Tummy sleeping babies?

[LibraryLover]

Laurie, babies who are held a great deal, and who are loved dearly and obviously (with physical affection) by their mothers and fathers STILL can develop the "smashed head" deformity from sleeping on their backs. My son -- loved as lavishly as all our other children -- experienced just that.

 

I think we would feel more at ease with your observations if you were not drawing such firm, negatively judgmental conclusions about people whom you do not know, about children whom you have not met.

 

:)

 

 

You might think I am worried about people being at ease with me encouraing folks not to put newborns on their tummies, but I am not.

[jewellsmommy]

My dd had to sleep in a carrier, as ordered by her Dr. She had severe GERD. We slept with the carrier in our bed in the middle, between our pillows. My irl friends thought this to be very strange, but it worked for us. She developed the flat spot and we had to see a specialist. We had to do these weird head turning exercises with her too. So, tummy sleeping was never really an option, in fact she hated tummy time with a passion! Nothing with our dd was normal, lol.

[LibraryLover]

Yeah, no. The flat head is caused by sleeping on the back.

 

No. The flat head is caused by the baby spending most of the time on her back, or in one position for a long time. A newborn baby who is held to feed and not 'encouraged' to sleep for many hours (and tummy sleeping does cause the baby to sleep longer and more deeply, which is a problem) will not have a flat head.

 

A baby encouraged to be, and left on his back most of the time, will. It takes many hours a day for this to happen.

Edited August 21, 2009 by LibraryLover

[LibraryLover]

My dd had to sleep in a carrier, as ordered by her Dr. She had severe GERD. We slept with the carrier in our bed in the middle, between our pillows. My irl friends thought this to be very strange, but it worked for us. She developed the flat spot and we had to see a specialist. We had to do these weird head turning exercises with her too. So, tummy sleeping was never really an option, in fact she hated tummy time with a passion! Nothing with our dd was normal, lol.

 

 

This is something quite different. Babies with special needs will have their own issues. I had a child with birth defects and scars. Some things cannot be helped.

[LizzyBee]

All 3 of mine slept on their tummies. I never even considered putting them on their backs. I might have hesitated with a premie if prematurity is a risk factor for SIDS; I don't recall whether it is or not. If you decide to go with the tummy sleep position, make sure your babysitters, church nursery workers, etc are informed. Alternating between back and tummy sleeping is a risk factor, so you want to choose which position to use then stick with it.

[LibraryLover]

Yeah, no. The flat head is caused by sleeping on the back.

 

As a pp mentioned, this can be caused by babies spending long periods of time in one position. These things do not happen for no reason.

[Pink Fairy]

Nope. I know from experience that this is not true, nor have I ever heard this anywhere else. I'd be interested in your reference.

[Pink Fairy]

No. The flat head is caused by the baby spending most of the time on her back. A newborn baby who is held to feed and not 'encouraged' to sleep for many hours (and tummy sleeping does cause the baby to sleep longer and more deeply, which is a problem) will not have a flat head.

 

A baby encouraged to be, and left on his back most of the time, will. It takes many hours a day for this to happen.

 

Oops, I meant to quote.

[LibraryLover]

Oops, I meant to quote.

 

 

How does it happen?

 

For those people who prefer The Pearls over The Sears, you won't like this link. I'll leave it to the reader to decide what 'too much time' means. http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t086300.asp

Edited August 21, 2009 by LibraryLover

[LizzyBee]

No. The flat head is caused by the baby spending most of the time on her back. A newborn baby who is held to feed and not 'encouraged' to sleep for many hours (and tummy sleeping does cause the baby to sleep longer and more deeply, which is a problem) will not have a flat head.

 

A baby encouraged to be, and left on his back most of the time, will. It takes many hours a day for this to happen.

 

This was the reason for the Back to Sleep, Tummy to Play campaign.

