only way that he thought it was safe was if he was over 7 months old and was sitting up on his own and what not. My view on it is...THEY DONT KNOW FOR SURE WHAT CAUSES SIDS....They change their minds every ten or so years. There is nothing you can really do to prevent it..it just happens. And until they come up with more info on what it is and how it happens do what makes baby happy. I havent looked into it too much since my kids are out of that stage but I just dont see the harm if baby is happy. I maybe too lax about my views on it but really what is the sense in getting yourself all worked up when the professionals dont reallyknow they just for now are satisfied that back sleeping is better. Do what you think is best for your baby and you. Good luck!

Since the "back to sleep" campaign has started, the rate of SIDS has gone down so dramatically that most pediatricians don't have a patient that it happens to. Have you tried laying her down and then rolling her over in her sleep? Other than that, I say lay her to sleep on her back. Most likely nothing would happen to her but could you imagine if it did? Most doctors say that once she can roll over by herself, she can sleep how she wants and will be strong enough to move. I say give her a lot of tummy time and she'll roll over before you know it!

My four month old flips onto her stomach every nap and night, and does sleep better that way too! As long as they can roll over and turn their head they should be fine, it's only when they are unable to move out of a position that compromises their breathing that there's a problem. Just make sure there's no pillows, stuffed animals, blankets, etc.

Hello, I just want to encourage you that there is no actual proven fact that says that the baby sleeping on it's tummy is what causes SIDS. They can only guess at this point what causes it. With my first son the doctor said to have him sleep on his tummy. With my second they said to put him on his back. With the third they said put him on his side. All three ended up sleeping just as they wanted to and all are just fine. My oldest would only sleep on his tummy just like your little one. If that is what she prefers, then she will be fine. That is my opinion. I hope it helps.

well I think it all depends on if you rdaughter has any head controll yet the big risk with them sleeping on there tummy is that they will get there head face down and not be abel to breath butmy daughter was actully premie and at first they had her on her tummy when she was still tiny and then when it was time to coem home the nurses did enforce the no tummy time thing but as sh egot a little older and more head controll the specialists said it was fine I would actully set my alarm to go off every 2 hours so I could checkon her because I too was very freaked out about her on her tummy so I would get up make sure her head was in th eright place and go back to sleep I hope I was of some help

When my girls were infants (19 and 20 years ago), the pediatrician instructed me to have them sleep on their sides or stomach so they would not choke if they spit up in their sleep. By the time my boys came along (now 11 and 13), the same pediatrician told me to have them sleep on their backs to minimize the risk of SIDS. I'm surprised they have not come up with a new recommendation by now...
Anyway, my children managed to survive sleeping in various positions, not always the way I positioned them at the beginning of the night/nap.

My son was always a tummy sleeper since he was about 2 wks old..... he will now be 9 on my 8th and he did just fine.... not one single problem... use your own judgement....

A.

Hi R.,

I think this is worth a try:

http://www.peenyweeny.co.uk/sess/utn;jsessionid=15481a5d3...

It's called the Zaky and as a mother of four, if it had been around when mine were infants, I would have gone to great lengths to get my hands on one. This is a UK site, but if you google "The Zaky" it comes up with many other sites. SIDS is very real and any precautions we can take as parents is worth our time and money.

http://www.pregnancystore.com/zaky.htm (this is an American dot com)

Good Luck!

D. P.

Both my kids slept on their tummy, it was the only way they would sleep without me. I was, am a tummy sleeper as well.
We are all fine. My son was a preemie and formula fed. He's almost ten now and still sleeps mostly on his tummy, so does my daughter. I think worrying to much doesn't do you or you baby any good. They say after three months the risk goes down, so your already past that. My sister had a friend that lost her baby to SIDS that slept on her back and was breastfed. I think alot of the don'ts and do's may be just
things to help people think they did everything right. Don't sweat the small stuff. If your baby sleeps better on the tummy then that is ok.

Both my kids were tummy sleepers. Back then, people were afraid of babies spitting up when they were on their backs and choking. At that age, they know how to turn their head if they need air. Don't have anything that can smother them around the face and they will be fine.

I would try swaddling her tightly at night and putting her on her back. Probably part of the reason she likes sleeping on her stomach is that it calms the fear of falling. When she is on her back, she likely doesn't feel craddled and safe. On her stomach, she can feel the bed and knows she's not falling.

