Anyone's newborn a tummy sleeper? My 5 week old doesn't sleep much during the day. The other day I put him on a mattress for some tummy time while I cooked dinner and he fell asleep and slept for 2 hours. The next day I tried it and he slept for 3 hours in the middle of the day.

Should I be allowing him to do this just in case he gets used to it? I only do it when I'm in the same room so I can supervise him and definitely wouldn't feel comfortable doing it overnight. I'm just wondering if he'll get used to it and will only be able to sleep that way?

It's just been wonderful with him having this sleep at the same time as my toddler when he wasn't before.

Hi there,

My DS1 (now 12) would only ever sleep on his tummy. He had reflux and would just cry his heart out. One day before I had even left hospital one of the midwives put him on his tummy and he slept. I went to sleep school with him at 13 weeks and they did not try and change him from sleeping on his tummy. Personal choice but you do have to listen to advice saying that you should sleep bub on their back. At the time he was little it was on their side. With DD1 it was on the back and now with DS2 it is on the back. It may not become a habit for him but it could do so you probably need to decide if you want to continue down that path if he decides he wants to sleep on his tummy all the time.

my daughter is 7 weeks old, she was 7 weeks preemie. She only sleeps on her tummy. When she was in special care ( 3 weeks ) the nurses would sleep her on the tummy aswell. I dont think there is anything wrong with it, if it settles your baby. thats awesome ! i try to sleep her on the back, but she just figits, the moment you turn her over, she is asleep. whatever work s for you smile im all for it !

I totally understand, my 6 week old started getting relux and lots of belly aches, most of the time the only way he will settle is on my chest/tummy. After about 1/2 or so I will lay him down on his tummy on a soft rug.....he loves it and I love it! I would never leave him like that unattended simply because if something did happen I'd never forgive myself. At night he sleeps on his back but stirs and squirms through the night due to tummy pains. He has definitely become a mummy's boy after settling him like this as he very rarely settles with Dad!! Whatever works for you and soothes your baby!!!
Amy

DD1 had colic and reflux and she liked to sleep on her tummy.. DD2 was happy on her back whereas DS will only sleep on his side.

My DS1 was a tummy sleeper at about 6 weeks as he would figit and wake up every ten min or so, so i did the same as u and put him on a rug for tummy time and he would fall asleep for hours so i kept him on his belly til he was nearly 12months. DS2 who is now 11 weeks sleeps on his tummy too. i tried to avoid it this time round but at 3/4 weeks he was also so figity and wouldnt settle so we put him on his belly during the day and his back at night. Now its belly at night too. we do get a bit worried but i rekon if they have good head movement, non-smokers, and nothing in the cot to suffocate them then it shoould be ok. im constantly checking on him too. Back in the day, all babies use to sleep on their belly. they keep changing the rules. wat ever gets u a rest and keeps u sane i say go for it!

hi there, i agree with davina! about what she said about good head movement, etc. coz ive had 4 kids and they loved sleeping on their tummy and so thats how they were put to bed, im sorry but i dont see the big deal about babies sleeping on their tummy, if thats how they like to sleep and yes in the old days most babies slept on their tummies! i am one of 8 kids and we all slept on our tummies too

Hi my bubs also slept for longer if she was on her tummy but I didn't feel it was safe leaving her on her tummy at night because she slept for so long....didn't have a problem with her sleeping at night just the naps so I put her on her tummy just for naps...didn't seem to affect her night sleep at all sleeping on her back...my neice went to a day clinic and they actually rolled up a towel and placed it on bubs tummy from under the chin and threw the legs leaving his hands beside his face { cheaks }and then wrapped him and put him on his side and he settled and slept really well.

My boy is the same...he hates sleeping on his back unless propped up with a pillow or on his side or tummy.

I know they say it increases the risk of SIDS but that can still occur even if you do everything right. So at night he sleeps on a banana pillow covered with a blanket...so he can't be suffocated by it...and during the day he sleeps on the lounge on his tummy...so if he rolls he is only rolling across the chair!

My daughter use to sleep on her tummy aswell. i see nothing wrong with it. it was the only way she would sleep!! its totally up to you in what you choose. i would place stella on her tummy and she would fall asleep straight away. some just prefer it. are you a tummy sleeper? maybe thats where your child gets it from wink funny how that stuff works

Hi there, my little girl is now 10 weeks old and she has been sleeping on her tummy since we came home from hospital. She had reflux and our doctor suggested to try her tummy as we were not getting any sleep night or day and i was buggered!! (to say the least) I wouldn't be worried about it really it is your choice and if thats the way your little bubba is going to get some sleep than let it be!!! Good luck

because i've got toothpicks holding my eyelids open, i didn't read the previous posts..... so i apologise if PP has already said it

my DD ONLY slept on her tummy... i just figured that since i'm a tummy sleeper, her daddy is a tummy sleeper, and that it's probably only natural for her to be a tummy sleeper too... lol..

but in saying that, i was a little paranoid about the risk of sids - since it's got nothing to do with whether they have good head movement or not!
[Edited on 19/02/2010]

My daughter, now 14 yrs, was a tummy sleeper from 1 week of age. She slept thru the night from 2 weeks onwards, and when she was put down on her back, she was unsettled until i flipped her over. Even now she is a tummy sleeper, and still sleeps for 10 hours solid! A good habit, i say!

