3 Month Old Only Sleeps Well on Tummy

My 6 month old daughter has been a tummy sleeper since day one. We tried everything we could to get her to sleep on her back and nothing worked. One day, my mom put her on her tummy and it worked. We can't believe we had so many sleepless nights when all we had to do was put her on her tummy. I wouldn't even give it another thought.

Hi A.,
Don't worry, my girls slept on their tummies from the time they were 2 months old. I told the Dr that they were on their stomach for sleeping because they slept better and he did a little test with them and said not a problem. The test he did was he laid them on his arm and seen how they moved their heads around. I would just bring it up to the Dr next time you go in, but if he's moving his head while on his belly, then go for it. There is no reason to be ashamed, I slept on my belly as a baby and I am just fine.

Good for you. I was just going to tell you to do that. And then you can let him sleep on his tummy and you can all get rest. It's probably more dangerous for you to be driving tired then letting him sleep on his tummy, with the angel pad! Sleep well...

I used to feel the same way as you...i had a baby boy who was such a light sleeper that he would never sleep for more than an hour on his back...I made the mistake of putting him to sleep on his stomach and that was the last time I ever put him to sleep...he died of what was classified SIDS...i am not telling this to scare you but to tell you that the precautions are out there for a reason...yes, babies sleep better on their stomach but that is why it is a risk for SIDS...when a child sleeps on his/her stomach they sleep deeper and in a SIDS baby they stop breathing and because they are in such a deep sleep don't wake up to tell themselves to start again...but it is also true that some babies are at risk for SIDS and others aren't...new research has said that it has to do with a defect in the brain stem...but there is no way to know about this defect until it takes your child...so please just keep in mind that as frustrating as it is to wake so often with your child, it is infinitely better than the alternative.

Hi A.,

I have 5 kids. They always slept on their tummy. (until they were old enough to roll around on their own) The talk of them on their backs didn't come along until my 4th child. I do understand but sometimes I think people worry to much. If your child is healthy, then I don't think there is any problem with letting them sleep on the stomach. Especially if it helps give you some rest too. You could always try switching from tummy to back once in awhile. Or, if you lay him on his back at nap time then maybe he will not rest as well and start sleeping better at night.
Good Luck,
J. J.

Let me begin by telling you I am a 41 year old mom and I got married right out of high school and had two baby's and back then sleeping on tummys was ok. I have since remarried and we just had a baby in Sept. We tried the new way of putting her on her back and she would not sleep. So we put her on her tummy and she slept like a little angel! She has slept on her tummy since she was a few weeks old BUT we did buy at Babies R Us a monitor that you put in her bed and it lets you know when they have stopped breathing within 20 seconds. That has been the best $100 that we have ever spent on baby items! We also have friends that say the same thing! Our daughter is almost 7 months old now and sleeps so good! Good luck.

Give the baby catnip tea

Two of my three would ONLY sleep on their tummy's and it stressed me to no end, but us getting no sleep wasn't any better, I had an old school pediatrician at the time who said that's the way babies have always slept and to stop worrying. I have read a ton about SIDS, be sure to have a fan going in his room (new evidence about air circulation can dramaticly lower the incidents of SIDS), nothing in the crib at all...be sure he's in a sleep sack, and breastfeeding cuts his risk by 50% as well, then you just have to trust your instincts as his mama!

let me start by saying that i have yet to read the other responses, but we ended up stomach sleeing our daughter from about 12 weeks on because her startle response hung on for a while. if we put her on her back, she'd wake herself up very easily and quickly. she's 27 months old now and doing great :)

what we did that made me feel better was purchase an angel care matress monitor. it's like a square foot tile that goes UNDER the crib matress and senses the LACK of breath motion. if your child stops breathing for more than 20 seconds an alarm goes off. it gave me HUGE piece of mind since it is so socially-unacceptable to stomach sleep kids these days. it comes with regular monitors, too, but we found them to be really static-y, so we set it all up and still used the regular monitor.

here's the catch: once your baby starts moving around on his own and is able to get off of the monitor, it'll go off. that started happening when our daugter was about 5 months old and after 2 "flase alarms" at 2am that left my heart beating out of my chest we stopped using it feeling that if she could move around, she was fine on her tummy (and she was).

above all, remember that what YOU choose to do with YOUR child is YOUR business--not society's! if your baby is sleeping 10 hour nights on his tummy, go for it! chances are he'll start crawling sooner as his arms will be crazy strong b/c of it. if you're not comfortable with it, don't do it.

good luck!!
--B.

That's the only way my kids slept through as well. I fought it for a few weeks with my first...my next 2 spent their first nights on their tummies and have been great sleepers from the beginning. I wouldn't stress over it. Enjoy the sleep.