If that doesn't work, go ahead and let her sleep on her stomach. You and she will be so much happier to have a good nights sleep!!! Just make sure there are no pillows, no crib bumpers, and no cushie blankets/stuffed animals around her that she could get her face pressed into and suffocate. And hopefully she is already displaying signs of being able to lift her head a little but, if not, practice with lots of tummy time while you are able to watch her so she can build up those muscles. The main fear of her being on her tummy at night is not being physically able to push her face away from something that could be suffocating her. Minimize those risks, and your anxiety (because you know you've done everything you can to keep her safe!) and she should be fine!

Good luck!!

I think that if she can hold her own head up steadily she will be able to turn her head over at night. Be sure that she gets LOTS of tummy time when she's away to help strenghten her back and neck. Be sure to do everything else suggested by professionals (i.e. jammies only no blankets unless tightly swaddled, no stuffed animals or crib bumpers. you could also try putting her to sleep in her swing in the most reclined position. That was the only way my daughter would sleep through the night til she was almost 7 months old.

I am torn on this subject. My husband lost a brother to SIDS at 4 months. He was sleeping on his back. The other story I have heard about it was a baby sleeping on it's back as well. I, however still followed all the rules, but I do know boys are more likely to die of SIDS as well as children who live with smokers, also those we sleep deeper, which is why they now tell you to give your child a pacifier to keep them from sleeping to soundly. I would also agree with the rule that if they can roll over and lift their head, they should be able to avoid the danger of suffocation. Although I could never live with myself if that tiny chance came my way and I had ignored something as commonly known as "back to sleep". It is proven, I put mine on their side in a wedge. I also kept them in my room for the entire first year. We also allow our to sleep with us, which is very nice when you are breastfeeding, which also lowers the risk becasue bottle fed babies get hungry less often, so they are more likely to sleep through the night. I would suggest putting her down on her back or side, until she rolls onto her stomach by herself. That will save you from any guilt if something, god forbid, happened to come your way. Just as a side note, my mother-in-law believes his neart just stopped and he was her biggest baby, and she had 7. Also it happened in the middle of the day during nap time. Hope this helps, I noticed there were no responces from people who acctually knew or had this experience. It is a very hard thing to live with. I see it in her eyes, whenever she holds a new baby boy in our family. good luck and hope your daughter has many, many years to grow and learn.

Hi R.,

Well, my kids are all older, and I'm probably a "horrible" mother for having done it, but when all of mine were babies, if they slept better on their tummies, I put them on their tummies. In fact, when they were at the rolling over stage, they often rolled themselves over onto their tummies if I had started them out on their backs.

They're now 17, 16, and 9. :o)

If that's what your baby prefers, I don't see why you shouldn't do it. Remove any sort of suffocation danger from her crib.

K. W

My son, my second child, slept on his tummy as well! I think it was his 2 month appt with his Dr and she told me then that he would probably be a tummy sleeper! He was not a good sleeper as a baby...always waking up during the night, hard time getting him to sleep, everything! She said I should try and wait a couple more months-I can't remember exactly what age but when he was a little older (I think it was around 5-6 months) I put him on his stomach and he slept like a rock! Some babies just prefer their tummies. I noticed in another posting that she didn't see a problem with it as long as the baby is sleeping with you, but my son wasn't sleeping with us. He never did sleep in the same bed with us but was in his bassinet in our room for about 4 months. But he was in his crib before I put him on his tummy. But it sounds like you already have her in her crib which I think is a great thing! His Dr also said he was a low risk for SIDS...not a preemie and was breastfed. He also had a very strong neck and was able to lift his head up by himself at a very early age. Your daughter is probably close to the age of rolling herself over as well, if she hasn't already so if she wants to sleep on her tummy and can roll to her tummy on her own, you won't be able to stop her! My son will be 2 in June and still sleeps on his tummy!

So, I wouldn't worry about it but I would also say a call into your pediatrician would put your mind at ease. Whenever I'm in doubt, I give them a call!

Good luck!

The "back to sleep" campaign has definitely resulted in a decrease in the number of SIDS deaths, but I think it's important to remember that the rate of SIDS was not astronomical when new mothers were encouraged to put their infants on their tummies to sleep. SIDS, though horrifyingly tragic, has always been a rarity - even for babies who sleep on their tummies.

With my twins, one was happy as a bug to sleep on his back but the other one absolutely refused to sleep on his back. At six weeks old he was able to wiggle himself onto his side - and that's how he would sleep. By three months he would roll onto his tummy instantly when I put him down to sleep.