 

and tummy sleeping does cause the baby to sleep longer and more deeply, which is a problem

 

I am curious why this is a problem? My oldest would only sleep about 10 minutes at a time on her back. I thought sleeping longer and deeper on her tummy was a good thing cause it meant dh and I could sleep too. :D My 2nd and 3rd ones only slept 2-3 hours at a time on their tummy for at least the first 6 weeks; I can't remember when they started sleeping longer; but 2-3 hours is definitely not too long.

Edited August 21, 2009 by LizzyBee

[jewellsmommy]

No. The flat head is caused by the baby spending most of the time on her back. A newborn baby who is held to feed and not 'encouraged' to sleep for many hours (and tummy sleeping does cause the baby to sleep longer and more deeply, which is a problem) will not have a flat head.

 

A baby encouraged to be, and left on his back most of the time, will. It takes many hours a day for this to happen.

 

Don't be so sure.

 

I can guarantee that no child was held more then our dd. In fact, I endured much *crap* from some people because, in their opinion, we were "babying" our baby too much. We carried her around a lot and held her much, but she had special issues and it was our right to do as we felt right. So, I ignored the people who were NOT given my child to raise and I held her every time I darn well wanted to or when I thought she needed me too. Our dd was a high maintenance baby, surgery at a day old, severe GERD, multiple ear infections, a MRSA infection, all leading us to her 6th surgery coming up and she's 7 now. I digress, due to my defenses being raised, I will admit.

 

My point: don't be so quick to come to such sweeping conclusions. Especially ones so offensive.

[LibraryLover]

A baby who spends hours in arms and at the breast (or alternating sides with a bottle) will not get a flat head. The side switching of feeding, and the cradle hold of carrying will protect the baby from head mashing. A baby held often and carried will not need 'tummy time'. A good amount of babies hate tummy time, as most babies want to be held.

 

Babies carried and moved about will not develop flat heads because they are not spending long hours lying on their backs. Lying flat on the back for hours will lead to a flat head. Being held and carried will not result in a flat head.

 

Prolonged periods of deep sleeping in newborns is a risk factor for SIDS. A baby close to its mother will nurse or feed frequently (and not sleep on her back, but on her side as in the case of bfing) . Additionally, the mothers movements and breathing patterns will help the baby 'remember' to breathe.

 

Now. Some people do sleep train newborns, and the babies, of course, are 'fine". Just like some older folks here who were never put in car-seats or seat belts and lived.

 

 

This was the reason for the Back to Sleep, Tummy to Play campaign.

 

 

 

I am curious why this is a problem? My oldest would only sleep about 10 mintues at a time on her back. I thought sleeping longer and deeper on her tummy was a good thing cause it meant dh and I could sleep too. :D My 2nd and 3rd ones only slept 2-3 hours at a time on their tummy for at least the first 6 weeks; I can't remember when they started sleeping longer; but 2-3 hours is definitely not too long. Is the problem that deeper sleep (if too deep) can increase the SIDS risk?

[LibraryLover]

Don't be so sure.

 

I can guarantee that no child was held more then our dd. In fact, I endured much *crap* from some people because, in their opinion, we were "babying" our baby too much. We carried her around a lot and held her much, but she had special issues and it was our right to do as we felt right. So, I ignored the people who were NOT given my child to raise and I held her every time I darn well wanted to or when I thought she needed me too. Our dd was a high maintenance baby, surgery at a day old, severe GERD, multiple ear infections, a MRSA infection, all leading us to her 6th surgery coming up and she's 7 now. I digress, due to my defenses being raised, I will admit.

 

My point: don't be so quick to come to such sweeping conclusions. Especially ones so offensive.

 

 

There is no need to be offended if your baby is an 'exception'. Some babies are actually born with certain smashed heads because of womb positioning. (And of course, most babies have that darling little cone head). It works itself out.

[LizzyBee]

Nothing worse than checking on the child and PUTTING them back in the current in vogue sleep position and the little sucker flipping right back long before they should have been able to do so.

 

My oldest was rolling over at 3 months. At her next well-child check, her ped said that once they start rolling over, sleep position is a moot point and we should just put her down however she preferred sleeping. (Of course, we'd been putting her on her tummy from the beginning, but we tried to avoid discussing it with the ped. :D)

[jewellsmommy]

My responses in red.

