In the last few days, my five-month-old son has begun rolling from his back to his stomach. My question is...before this week, I'd been putting him down to sleep on his back and he'd stay that way throughout the night. But now with his newfound mobility, how do I keep him safe in his crib (i.e. keep him from suffocating himself), when he now has the ability to turn to lay on his stomach/face? Thank you.
Thank you for all of the wonderful advice! You know, the potential risks associated with having a bumper cover on the crib never occurred to me, but it just makes perfect sense now---that he could turn and rest his face in the bumper and block his air passages. Needless to say, I've removed the bumper. And thanks for encouraging me to NOT use a foam wedgie (which had crossed my mind). It, too, just makes perfect sense.
My baby is already sleeping PEACEFULLY...and I will be joining him tonight...thanks to you ladies. SE
I freaked out, too, when my baby rolled over for the first time. You've got some great advice here. I just wanted to add that if you're swaddling to stop. They need their arms and legs so they can push their little head up. Congrats! What an exciting milestone!
Alicia is correct. If they can roll, they are safe. Just don't put a thick, fluffy blanket on the mattress. A sheet is best.
by the time they have the strength and mobility to roll onto their stomach, they have outgrown the high risk of suffocation due to sleeping on the stomach =) don't worry if he rolls onto his stomach to sleep, he will be fine!
PS both my little ones rolled from back to stomach at a very young age (by 3 mo.) and they were both just fine!)
I had the same issue with my daughter, and books/ my doctor told me that once they are strong enough to roll onto their stomaches,they have passed much of the SIDS risk. They told me that it was ok, and there was nothing I could do to stop it at that point. I just kept the crib free of any blankets/bumpers/toys etc, ond only had her on a fitted sheet with a sleep sack.
I had the same issue and my mom ( pediatrician) said that as long as they are big enough to lift their head it was now safe as long as the crib is empty of toys and any loose objects
It is my understanding that once the baby CAN roll over, they won't suffocate because they will move themselves. By the way, we used to be told to ALWAYS put them on their stomachs because they might choke on spitup, so they all slept that way. Try not to worry!
If he can turn there himself, it's fine.
Relax and breathe and smile happily knowing that your kiddo will be just fine! He can roll and it's a good thing. When my daughter was a wee one, she had some difficulties and one of my methods was to tilt the top end of her crib up ever so slightly. Just use your mattress pad and sheet, no need for bumper or crazy blankets - babes are like little heaters and you're in luck with the summer ahead! No suffocation worries :) It's often a nice way for them to feel comfortable and protected - to curl up on their tummy.
The whole point of putting him on his back so he won't suffocate is that he didn't have the motor skills to roll over before if he needed to. Now that he can roll over- he can keep himself from suffocating.
It is scary the first time you wake up and find him on his stomach. Remove his bumper around the edge of the crib if you have one. If you take everything out of his crib he will be fine. You can not stop him from rolling over, be happy that he is doing it. That means he is developing like he should be. My boys slept in footed sleepers because their feet would get cold and I did not like having a blanket in the crib.
Just to elaborate. The recommendation to sleep on the back is due to the risk of SIDS. After MUCH research, the theory that has made the most sense to me is that it's related to the flame retardant chemicals in the mattress. When a baby is face down, they breathe in more fumes. It also then makes sense sleeping with your face further from the mattress and using a fan would reduce the risk. Check out this website, http://www.prevent-sids.org/
by son is 4 months and he always sleeps on his stomach he loves to so i leave him i feel safe with him like that the one time i had him on his back when i brought him home from the hospital (he what there for 2 weeks he was born a month early) well it was the first night and i wanted to do everything right or should i say the way they say is right for babies to sleep on there back well he vomited that night well he almost choked he didn't move his head to the side like they say they will and i was so worried i never did it again i would leave him on his stomach and he would be just fine and i watched him like crazy after that but all babies are different i say if he like it and he is ok then leave him be he is old enough to lift and move his head way if he can't breath right even my 6 year old slept like that as a baby lol he still does
All three of my sons slept on their tummies from the start. The doctors all had a fit when I told them this but everytime I tried to put them down to sleep on their backs, their startle reflex would wake them up. I had to choose to let them sleep the way they were comfy or let them be miserable. Happy child, happy mommy! Just be sure you don't have heavy blankets in the crib. He will be fine.
Peace,
C.
Once your child can roll over (even if he can't get back to his back), he has the brain function and strength to keep himself from suffocating. The risk of SIDS has also dramatically decreased by 5 months. You don't need to be doing anything beyond what you've probably been doing all along--no pillows/fluffy bedding, minimal (one) soothing toy, tight sheets, etc.
I see that you have already gotten some great advice, but you can never get too much advice when you are worried about your baby! Our pediatrician said that as long as there was nothing loose in the crib (blankets, toys, bumper, etc.) that all was fine. Basically, he said "if they can roll over, they can roll back over if they have a problem!". Plus, the risk of SIDS (the reason for back sleeping) reduces greatly at 5 months. So, unless your child has specific problems.... rest easy - just like your little guy!
Please ignore the advice that said "don't ever leave your child alone, watch them nap and sleep..." that is just going to set you up for a bad sleeping future if your child always sees you there!