I'm with your Mom and MIL. It's totally fine and happiness is a sleeping baby!

Hello R.

As a mother of 5 kids,I too have had babies that loved to sleep on their tummies too. The doctors and nurses say to put the babies to sleep on their backs but what they don't know is that there are babies who like the tummy better. All of my babies have slept on their tummies and they were all fine. They are all happy and healthy at 19,17,14,11, and 6. So, I would say don't worry too much about her being a tummy sleeper and enjoy your baby girl :)
God Bless and take care.
A.

My son will be 4 months old on the 10th of May. He has slept on his stomach since about 2 months. He will sleep on his back for MAYBE and hour. I tolded to my dr about it and while she told me that she could not TELL me to do it, she said that he would probably be fine. He sleeps almost thru the night now (when he doesn't have a cold). Every child is different, but Collin holds his head up really well so I don't know if that is why the dr said he would be OK. I would talk to you dr about it. I feel your pain. I do check on him a lot, just to make sure he is fine. The older he gets the less worried I am.

Hope that helps a little bit.

You do what you have to! You have done your homework, you know she doesnt have the risk factors, as long as she is on a firm mattress free of stuffed animals and blankets I wouldnt worry one bit. The reason your mom isnt worried is because the last generation was told to put them on their tummy so they wouldnt choke when they spitup. It will probubly be side sleepers for our kids. Babies sleep better on their tummies. This isnt one to worry about!

Hi R.,
I'll start by saying go ahead and listen to your moms. All 3 of my kids were tummy sleepers from day one or soon after and all 3 slept just fine. There are risks for babies that sleep on there backs because they can choke on their spit up, and babies that aren't set up just right on their sides may have troubles with their backs alignment later in life, so there are risks to every position they are put in, so I say let her sleep how she sleeps most comfortably, plus since she is 4 months old that puts her at even less at risk because she can lift her head, right? I say again, I wouldn't worry about it and I don't, my youngest is only 5 months and sleeps the same way.

After many sleepless nights we finally found that our baby would sleep in a carseat which we placed in his cosleeper. It sort of cradled him in a snuggly position rather than being flat on his back, which he hated.

HI R., well...My son who is now four never slept on his back. He wouldn't either. He was bottle fed but not a preemie. The main reason I decided this was ok for him was because from the time he was born he could lift his head up and turn it to the other side then lay back down. He was very strong. I think that is one thing you should consider and the other being to make sure when you put your daughter in her crib there is absolutely nothing in it. No blankets, stuffed animals etc...They sell these wonderful things called Sleep Sacks. The are endorsed by the SIDS foundation. You put them over your baby's pj's. That way you will not have to worry about her getting cold at night and ytou won't have to worry about shifting blankets.

I do understand your concern and it is nerve racking. My daughter was two months Pre-mature and is not strong like her brother so we would have never considered her sleeping on her tummy even if she did like it best. Just do what is right for you and your daughter and remember that while I truly am a rule follower and I appreciate everyone's concern on how to raise a baby right that our parents lived and their parents lived without sleep wedges!

Goos luck!

All 3 of my kids were tummy sleepers and they are all doing just fine.

If you're putting your daughter on a standard crib mattress with only a sheet and no blankets/toys/pillows, then I'm sure your baby will be fine. I was equally paranoid about my now 10 month old. I tried swaddling, putting her down when she was drowsy, putting her down in a deep sleep, letting her cry, nursing her to sleep, letting her sleep with me, an Amby Hammock, all of these resulted in her waking 20-30 minutes later when I layed her on her back. She'd get mad, poop and then I'd have to start all over again. After 7 solid weeks of this I decided to lay her on her tummy in the bassinet next to my bed while I slept on the edge so that I could immediately check her breathing.

Thing is, on a firm surface (like a crib mattress) a baby can lay face down and still breath. Their noses are built for it: she can still breath with your breast laying on her face, right? That is surely a lot squishier than her mattress.

(In response to others' comments, I think that having her sleep with you on her tummy is MORE dangerous because your bed is likely much softer and has blankets, sheets, pillows and two adults in it, right? Lots more to get smothered with...although I *did* sleep with my newborn quite a lot (no accusations here folks))

As a final note, here is the link to the Wikipedia article about SIDS. I found it to be very informative:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_infant_death_syndrome

I see that everyone says that they let their kids sleep on their stomachs and it all turned out fine, as did my mother-in-law, but I figure that if there is anything we can do to reduce the chance of SIDS (as slim a chance as it is), isn't it our obligation as parents? The information is out there and infants sleeping on their backs does reduce the chance of SIDS. I know that this will not be a popular stance and I know that many many healthy babies slept on their stomachs, but can you live with yourself if something were to happen? Of course, once she can roll over on her own, you have lost the game. Good luck!