 

A baby who spends hours in arms and at the breast (or alternating sides with a bottle) will not get a flat head.

Yes, they still can! Our dd did. She had to sleep in a carrier. See my previous 2 posts!

 

The side switching of feeding, and the cradle hold of carrying will protect the baby from head mashing. A baby held often and carried will not need 'tummy time'. A good amount of babies hate tummy time, as most babies want to be held.

 

Our doctor insisted on tummy time regardless of how much time we held her! She was prescribed 15 min a day of tummy time, even though she hated every second of it. It is important for safely developing and working certain muscles in the neck and back.

 

Babies carried and moved about will not develop flat heads because they are not spending long hours lying on their backs. Lying flat on the back for hours will lead to a flat head. Being held and carried will not result in a flat head.

 

Again, yes they can! A baby CAN develop a flat head even if held and carried a lot! See my 2 previous posts!

[ereks mom]

I always put him on his tummy to sleep. EK was born after the Back to Sleep campaign started, but she would NOT sleep on her back or side. She would doze off but wake up soon after. Neither of us was getting any sleep, so I tried putting her down on her tummy, and she slept great! She spit up a lot too, and as another poster said, I didn't want her to aspirate on it.

[jewellsmommy]

There is no need to be offended if your baby is an 'exception'. Some babies are actually born with certain smashed heads because of womb positioning. (And of course, most babies have that darling little cone head). It works itself out.

 

 

I appreciate that. My offense is for all the moms (especially new ones) that have to endure broad sweeping conclusions that do not take in to account that all babies are unique as is their circumstances.

[LizzyBee]

A baby who spends hours in arms and at the breast (or alternating sides with a bottle) will not get a flat head. The side switching of feeding, and the cradle hold of carrying will protect the baby from head mashing. A baby held often and carried will not need 'tummy time'. A good amount of babies hate tummy time, as most babies want to be held.

 

Babies carried and moved about will not develop flat heads because they are not spending long hours lying on their backs. Lying flat on the back for hours will lead to a flat head. Being held and carried will not result in a flat head.

 

Prolonged periods of deep sleeping in newborns is a risk factor for SIDS. A baby close to its mother will nurse or feed frequently (and not sleep on her back, but on her side as in the case of bfing) . Additionally, the mothers movements and breathing patterns will help the baby 'remember' to breathe.

 

Now. Some people do sleep train newborns, and the babies, of course, are 'fine". Just like some older folks here who were never put in car-seats or seat belts and lived.

 

I'm not sure why you're responding to me with information about carrying and bf'ding babies. I didn't even use a baby carrier with my kids because I loved holding them against me instead. I bf'd my kids. I rocked them to sleep. I loved having them in bed with me, but they spent time in their bassinette then crib too. One of my kids is very introverted and didn't even like being in the bed with dh and me.

 

Like pp's, I have friends who carried and bf'd their babies lots, and they still got flat spots. Why is that so hard for you to accept?

 

I didn't sleep train my babies. I don't know what I said in my previous post that gave you that impression, but I find your response offensive.

 

Thank you for your paragraph that answered the question I asked.

[katemary63]

No. The flat head is caused by the baby spending most of the time on her back, or in one position for a long time. A newborn baby who is held to feed and not 'encouraged' to sleep for many hours (and tummy sleeping does cause the baby to sleep longer and more deeply, which is a problem) will not have a flat head.

 

A baby encouraged to be, and left on his back most of the time, will. It takes many hours a day for this to happen.

 

Nonsense. My girlfriend is a nurse. She works only 1 day a week since she had the baby and her mother keeps the baby that day. Guess what her job is? She works for the county doing pre and post-natal home visits and teaching women how to properly care for their babies, including giving lactation advice. This is a very, very concientious mother with more knowledge about proper baby care then any average woman. She does not leave her baby for hours and hours in one position. He is breastfed and well cared for and nurtured. His head is flat because he sleeps on his back during naps and nighttime in his crib. His doctor even says so.

