Babys First Year Blog
Why Must My Baby Insist On Stomach Sleeping?
Face down in the mattress!
Last week I told you how we bravely moved our 3- month old from his pack n play in our bedroom into his crib in the nursery, and then we tempted fate by quitting swaddling just a few days later. I’m happy to say that we seem to have survived both changes, and we’re all still sleeping relatively well at night.
Now that Cullen doesn’t have his arms strapped down, and he’s free to move about however he pleases, he’s quickly taken to trying out all sorts of new sleeping positions. His absolute favorite? On his stomach, face down into the mattress. Sigh.
I know that when my generation was all babies, our moms all put us to sleep on our stomachs (and with blankets!), and many of us have lived to tell the tale. But it still makes me so nervous every time I look at the video monitor and see his little face smashed straight down into his crib sheet. How is that even comfortable?
The only reason I can sleep peacefully at night is because my husband and I shelled out a pretty penny for the Angelcare video and movement monitor. I watch the little ticker on top tick tok, tick tok all night long – letting me know that Cullen’s breathing movements are being monitored, and he is still alive and well. Some people think the breathing movement sensors are excessive, but as a naturally anxious mom, the peace of mind it gives me is priceless.
It’s funny to think that for three months my little guy has been sleeping (well, in fact!) on his back with his arms strapped down, and all this time all he really wanted was to roll over and snooze on his belly. While I certainly wish he would lay in his back, I have to admit that seeing him rolled onto his side, or sprawled out on his tummy is pretty darn cute. I hope he is sleeping more peacefully now, and while he’s catching his zzzz’s, I’ll keep watching for that tick tok so that I can catch some as well.
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9 Comments
autoclave commented on Jan 25 12 at 1:00 pmI have one and LOVE IT. Don’t let anyone say you are being “excessive” when all you want is a good nights sleep!
Brianna commented on Jan 25 12 at 2:01 pmIf it makes you feel any better, First Candle actually recommends not repositioning the baby if he’s rolled onto his tummy himself after first putting him down to sleep on his back for the night. Once they can do it themselves, it’s considered safe from what I’ve read. I understand the anxiety though. I’m the same way!
Colleen commented on Jan 25 12 at 2:40 pmAll three of my kids would sleep on their stomachs with their knees pulled up to their chest, arms tucked in, and the butts up. Once we knew they were breathing it was funny to think of that position as comfortable, but they did. My little girl – soon to be 3 – still sleeps in that position if she is overly tired.
Sarah G commented on Jan 25 12 at 5:33 pmI’ve allowed both of my babies to sleep on their tummies… It’s the only way they’ll nap more than 10 minutes! I feel like an outsider in my generation of moms, but it’s timeless to remember – “Do whatever WORKS!”
Anna commented on Jan 25 12 at 5:52 pmMy husband is a pediatrician and our son is 5.5 months – he recently started rolling onto his stomach at night and (sometimes) will sleep that way (though when he wakes up he is annoyed that he can’t really roll back onto his back again with ease). My husband felt that current advice (granted seek your own doc’s opinion) is that once they can roll themselves (if you place them in the crib on the back) then you can leave them and it is okay. I also worry about the breathing but so far, we haven’t gone in to mess with him and he has been fine. Your son is the cutest!
sara t commented on Jan 26 12 at 1:15 pmMy 8 1/2 month old has been sleeping on her stomach since she was about 4 1/2 months and it’s really the only way she will sleep. She even hates being on her back for diaper changes. We were a little nervous at first because she, like Cullen, would have her face smashed into the mattress. Needless to say we would check on her frequently! She would move all around her crib though, so I worried about it less and less as she got older. I can’t even sleep on my back–I feel so exposed/vulnurable–weird I know, but if it feels weird to me, I can imagine it feeling weird for babies too! :)
Mandy commented on Jan 26 12 at 1:22 pmI don’t think angelcares are excessive… It gives you the peace of mind needed to sleep. :)
Linda commented on Jan 26 12 at 3:48 pmMy daughter sleeps this way too and has been ever since we stopped the swaddle at 4 months. It is so cute to see her all curled up with her little tushy in the air. She still sleeps this way at 14 months.
Piper commented on Feb 06 12 at 10:07 amI abseloutly LOVE the AngelCare!!! It’s the only way I can stop worrying about SIDS and get some sleep! My son, Nolan, is 5 weeks old and he sometimes sleeps on his tummy and I get worried just like you. But the moniter gives me a little peace. It’s not excessive, it’s just protective.
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