Baby sleeping on their tummy-please help xx

[porkypig]

my lo has started to roll over on his side then turn fully onto his stomach when I put him to bed. Is this ok to leave him sleeping on his stomach or should i rollhim back onto his back??

I try to do this and he just rolls back onto his front. I dont know what to do xxx

 

[TigerLady]

Let him roll, hon. If he is strong enough to roll, then he has good head and neck control and is unlikely to have a problem sleeping on his tummy.

Even experts say, once you put them down on their back, if they roll, then that is what they do!

If it makes you feel better, my LO has been a belly sleeper since about 12 weeks old... and he still doesn't roll back to tummy. I put him down on his tummy as that is the only way he will sleep!

 

[dom85]

I'm not 100% but I think everything I've read says that if they can roll on to their tummy on their own it's ok to leave them like it, you're just not supposed to put them down like it. I imagine that you would be turning him over every 5 mins otherwise!

 

[porkypig]

thanks for your replies, i did hear that too hun, thst if they roll by themselves, its ok to leave them, but i still worry so much, because like that, theres more chance that theyre squashing their nose and may not be able to breathe properly xxx

 

[TigerLady]

Yes, they might do that. My LO does it all the time. But there are safety mechinisms in their bodies to address that. If they start breathing in too much CO2 because their noses are smooshed, the CO2 levels go up in their blood stream. This reaches the brain... and the brain says... OH NO! The brain then triggers them to move their heads until they breathe better. That is why it is generally safe once they have good head and neck control

The dangers come when they aren't able to move their heads well (as they are too young and not strong) and even though the brain says MOVE the muscles can't manage it.

The only other danger is if, for some reason, that mechinism is faulty (like a congential abnormality). That is VERY VERY VERY VERY rare! And there is no way to test for that problem. But it is so rare that it is highly unlikely your LO has this problem. And it will have to be tested at some point! You can make him sleep on his back forever!

So, chances are, your LO will be just fine if he decides to roll to his tummy!

 

[porkypig]

Yes, they might do that. My LO does it all the time. But there are safety mechinisms in their bodies to address that. If they start breathing in too much CO2 because their noses are smooshed, the CO2 levels go up in their blood stream. This reaches the brain... and the brain says... OH NO! The brain then triggers them to move their heads until they breathe better. That is why it is generally safe once they have good head and neck control

The dangers come when they aren't able to move their heads well (as they are too young and not strong) and even though the brain says MOVE the muscles can't manage it.

The only other danger is if, for some reason, that mechinism is faulty (like a congential abnormality). That is VERY VERY VERY VERY rare! And there is no way to test for that problem. But it is so rare that it is highly unlikely your LO has this problem. And it will have to be tested at some point! You can make him sleep on his back forever!

So, chances are, your LO will be just fine if he decides to roll to his tummy!

thanks hun, i hope he's ok, he's been dying to do it for ages and now he's mastered it!!! lets hope he sleeps for longer now that hes comfortable!!! xxx

 

[zoe0504]

HI, my LO has been doing this also since he started rolling about 3 weeks ago, there's just no point in me turning him back as he's on his tum again 2 minutes later!!!
I worried too but after waking up to him comfortable and happy on his belly i've learnt that he's ok. I'm sure that if there was a problem baby would let you know.
x x x x

 

[goddess25]

Yes its fine. I posted this exact thread when my LO started to do it too. Most babies like sleeping on there tummies, and when they can turn themselves onto it they have the proper head control to move there head if there airway is compromised at all. Your baby will be fine. I spent a few nights constantly turning him over until i chilled out a little bit about it.
My LO sleeps on his tummy every night with his bum stuck right up in the air, sucking his thumb.

 

[TigerLady]

^^Mine naps that like! So cute, isn't it!

 

[porkypig]

aah thanks everyone xx

 

[reemasams]

hi,

even my baby sleeps on his stomach... he's entering third month and he started rolling on second month itself. he will roll back to stomach even if i roll him.. i approached doctors for advice and they said nothing wrong in that and it will not harm the baby.
so don't worry about that.

 

[porkypig]

thank you xx