[zaichiki]

No. The flat head is caused by the baby spending most of the time on her back, or in one position for a long time. A newborn baby who is held to feed and not 'encouraged' to sleep for many hours (and tummy sleeping does cause the baby to sleep longer and more deeply, which is a problem) will not have a flat head.

 

A baby encouraged to be, and left on his back most of the time, will. It takes many hours a day for this to happen.

 

I disagree. It does not take leaving a baby on his/her back most of the time. Our youngest did not sleep more than his older siblings. The only difference was that his sleep-time was usually in that carrier/car seat while theirs was not. I assure you he was held most of the time he was awake. In fact, I used a sling and a Baby Bjorn and he was attached to me most of his waking hours. He still had that flat spot.

[Pink Fairy]

How does it happen?

 

For those people who prefer The Pearls over The Sears, you won't like this link. I'll leave it to the reader to decide what 'too much time' means. http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t086300.asp

 

 

From the article you linked:

 

Relax. Your doctor has probably seen this a million times because it is a very normal occurrence in babies.

 

Do not worry, this flat area is purely a cosmetic issue, and has no effect on the baby's brain growth. Do not rush to the doctor if you notice a flat area.

 

No where in the article does he mention "too much time," so I'm not sure what you mean. I suggest you re read your own reference, before you let us all know how it *really* is.

[zaichiki]

Like pp's, I have friends who carried and bf'd their babies lots, and they still got flat spots.

 

I think I am one of those posters. In fact, we blame the our son's flat spot specifically on the carrier/car seat in which he slept those first weeks. (He wasn't in it very long if he was awake -- he hated to be strapped down and insisted on being carried around in my arms.) I really think the hard plastic material (lightly covered with batting and a cover) was the culprit. As soon as we noticed it, we chose a different carseat. His head contacted it in a different way because it was in a slightly different position. The flat spot was no longer laying right on the carseat. Anway... that flat spot never went away. And we thought we caught it in time because he was only about two months old when we noticed. We *thought* it would just naturally "grow out." Nope.

[joannqn]

All of my kids would startle if put on their backs. They all slept on their side, as 3 week old Madelynn does now. Part of this is because we're nursing and cosleeping. It just makes sense that we sleep on our sides facing each other, especially since we often fall asleep that way. Once they were able to roll over, all of my children preferred their tummy.

 

My biggest question about SIDS is why does it peak between 2 and 4 months. What happens at 2 months that increases risk?

[Loupelou]

We co-sleep, I had 5 tummy sleepers, and 2 back sleepers. Most of mine preferred swaddling to sleep as well, at least when they were very young, they usually flipped at some point during their nap anyway so it didn't really matter how I laid them down. You need to go with what you are comfortable with. I remember my ped telling me that everything I was doing was against the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, but it was obviously working for me.:001_smile:

[j9_shooter9]

Two of my kids did. They just slept better that way (so I did too).

 

I never let them tummy sleep at night when they couldn't hold their heads up, but once they had more neck strength, if they were happier on their tummies, that's how they slept.

[Orthodox6]

I have removed one of my posts from yesterday.

 

Message boards beguile us all into believing that we possess the right to chastize, berate, admonish, and correct people whom we believe -- even whom we know -- to be wrong about something. The easy use of boards lulls us into believing that we have interpersonal "rights" with strangers -- but we do not.

 

I posted something because I firmly believed (and continue to believe) that somebody was incredibly wrong, as well as insulting to others, about something she believes. I did so, however, in the form of a reprimand. This was wrong.

 

I apologize to Laurie because I do not know her, and should not have claimed the right to "speak" to her as if I did.

 

Antonia

[melissel]

I would be careful not to disregard the stats on why SIDS has decreased.

