arrghh! sleeping face down

[creamcakes]

Finally, Finally, after six long months of trying to persuade our DD to sleep longer than a couple of hours at a stretch, we finally made significant progress last night. Yay! She settled on her own and self-settled when she woke in the night.

However, tonight, she has learned to roll onto her tummy and is sleeping with her nose completely pressed into the mattress. Totally face down! I turn her onto her back and bam, within 10 minutes she is back on her front, her nose pressed into the mattress. Her head is not on one side like I would imagine it might be in this situation.

Someone tell me that it is OK to leave her like this and she will turn her head if she can't breathe?? otherwise I will have to stay up all night watching over her, which would be a sad, sad irony given the months of extreme sleep deprivation we have experienced so far (she used to wake up every 45 minutes for months and months. And yes, we did nearly go mad...) She is now 25 weeks old - so just shy of 6 months.

We have an angelcare movement monitor, and I am still worried. Help!

Lucy

 

[Emmea12uk]

I dont know...but wanted to say i would worry also. I am sure it is ok though!

Strong brave mummy for going through all of that!!!

 

[Serene123]

I think (allbe it I'm not totally sure) If she's old enough to lift her head, which I assume she is as you said 6m, and you can't do anything about it, then I'd just leave her to it. She won't let herself suffocate, if she can't breathe she should move.

 

[tinytoes]

yikes, i'd panic too...but i guess that as she can move about freely that it shouldnt be a problem?!..but i wouldnt like it either!! Rather than put her on her back, could you put her on her front but tilt her head?

 

[ALY]

if she cant turn back over id lay er on er back or side just to b on the safe side
through the day try t lay er down so if sne turns over on to er tummy she can practice rolling back on to er back n once she got the hang of it id just let er sleep how she wants

 

[creamcakes]

Wow, thanks for the quick replies. What a responsive forum.

Have tried turning her head to one side but the little blighter turns it straight back again. Sometimes she rests her face on both her hands too. Like she's praying at a mosque! What a monkey.

If I put her on her side, flip, straightaway, she is back on her tummy nose-down before you know it.

Tomorrow we will be practicing rolling front-to-back all day long: she used to be able to do it some times but seems to have forgotten how...

will see how we get on. Something tells me I am going to be checking on her a lot tonight

Just checked on the FSID website and it says if your baby sleeps nose down make sure nevertheless that she can breathe freely. WTF??? That doesn't help me! How can I check in my sleep??????

 

[StirCrazy]

this 100% untested and only a suggestion...
I guessing that to turn on her front would need leg power. Have you tried wrapping her blanket under her arms and around her legs to stop her from giving her the movement to turn over. May sound a bit restrictive, but considering the alternative I guess you could try.

 

[HatterasSarah]

How old is your baby? If she is old enough to lift her head on her own, she should be fine. My son has ALWAYS been a tummy sleeper...but he's been lifting his head up since he was like a month old! I'm sure shes fine, but if you feel like you should ask your doc, you shoudl do so!

 

[Soon2be3]

If your really worried, take a pillow and Put it against her back, laying her on her side. BUt She is old enough to lift her head up and roll, SHE will be OK...WHAT A GOOD MOMMY staying worried about her baby...

Oh and make sure the pillow isnt too big, maybe a small baby pillow and lower back by her bum dont want to roll her face on it.

 

[Holldoll]

Bella sleeps like this sometimes. She turns her head on her own after a while. If she can roll over on her own, I'd just leave her.

 

[creamcakes]

Thanks everyone for your replies again. Well, we both managed to get some sleep last night and in the end I decided that she is a big strong girl who can probably look after herself now, so I left her be mostly (although I was still checking on her more often than probably necessary). Re putting obstacles in her way, cushions etc, she just rolls over the top of them. She is quite strong and very determined! I like the wrapping her in a blanket suggestion...makes sense, but unfortunately she is an escape artist too, and easily wriggled out of her miracle blanket by 5 months. I was surprised because it has arm flaps to keep the arms pinned down - I have no idea how she did it!
Lucy

 

[missamoo]

all the books say once they start rolling onto their tummy let them as if they can roll onto their tummy they are perfectly capable of moving to let themselves breathe.

My 3 month old loves sleeping on his tummy with his nose pressed into the sheet but i've got an apnoea monitor and hes absolutely fine.