My 4 year old son slept on his tummy from the day he was born. He was in NICU, and the only way he would settle was on his tummy, so the midwives let him be because they said he was hooked up to so many monitors, and they were coming and going all the time - they would know instantly if something was wrong.
That said, by the time we got home, we didn't have a hope in hell of him sleeping on his back!
We had an Angelcare monitor in his basinnette which eased my mind a bit at night. Maybe worth a try if you are overly concerned.

my boy has always slept on his tummy and hes always been an amazing sleeper. 10+ hours from 8weeks onwards. still duz smile and still sleeps on his tummy
(he was premmy)

brilliant i say!!

Hi there,

My DS1 (now 12) would only ever sleep on his tummy. He had reflux and would just cry his heart out. One day before I had even left hospital one of the midwives put him on his tummy and he slept. I went to sleep school with him at 13 weeks and they did not try and change him from sleeping on his tummy. Personal choice but you do have to listen to advice saying that you should sleep bub on their back. At the time he was little it was on their side. With DD1 it was on the back and now with DS2 it is on the back. It may not become a habit for him but it could do so you probably need to decide if you want to continue down that path if he decides he wants to sleep on his tummy all the time.

hi there my youngest daughter is 6mths on thursday and from the day she was born she has always slept on her tummy and has slept all through the night from about 10weeks. i say what ever works for you and bubs you have to stick with.

As with anything to do with being a mum - follow your gut instinct and do what you think is right. What is right for you may not be what is right for others and visa versa. If the tummy sleeping is going well but you are concerned about leaving bub have you considered getting a movement sensor such as an Angelcare mat. This is a monitor similar to standard noise monitors but a pad is placed under the matteress which senses breathing movement. If no movement is sensed for 20 secs an alarm sounds so you can go in and check on bub.

This mat was very helpful for me as I had one for a precautionary measure but my son at 3mths developed a respiratory disorder where he stops breathing. The specialists have said that if I didn't have that mat there is a good chance I would not have my son.

Hi there

My son is 6 weeks old and he only settles and sleeps well if he is on his tummy. I personally dont believe that tummy sleeping causes any more deaths that back sleeping (myself and my brother were slept on our tummies and we lived!) and both myself and my husband do not smoke so the risk is just the same as any other baby. Just do what works for you and your baby. When your baby can roll over, it will sleep exactly the way it wants to anyway so as long as the baby is happy its all good.

My son now 12 weeks, was a tummy sleeper for about 6 weeks, until I noticed he had his head straight down oneday, and it freaked me out. After seeking advice from my friends one suggested I try a Kiddopotamus wrap. I found them on ebay, not expensive and he has been a back sleeper ever since. They can go in a car seat and a pram, and I think they are the best thing on the market right now. I think he liked his tummy because he also had reflux, and also perhaps the warmth and restriction being on the tummy gives them. Good Luck x

HI,
Both my boys suffered from colic and the only way to get them to settle and sleep was to place them on their tummy with their knees tucked up (like fetal position). We also had an Angel Care monitor which allerted us if they stopped breathing (never went off). I know that they tell you not to sleep them on their tummy's but when the midwives in the hospital do it........
With baby No3 on the way, I certainly will be exploring every option to get her to sleep peacefully.

Anyone's newborn a tummy sleeper? My 5 week old doesn't sleep much during the day. The other day I put him on a mattress for some tummy time while I cooked dinner and he fell asleep and slept for 2 hours. The next day I tried it and he slept for 3 hours in the middle of the day.

Should I be allowing him to do this just in case he gets used to it? I only do it when I'm in the same room so I can supervise him and definitely wouldn't feel comfortable doing it overnight. I'm just wondering if he'll get used to it and will only be able to sleep that way?

It's just been wonderful with him having this sleep at the same time as my toddler when he wasn't before.

HI,
Both my boys suffered from colic and the only way to get them to settle and sleep was to place them on their tummy with their knees tucked up (like fetal position). We also had an Angel Care monitor which allerted us if they stopped breathing (never went off). I know that they tell you not to sleep them on their tummy's but when the midwives in the hospital do it........
With baby No3 on the way, I certainly will be exploring every option to get her to sleep peacefully.

My baby had reflux and colic but no way was I going to risk sleeping her on her tummy. Check out this link: http://www.changeforourchildren.co.nz/Safe_Start_Programme/Baby_Essentials_Online
It tells you everything you need to know to protect your sleeping baby and keep them safe from SIDS...It's a Ministry of Health initiative and you can get a certificate at the end of it. Takes about 10-15 minutes. Made me feel a lot more confident to know I was keeping her safe AND alive. Tummy or side sleeping is just way too risky...

Made me feel a lot more confident to know I was keeping her safe AND alive. Tummy or side sleeping is just way too risky...

You do realise that babies do still die when on their backs don't you?

Babies aren't stupid and they will usually find the position that is safest for them, this might mean that they go against current 'recommendations', but sleeping a child a certain way is not a guarantee that they will die or stay alive.

my daughter is 7 weeks old, she was 7 weeks preemie. She only sleeps on her tummy. When she was in special care ( 3 weeks ) the nurses would sleep her on the tummy aswell. I dont think there is anything wrong with it, if it settles your baby. thats awesome ! i try to sleep her on the back, but she just figits, the moment you turn her over, she is asleep. whatever work s for you smile im all for it !

My Daughter is 13 months now and she has slept on her tummy every night of her life. Every time i would put her down on her back she was awake in seconds crying. All the doctors and nurses told me it was dangerous to sleep her on her tummy, but it's the only way she would sleep. I think that if you watch over your little one carefully and he's comfy let him sleep. As adults we all sleep differently, so why are babies different!

My DS is 5mths and been on stomach since 6 weeks. He slept through the night once he was on his tummy. My way of thinking is we were put on our tummies as babies and were fine.