 

Yes, but no one knows exactly WHY the stats on SIDS decreased. There are many theories: the Back to Sleep campaign, better diagnostic capabilities leading to confirmation of the actual causes of infant death rather than the the blanket cause of SIDS, more awareness about not allowing babies to sleep on the couch or with blankets surrounding them, or in rooms with elevated temperatures, awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke and even smoke residue, etc.

 

I am curious why this is a problem?

 

As Alice mentioned, one of the theories about SIDS and tummy sleeping is that the tummy sleeping allows the baby to sleep so much more deeply that they cannot rouse themselves if something fails in their breathing or heart activity or whatever.

 

I'm one of the more cautious people on this board. I nursed my babies as long as I could, carried them in slings, won't return my grocery carts if I'm not comfortable crossing the parking lot with them, have top-of-the-line car and booster seats (and they will stay in them as long as physically possible), eat organic, yadda yadda yadda. I believe in statistics. I really do. But neither of my girls would sleep on their backs for more than 10 minutes at a time, swaddled or not. I tried everything, including nursing them down in bed until they were completely asleep and then gently rolling them onto their backs. Finally, after two weeks with the first, we put her on her tummy and I lived in fear for months. With the second, I had her sleep in her bouncer seat for as long as she could, until finally she even starting waking up in that as well. And then it was onto her tummy. The alternative was CIO, and that wasn't going to happen. So what should those of us who had babies who wouldn't sleep on their backs have done?

[Wee Pip]

Thanks for all the replies on tummy sleeping. I hadn't realized how many tummy sleepers there are out there!

 

At NICU I read a statistic that - babies that had never slept on their tummy & then were placed on their tummy for the first time were at a much higher risk for SIDS. NICU put my baby on her tummy most of the time because she was heavily monitored & slept best for them that way (one less troublemaking baby! lol)

 

I also read on the web (I think WebMD) that the "average" week for SIDS to hit a full term infant was 14 weeks. The average for a preemie was 15 weeks. Preemies have a higher rate of SIDS, but it seems to happen later. Interesting...

 

I also find it odd that the highest SIDS rates happen in the 2-4 mo mark. I wonder if that is when many babies begin sleeping through the night, and therefore sleep heavier? I find the New Zealand study fascinating, but I wonder how that jives with the 2-4 mo statistic? What does moldy mattress + 2-4mo babies have in common - is that when they typically get their first fever (heat from the fever activating the release of the gas, as mentioned in the web site)?

 

As mentioned in some of the posts - my baby does have reflux so tummy down seems to help with this. She also does not take to the car seat or baby swing, and must be carried at all times! lol. I'm starting to get uncomfortable with her sleeping with us: she's moving around a lot on my chest and I'm not noticing it:confused: I woke up this a.m. with her having rolled off of me and lying in between me & dh, which is not something I allow in co-sleeping (men aren't supposed to be as "in tune" to their babies while sleeping). I'm apparently not as "in tune" either, and this worries me. Not sure what the answer is yet! I'm not 100% comfy with tummy sleeping, but we'll see...I think sometimes a sleep deprived mama can be more fatal than any of the other hazards out there!

[Reya]

I think I am one of those posters. In fact, we blame the our son's flat spot specifically on the carrier/car seat in which he slept those first weeks. (He wasn't in it very long if he was awake -- he hated to be strapped down and insisted on being carried around in my arms.) I really think the hard plastic material (lightly covered with batting and a cover) was the culprit. As soon as we noticed it, we chose a different carseat. His head contacted it in a different way because it was in a slightly different position. The flat spot was no longer laying right on the carseat. Anway... that flat spot never went away. And we thought we caught it in time because he was only about two months old when we noticed. We *thought* it would just naturally "grow out." Nope.

 

This is really common. Very often, the parents had a lift-out car seat that they let the kiddo sleep in the carrier if (s)he went to asleep in the car, and they use it to transport the baby by clipping it onto a stroller or putting it on a grocery cart or just carrying it around.

 

Sometimes parents can even get in the habit of using the carrier when they're making or eating, too, as a safe place for the baby.

 

I never was in any possibility of any danger of that, since my babies thought car seats were infant torture devices. Both screamed the entire way home from the hospital.