My son that is 6 months now loves his side and tummy. at his two month I told my ped Dr that and she said that some kids do sleep better on there belly. She said that she recomends the back for the SIDS risk but that I should use my own judgement just to make sure nothing was around his face and he had his head to the side. She said once they can roll over on there own they can sleep on there bellies.
L.

My pediatrician, who has been one for over 30 yrs, says that the reduction in SIDS has way more to do with more folic acid in prenatal vitamins then it does with putting babies to sleep on their backs. They are also finding that putting babies on their backs to sleep is creating a new problem called plageocephally, or flat heads in the back. Both my kids, ages 3 and 1, slept on their tummies no problem. Good luck.

R.,
My second one was a tummy sleeper too and I stressed over it but finally just gave in. I wasn't getting any sleep at all if she was on her back and I needed my sleep! So, I just made sure there were no blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. in her crib and I let her sleep on her tummy. I honestly believe it has a lot to do with how they spent the time in the womb. She basically laid across me on her tummy with her little butt sticking up. To this day she's soothed if I rub/pat her on the bottom like I used to do when she was wiggling too much in the womb. Your baby will be fine, but you will probably sleep a little bit lighter and have the baby monitor turned up a little bit louder just so you can hear her breathe all night! Good luck with it and, like your mother and mother-in-law have probably told you, we all slept on our tummies and look how we turned out!

The reason your Mom and Mother-in-law feel that way is possibly because that use to be the recommended way to have babies sleep! I have 6 kids, 6 grandkids and I have to say that they all slept the way they preferred. Soon your little girl is going to be rolling all over her bed anyway, so just relax and be grateful she is sleeping through the night so soon. Two of ours were nearly 1 year before they did! Yawn! :) Enjoy your daughter!

Our motto was...every child is different and what ever works...there are many more factors than just sleeping on tummies that causes SIDS...My twins are still tummy sleepers. Best of luck to you...it is stressful being a parent.

My little 3-month girl sleeps on her tummy too. So did my boy. They just sleep more comfortably that way and sleep longer. I think as long as they are on a sheet or something flat it is okay.

Hi R.,
first of all I think it has to do with what your comfortable with I had 3 premature babies twin girls and 1 son. They were all 3 mo. premature and they were all formula fed and they all slept on there stomachs and they were fine. But we didn't have the information we do today. But I did get up and check a couple of times a night and first thing in the morning, after they started to sleep through the night. I wish you luck.

i've had all the same questions and concerns. our 5 and a half month old is the same way. it made me so nervous in the beginning (we noticed the preference even before we got out of the hospital), for weeks i slept with him on my chest so i could feel him breathing. He also has reflux issues so being propped up on my chest helped with that as well. as he gets older and stronger i worry less. he is great at turning his head now and lefting it up. We are still co-sleeping and plan to continue that for a few more months so i get some piece of mind because its so quick and easy to check on him. my intuition on it was to follow his lead and i felt like he was pretty clear on what worked for him. best of luck!

Hi R.,
I don't think you can fight the nature. My advice is to make sure that there is nothing in her crib that might cost a suffocation and may be buy a SIDS monitor as she sleeps in a separate room. Good luck!

I also have a four month old tummy sleeper. You know your child. You know what he does in his sleep. Mine has always had a strong neck and doesn't have any of the other risk factors for SIDS. I agree with the other responses that say "they" don't know what causes SIDS and some babies just need to be on their tummies. I just flat out lie to my doc about it to avoid the lecture. I feel like I know my baby better than they do. I say go for it.

Once my kids could roll over by themselves I relaxed on the back to sleep thing because mine slept better on their tummies too.

Hi, my name is also R.. My baby(6 months) sleeps on her tummy, no worries..

Both my girls were tummy sleepers, with the first one I was nervous and scared about SIDS, but it was the only way she liked to sleep so she slept through the night and I checked on her constantly, at first, then slowly I was comfortable that she would be ok and I learned to relax about it. The second one I could relax because the first one was fine. All I can say is that a mom has to do what she is comfortable with and ignore any other advice, you know your baby like no one else.
Another trick I have heard is to let them fall asleep on their bellies and then roll them to their backs - it didn't work with mine as they just rolled right back to their bellies but it could be worth a try.