My 13 month old LOVES sleeping on her tummy and is how she is most comfortable!
Good luck.
blessings,
stacy
I wouldn't worry about it by now. It is safe to say that if he can roll over back and forth, he is okay by now. I think that most experts want them on their backs before they can roll over but you can't be expected to pull all night vigils and turn your little one over every time he rolls to his tummy, they are worried more about babies that can't pick up their heads on their own I think.
Just my 10 cents worth, but I was soooo freaked out when my first child was born and he ALWAYS had to be on his back or he would just die!!! He never slept through the night until he was around 18 months old because everyone had me convinced that he stay on his back no matter what. My fondest memories of him as baby never included any nap times or evening routines (sorry to say). However, with my daughter, I knew from the day she was first born in the hospital that she was a tummy sleeper. In the hospital she hated to be swaddled and put on her back. I kept her comfortable!!! She slept through the night from day one on her tummy with a blanket on. I did try my best for the first few months to use a sleep positioner to keep her at least on her side, but it rarely worked. She moved so much and just loved her tummy, AND I got a lot more sleep!!(BTW, I also co-slept with her for the first 3 months)
I'm no expert by any means, but it worked for us.
Make sure your crib mattress is the right size and there are no openings where he could fall into the side between the mattress and the rail. If there are gaps, roll up towels and stick them down in between the mattress and rail.
Don't put your crib right up against a wall. Or the child could get stuck between crib and wall? I've read that, never experienced it.
Don't put thick blankets or comforters, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. in the bed. In fact, if you don't have to use a blanket, don't. But, if you do, use the thin receiving blankets and just make sure the pajamas are warm/cool enough.
Don't put the crib next to curtains or strings, etc. that he can pull down by accident and get wrapped up in.
If he can roll over, he will be able to move around enough to get air if necessary as long as he isn't trapped. So, all you need to worry about is things that could keep him from free movement or that are plastic and don't allow air through. He can even breathe through a thin blanket over his face. It's when they get wrapped up in it so much that they can't move if in a bad position with the mattress or pillow, or whatever.
Don't worry too much. Just don't put stuff in his crib. This includes bumper pads!
When my daughter started rolling over to sleep on her stomach I just about freaked, but her Pediatrician said not to worry. As long as there isn't any blankets or other items in the crib it shouldn't be a problem. One of the nurses said I could try placing rolled up towels on either side, but that they usually roll over them.
I think it took me 2 or 3 weeks before I stopped checking on her so often to make sure she was breathing. She loved to sleep right on her face! *cringe*
Good Luck!
I had this question too. This terrified me when he wasnt sleeping on his back but his stomach. I went and bought one of those foam things that prevents them from rolling over. Well we tested it durring nap time and he got wedged between it and the side of the crib. Basically once they are able to flip over then they are ok to be able to move there face way from the mattress. I also would wake durring the night for the 5 and 6 month time to make sure he was sleeping on his back by 7 months I knew he would be fine. SIDS is also linked to mattresses. Make sure there are no toys or blankets and I took OFF the bumpers! Many prayers for you and your family. I calle the pedi when I had a question like this.
He is fine if he can roll over. They encourage not sleeping on their stomach till 4 months or until they can roll over..
My daughter did the same exact thing around the same time! My daughter would sometimes sleep with her head face down in the mattress...which totally freaked me out! I agree with the other two responses 100%! I just wanted to add that you should continue putting your son to sleep on his back, but not to worry if he flips over.
-M.
Hi S e
He will not smother himself. If he is comfortable let him sleep- just gently turn his head to one side or the other and be sure there are no blankets or other objects that he could get tangled in- just let him sleep. He will be find.
blessings
You may also want to put a fan on in his room and face it on his bed. That is the newest thing on preventing SIDS, keep the air moving. Other than that, they will sleep the way they prefer and there isn't much you can do about it. So just enjoy his sleep!
I completely understand. My daughter did the same thing around the same time and I freaked out.
There is not much you can do besides make sure nothing is in her bed e.g. blankets. You are going to have to get comfortable with this because from now on, he is going to sleep on his stomach.
Do not try to swaddle him to keep him from flipping. He could suffocate. My mother told me b/c she was strong enough to flip over and lift her head that I had nothing to worry about.
My suggestion is to get a video monitor. At first, I would wake up all night long and check the monitor. A few times I walked in to feel her stomach to make sure she was breathing. Nothing ever happened and she never has slept on her back again.
He will be fine! Mine has slept on his stomach since 5 days old. We tried the back thing for the first few days & he wouldn't sleep. We put him on his back & he slept much better. He is almost 7 months now. By 5 months he should be lifting his head when he is on his tummy, he will turn his head if he needs to. Just remember that most of us slept on our stomachs when we were infants, because that was what they said to do at that time. We all survived to be moms ourselves. God Bless!!
L.
We had problems with this with my youngest, and the only thing that we knew to do was just to never let her be completely alone. Like if she was napping, then one of us would watch tv or read or something in her room until she woke up. At night, her crib was in our room, so we would just check on her frequently. The sound of her breathing would change if she turned over, so that helped.