[Reya]

Yes, but no one knows exactly WHY the stats on SIDS decreased. There are many theories: the Back to Sleep campaign, better diagnostic capabilities leading to confirmation of the actual causes of infant death rather than the the blanket cause of SIDS, more awareness about not allowing babies to sleep on the couch or with blankets surrounding them, or in rooms with elevated temperatures, awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke and even smoke residue, etc.

 

 

That's why we look are carefully constructed studies that control for these factors. Statistics aren't some kind of mystical, unknowable magic.

[melissel]

I think sometimes a sleep deprived mama can be more fatal than any of the other hazards out there!

 

This is so true.

 

I forgot to mention that my other concern about the validity of the BTS campaign stats is the fact that many of us seem to be closet tummy-sleeping parents. It was a big deal to me, because I couldn't get my girls to sleep on their backs, so I talked to lots of moms about it when my two were babies, and only a handful of people said their babes slept on their backs. The rest of us all had tummy sleepers and just weren't telling our docs about it. For whatever that's worth...

 

About the co-sleeping, can you sidecar a crib to your bed? That was the best thing we ever did, and I loved it. We couldn't afford a king bed (and didn't want one), and when we were done with the crib we just broke it down and put it away. My first was a snuggler, and that gave me the ability to slide her over when I needed some space, and gave her room to roll when she was able. My second was more independent and wanted to nurse and roll away and sleep alone when she was finished, so that gave her the space to do it. We had to elevate the crib mattress so that it was flush with ours (we placed rolled-up or folded receiving blankets under until it was the right height).

 

About the GERD, there's a sleeping wedge you can buy that you put under the crib sheet so that the baby is gently elevated, and that's supposed to help. We bought one for DD3, who had mild reflux as an infant, in an attempt to get her to sleep on her back, but it didn't help that part of it *sigh* It might be better for a child with more severe GERD.

 

Good luck in your decision :grouphug:

[melissel]

That's why we look are carefully constructed studies that control for these factors. Statistics aren't some kind of mystical, unknowable magic.

 

I'm not sure what your point is. Are you saying that statistics are irrefutable in all cases? Do you have a link to an irrefutable study that says that back-sleeping is the one and only factor in the decreasing incidence of SIDS deaths?

[Reya]

I disagree. It does not take leaving a baby on his/her back most of the time. Our youngest did not sleep more than his older siblings. The only difference was that his sleep-time was usually in that carrier/car seat while theirs was not. I assure you he was held most of the time he was awake. In fact, I used a sling and a Baby Bjorn and he was attached to me most of his waking hours. He still had that flat spot.

 

Babies sleep more than half the time as newborns--so that WOULD be most of the time on their backs!

 

I think there's a difference in what people define as "holding a baby a lot." Someone wasn't holding DS roughly 1 hour per day, out of 24, when he was 2 months old. For DD, it was 3-4 hours per day, out of 24, that she was not being held.

 

To the fully dedicated kangaroo care parent, DD's time down would be "a lot."

 

My kids have written the book on high maintenance....

[Reya]

This is so true.

 

I forgot to mention that my other concern about the validity of the BTS campaign stats is the fact that many of us seem to be closet tummy-sleeping parents.

 

One of the major reasons that BTS is supposed to work is because it makes babies sleep more lightly, right? So the babies who would sleep TOO soundly on their tummies probably still sleep just fine on their backs...

 

Just a thought!

 

(As I said before, I don't really have a horse in this race. My kids rolled over by the time they'd sleep any length of time off my body, so BTS would have required restraining devices!)

[chanda7]

I never put my babies on their stomachs to sleep, whether they slept well or not.

[MyFourSons]

I'm not an expert, but two of my children spent a month in the NICU when they were born, and from what I remember the risks of tummy sleeping are higher for children with certain risk factors that NICU babies tend to have (being premature, respiratory problems, etc).