My now eleven-month-old was like that. From birth, she refused to sleep on her back; she would just cry. So she's always slept on her tummy and been fine. (My older daughter, now 3, slept on her back, no problem.)

My son slept on his stomach almost from day one. I tried to get him to sleep on his back but he would cry after about 10 minutes so once he was a couple months old I relented and let him sleep on his tummy. I think as long as there aren't blankets or stuffed animals or anything that could suffocate in the crib and she can hold her head up a little she'll be fine.

What type of head and neck control does your daughter have? If you feel confident she can turn and lift her head while laying on stomach that does reduce risk of SIDS. Also remember they don't know the exact cause of SIDS. I am not telling you to go against advice, but sleep is important and you decide what is right for you and your baby. There are other things you can do to reduce risks like no bumpers (or get breathable bumpers), don't lay her on soft or wooly or anything that would be harder to push out of. No smoking in household, etc. I would say no one does 100% to prevent SIDS.

R.,
My kids are 9, 6, & 4 and still sleep on their tummies. I have been told the same as you and wore myself out trying to do what all the 'experts' said until I finally realized that I had to do what worked for me and my children and forget the rest. I think the biggest worry is that there are fluffy blankets or stuffed animals that might fall or cover the baby's face. I always made sure my kids had warm enough jammies that a blanket wasn't always required. Hope this helps you!

Can your baby roll onto her tummy by herself yet? My son loved to do that and sleep that way. I asked his doc about it and they told me that if they can roll onto their tummy by themself, they are out of danger for SIDS.

Hi R., your Daughter has enough head control to move it up and away if something is covering her nose. Having her sleep on her belly is fine, my twins would start out on their backs and roll onto their bellies. Just make sure that there are no wrinkles, pillows and other heavy things that she can't move in the crib with her.

S.

I personally was a tummy sleeper when I was a baby. I have 3 children whom all slept on their tummies since day one. All of them were born premature and breastfed. They are all healthy and perfectly normal. I too stressed when my kids wouldn't sleep on their backs. After knowing that they were getting the sleep that they needed and that I was able to sleep the whole night, I didn't stress out about it as much.

let her sleep on her tummy - just make sure that the matress is firm and there are no extra blankets or othre items around her. She will be fine.

We had the same thing with our son. There really isn't much you can do once they decide to sleep on their tummy's. Just make sure the crib is clear of toys and blankets and go with the flow ;-)

I've been told that they put "sleeping on tummies" on the SIDS list because kids sleep deeper on their tummies. Dr's won't tell you otherwise because they don't want the liability. Honestly, if you put her to sleep on her back and she rolls over, then, I don't think you have anything to worry about. It's the tiny ones who can't roll and would get a blanket caught on their face or something that have bigger problems. Also, if she sleeps on or next to another person (you or daddy, unless you smoke) all the SIDS risks go way, way down, like they do for breastfeeding. Do your best not to loose sleep over it. But get someone you trust to tell you what, if anything to do.

My second child would only sleep for any length of time on her tummy since she was a couple of weeks old. She is 8.5 months now and is doing great. She even preferred to sleep on her tummy after her bladder surgery with the incision in the front. My doctor has said that once they can roll themselves over then they can pretty much sleep any way they want to. You can't really stop them at that point and any stuff you put in the crib to keep them on their backs might hurt more than it helps.

IMHO there is nothing "wrong" with babies sleeping on their tummies. It sounds like your baby girl is telling you that's where's she most comfortable (and by the way neurologically, a child's central nervous system and brain receive the most feedback by sleeping on their tummies). My children are 9 and 8 and BOTH slept on their tummies exclusively. I refuse to let fear be in the driver's seat when it comes to parenting. If follow my gut as often as possible.

Hope this helps,

G.
(SAHM and personal chef when I have the time)

Everyone says NO, don't do this, but I think they are just running scared. No doctor can tell you that tummy sleeping causes SIDS. They think they are at greater risk for the obvious reasons.
I can tell you my boy (who is now 10) preferred to sleep on his stomach - so I let him. He had a strong neck and could roll over on his own. I never left anything in the crib he could smother himself on, like pillows, stuffed animals or blankets. The sheets fit tightly so they could not be pulled off, etc...
My best friend, who is 37 years old, like me, also put her two children to sleep on their stomach.
You are the mother and have to do what you feel is right for your child. Sometimes that means going against all the well-meaning advice.

