Put 4 mo old down on tummy?

[Ecoden]

Sorry I've been posting a lot, you may have seen from my 4 mo sleep regression post that I am in 30-60 min night waking awfulness right now.

My mom told me I would only settle when put down on my tummy as a baby. DD has been rolling back to front since 2 months and she's always loved tummy time but we put her down on her back swaddled (in a safe t sleep so she can't roll) and when we cosleep she's on her back too but rolls to sleep on her side into me. I know all the facts about tummy sleeping and SIDS so please don't lecture me on that, I know the risks. What I want to know is has anybody put baby down on tummy and it's helped baby settle or sleep better?

 

[DebbieF]

As soon as my daughter could roll, she slept on her tummy (Probably between 2-3 months of age) I was told that when they could roll themselves it was okay to let them sleep on their tummies. The first few nights I was constantly checking on her and she was always fine. She always slept better on her tummy then on her back. (She still does at 20 months old!)

 

[Larkspur]

If they can roll to their tummies by themselves, then it's fine to leave them there.

You can't swaddle them though, if they're going to tummy-sleep, they need to be unswaddled. At four months, you're probably about ready to drop the swaddle anyway.

If baby is already waking like crazy through the regression, maybe now is the time to bite the bullet and go cold-turkey on the swaddle.

I unswaddled my daughter right on four months when she started busting out, and she immediately started rolling to sleep on her tummy. She's been a tummy sleeper ever since. I usually put her down on her side and she almost always rolls to her tummy within a couple of minutes.

You may find back or tummy is nothing to do with the sleep regression, however. That's something you will probably have to ride out either way.

 

[myra]

Yes, my son had severe reflux and couldn't sleep on his back at all. We eventually out of sheer desperation tried him on his tummy and he actually started to sleep...first just in short stretches but that eventually extended. He also happened to be on an oxygen monitor for a week due to sleep apnea, and even on his stomach (and with him sometimes face down as he preferred versus turning his head to the side) his oxygen levels were still perfect.

 

[Julesillini8]

If they can roll to their tummies by themselves, then it's fine to leave them there.

You can't swaddle them though, if they're going to tummy-sleep, they need to be unswaddled. At four months, you're probably about ready to drop the swaddle anyway.

If baby is already waking like crazy through the regression, maybe now is the time to bite the bullet and go cold-turkey on the swaddle.

I unswaddled my daughter right on four months when she started busting out, and she immediately started rolling to sleep on her tummy. She's been a tummy sleeper ever since. I usually put her down on her side and she almost always rolls to her tummy within a couple of minutes.

You may find back or tummy is nothing to do with the sleep regression, however. That's something you will probably have to ride out either way.

This is exactly what I have to say. Try it, go without the swaddle and let her roll to tummy and just see how it goes for a few days. Can't be any worse right? 2 out of my three were tummy sleepers once they started to roll onto belly at 3 months. ( they never had been swaddled though) good luck!

 

[lcmorla]

My 4 month old daughter has just recently started to sleep on her tummy. I've always put her down to sleep on her back but one night, she was not having it! It was annoying constantly moving her so I let her sleep on her tummy. She's a smart girl, she'll turn her head for air. Sometimes I catch her with her face down but eventually she'll move her head.

 

[TTC First]

I agree with others. If swaddle is preventing her from the rolling that she already knows how to do, then I would give up on the swaddle and allow her to roll to get comfortable. If she can roll back to front she would capable of rolling front to back so I don't think that this is an issue about SIDS. I just would not initiate the putting down on the tummy.

 

[Ecoden]

Thanks for the help everyone. I have a feeling she's a stomach sleeper but like a couple of you said, it is probably the sleep regression too and we'll just have to survive that.

I had the same thought about cold turkey on the swaddle since she's sleeping terribly anyway, what's there to lose? I was going to give it a few days as she just transitioned from the rockn play to the crib. This was also the first week where she has a nanny too so I didn't want to throw too many changes her way during a wonder week (we're mid week 19) which is tough enough on her already.

Larkspur: did DD go to sleep on her own/go down awake? It's hard for me to imagine my daughter rolling over and not waking herself up. But who knows, I've never let her try.

 

[Larkspur]

Yes, I have always nursed her till drowsy, then pop her in the cot and she finishes the job by herself. If it's the nanny putting her down, she rocks her on her shoulder for a couple of minutes till drowsy, then put her down.

Every kid is different though, my oldest absolutely had to be nursed till fast asleep, and then put down gently (he was a good back sleeper though, still is).