 

However, my babies had such bad reflux that they slept on their tummies (with monitors) in the NICU to help aleviate it. So once they got home they wouldn't sleep on their backs. I couldn't afford a monitor, so I would just let them nap on my chest with them on their tummy or in a sling, they had health issues so we were trying to do kangaroo care anyways. But at night, in their crib, I was way too nervous to put them on their bellies, so I would have them fall asleep on my tummy, or sometimes they would fall asleep nursing and then I put them in their crib on their backs. This worked well, until they started rolling over. They would roll onto their tummies every night, but by that point we were past the 3 month mark so I didn't worry as much.

 

My other two babies that didn't have health issues slept with us during the night. They slept on their backs during the day, it was what they preferred so I didn't have to worry about it.

 

Hope it helps to hear that others have gone through similiar conundrums!

[3Rivers]

Yeah....big issue, big worry, esp coming out of NICU. We had DD on an apnea monitor so I changed her positions. She also slept better on me, propped up. Now I realize it was probably due in part to reflux issues that persisted. I'm glad I listened to my gut and just held her as she slept since she slept better that way. Those days slip by so fast.

 

This sounds really blunt, but there are going to be kids who die of SIDS on their tummies, on their backs and on their sides. I even heard about a baby who died while nursing. Crazy.

 

So, I just took the literature and all the info and did what I felt like the baby needed and just checked her all. the. time. We left NICU braced for doing CPR anyway so I was already paranoid.

 

I was so relieved when we passed out of that "SIDS window" and I didn't feel like I had to check her all the time.

 

Easy for me to say, but....just enjoy your baby. ;)

[Lilymax]

I woke up this a.m. with her having rolled off of me and lying in between me & dh, which is not something I allow in co-sleeping (men aren't supposed to be as "in tune" to their babies while sleeping). I'm apparently not as "in tune" either, and this worries me. Not sure what the answer is yet! I'm not 100% comfy with tummy sleeping, but we'll see...I think sometimes a sleep deprived mama can be more fatal than any of the other hazards out there!

 

I still remember clearly when DS1 was a newborn sleeping with us. I actually woke up suddenly one night, a moment before my DH started to roll back toward (on top of the baby!). I don't know how I knew he was going to roll over, but I can still see his back tipping over and I SHOVED the poor man out of bed before I knew what I was doing! We laughed about it, but yeah...after that, I put a mesh fabric toddler's bed rail along my side of the bed, and baby slept between me and it instead of between me and DH.

 

I have another baby due in a few weeks, and have been thinking about this issue again. Both of mine were also the kind to wake up on their backs. I did back-to-sleep as long as we could stand it, but eventually put them on their tummies. It was early with DS1 as he was a spitter and very high-maintenance. I'm hoping this little guy is the laid-back type who will sleep wherever you put him. I guess we'll see!

[zaichiki]

Babies sleep more than half the time as newborns--so that WOULD be most of the time on their backs!

 

Okay. You have a point there. I guess my measuring stick, though, was the two older siblings. They didn't get flat spots, and yet slept just as much as infants. The only difference was *where* and *in what position* they slept, as far as I can tell. Youngest slept a *lot* in that carrier/car seat during the first few weeks. (When he woke up I took him out.) The older two did not, as we stayed home a lot more then. Youngest had two older siblings with "outside" activities and we had family commitments that required being in the carseat (car).

 

Now, with number 4 on the way, I decided NOT to buy the carrier/car seat. I'll use the big ol' in-the-car infant/toddler carseat and do my best to limit the baby's time in the car. Whether she's sleeping or not, we'll take her out of the carseat when we're not driving. I'm hoping this will mean no flat spot.

[ma23peas]

Mine were belly sleepers, when they were newborns we had the little wedgy things that held them on their side...they liked that, and I would roll a towel up under the bassinet mattress to raise the head of the bed if they were ever congested...

By the time they could roll over in their sleep, almost all the time we found them sleeping on their bellies when we checked on them....they all did great...one even slept all the time with her bottom up in the air and knees up under her...she's my gymnast now! :)

 

Tara