Hi R....
Don't worry. Your daughter will be fine. My daughter slept on her tummy from the minute she was born and we didn't have any problems. Some babies are just tummy sleepers and you happen to have one of them. I was a tummy sleeper, my brother was a tummy sleeper and I know many of my friends' babies are also tummy sleepers. You just have to make sure you don't have any loose blankets or bedding/sheets under her head...that's what causes the suffocation...not the actual stomach sleeping. I know the doctors say not to do it...but I say if it lets your daughter get a full night of restfull sleep...more power to her for sleepin' on her belly. Hope this helps!

D.

My son slept on his stomach and he is just fine. Babies have been sleeping on their stomachs forever! Your child will be fine.

Your daughter is fine to sleep on her tummy. Some babies it helps them. My son is 4months old and he likes it on his tummy as well. I also have a 19month old and he slept on his tummy as an infant. It wont hurt her. Just make sure their is nothing that will smuther her. But you dont have anything to worry about.

Hi R.... I don't have my own personal experience with this but my best friend has two daughters and both of them were tummy sleepers from the beginning. They are now 5 and 3 and happy, healthy, beautiful little girls! I agree with the other people who have responded that some babies are just happier sleeping on their tummy, and in another month or two, your baby will probably be rolling over and end up that way during the night anyway... so I don't think you have anything to worry about. Hey - if your baby is sleeping well, don't mess with it! Trust me - from someone who had a son who woke up MANY times a night until he was about 18 months old, if your daugher sleeps well on her tummy, then by all means, let her do it! Good luck! =)

Hi, R.............not to worry, all four of my babies preferred to sleep on their tummies........they sleep longer and it helps them blow their noses! M. S

Hi R.,
I had the same problem with my son. I did find, though, that the hard wedges worked (can't remember what brand, but it was a popular one). Anyway, occasionally, though, he would end up on his stomach. I wouldn't worry about it too much, if I were you. You can try to start off in the wedges and if she moves onto her stomach, so be it. If she isn't already doing it, she will soon be able to roll over from her tummy to her back and vice versa, at which point you don't have to worry much anymore about setting her sleep position, as she will find it herself.

I think I've seen this question asked before, so don't worry, you are not alone!

Both of my girls are tummy sleepers (and were from the very beginning). Statistically, the risk of SIDs are higher for tummy sleepers (2/1000 vs. 1/1000), but if you are already at a low risk, you may not think this difference is worth it (this was my opinion). Things like mom being a smoker affect the risk a lot more. So, decide what you are comfortable with and go with it.

However, one good piece of advice I got from my pediatrician was to PICK ONE way and stick with it. He said the risk of SIDS is higher for babies who are sometimes put on their tummies and sometimes put on their backs than for exclusive tummy sleepers.

My son slept better on his stomach too. Because SIDS mostly happens with children that sleep in another room than their parents I never worried about it. I would let my son fall asleep on my chest and then laid him down right next to me on his tummy. He's 4 now, I never had a problem with tummy sleeping. My feeling is that so long as you're breast feeding and sleeping with your infant they'll be fine. :)

I finally stopped freaking out and put my son on his tummy at 4 months. He had reflux so bad he would grunt all nite and never sleep. Not more that 2 hours at a time. Now he sleeps 4-5 at a time. I bought a BEBE SOUNDS ANGEL CARE MONITOR and I love it. it was about 100.00 bucks but he's worth it. It's a monitor that senses their breathing and even has a temp. gauge for the room.. I really think the whole SIDS thing is blown UP. Yes use commom sense but also read your baby. We also went on the web site called Colic.com or something and found a colic store that sold wedges and CD's of vacume sounds ect. I hope this helps.

My first question is can your baby roll over yet? If not, do not put them down on their tummy. My son would roll over onto his tummy and sleep with his face straight into the mattress. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep because I kept going in to check and make sure I could hear him breathing. He survived! I would always put him down on his back. He would eventually just roll over and sleep how he was comfortable. At four months old they are not the best sleepers anyway so don't think your daughter won't sleep if she is on her back. For me I wouldn't take the chance. If you can sleep soundly while she's on her tummy then go ahead, but if you can get her used to sleeping on her back you will both sleep better at night.