Hi A.,
This is a topic that really makes me upset!! I have a 18 yr old and 9 yr old twins and I let all three of them sleep on their stomachs when they were babies and they all survived!! I am 38 yrs old and my mom slept all of my siblings and I on are stomachs back in the 70's and we survived!! I will say that when I did let them sleep on their stomachs I did make sure that their butts were up in the air when they slept. This way it makes the child have to choose a side to sleep with their faces. So anyway they choose, their breathing! I run a licensed home daycare out of my house and I have to put all the children on their backs, which I do because it is the law. But now I have 2 babies who have flat heads and they have to wear helmets on their heads while they sleep and when they are at my home! It is just crazy!
And honestly, please do not be ashamed for even considering this question. All of my kids are fine and healthy and on the honor roll at school, and they all slept on their tummys!!! Good luck!

I feel your pain. My son slept better on his tummy too. Once he was able to roll himself over and lift his head up to look around I just allowed him to sleep on his stomach. That was at about 4-5 months. Good luck, S. S.

A., I understand one theory about why SIDs is associated with sleeping on their tummies is because they do sleep more soundly and that's why they don't wake up when something goes wrong. Light sleeping is a survival tool for babies. I also don't think anyone knows for sure what causes SIDs, only that there's an association between it and sleeping on tummies (and other things you mentioned). Chances are it will be fine (I have a couple friends who's babies sleep on their tummies), but it's all statistics.

By 3 months old, your baby should be able to push his head up while laying on his tummy. The whole not sleeping on his tummy is a sufocation issue but if he can independantly raise his head by himself and move it from side to side, in my opinion he would be ok. I would make sure that there was nothing in his crib that could bunch up around his face (pillow, toys etc). My kids were babies WELL before the no tummy sleeping phase and they all three slept on their tummies and all three were good sleepers and all three are now healthy, well adjusted young adults.
Relax and take your cues from your baby. You know him better than anyone and he will tell you what he needs if you just listen ;)

Wow you have gotten alot of responses to sleeping on the tummy. My son also had problems sleeping on his back. Put him on his tummy and he slept.
I had him on his back one time so he would lay on tummy and back at different times. Not to scare you but my son spit up and was choking on it by laying on his back. It was one of those times he fell asleep and I stepped away. (Naptime) came back and he was turing blue. He couldn't breath because of his spit up. He didn't turn his head for some reason
I called the doctor asap. And the doctor told me to go ahead and keep him on his stomach. NO BACK

So I say from now on it will always be stomach sleeping for me if I have another baby and for my friends that have infants
Good LUck

Personally for peace of mind, I always started my kids out on their back. But, my youngest, once he was able to turn over on his own around 6 months, he was a tummy sleeper. My ped told me once they are strong enough to flip from their back to their belly, that it is fine to leave them on their belly. If you can just wait 3 months longer until he can do it on his own...I would wait.

Stop feeling guilty! My daughter is now 11 months and she has only ever slept on her tummy. Everyone made me feel so bad about it (including my ped), but I did whatever I had to do to get her to sleep. Just make sure there are no toys, blankets under her face that kind of thing. I know it's a hard decision to make, but there are things you can do to reduce the risk of something bad happening. Just be smart about it. Good luck and happy sleeping.

My daughter slept great on her tummy too but woke up all night on her back. I bought the angel care monitor that sounds an alarm if your baby stops breathing for 20 seconds. It is the best thing I ever bought. It helps me sleep knowing that she is on her tummy but still breathing.

My kids were belly/side sleepers around 4-5 months. In all fairness, they both started rolling over at 3 months. When they were able to sleep on their bellies, they became much better sleepers. I know that all the advice/rules/recommendations, etc., say for them to sleep on their bellies until six months or so. For us, short of standing next to the crib for the entire night, it was virtually impossible for our kids to sleep on their backs. Even now, when I put our 10 month old down asleep on his back, he automatically turns to his belly.

This may sound very silly to most, but it worked for us. My son was a horrible sleeper for his first two years. We tried everything. I even considered putting him on his tummy to sleep, but decided losing my child would be far worse than not getting enough sleep. We decided to put him to bed in his infant car seat where he seemed to sleep very soundly, maybe because he had too much gas or didn't like sleeping on his back or whatever, but it worked. After a few months of him sleeping 6-7 hours a night and getting used to actually sleeping, we transferred him to his back in his crib and he started sleeping better. I have friends that have had horrible sleepers too, and they have tried this and it worked for them too. Just another alternative before you place your baby on their tummy. Just don't tell anyone you are doing this because they will laugh at you, but I know how lack of sleep affects your life. It is exhausting. Good luck!

The concerns about sleeping on the tummy relate to suffocation. As you child gets older and has good head control and can flip over, this becomes less of a concern. I would talk to your pediatrician about this. If your child has good head control and can lift up well, then it may not be as much of a concern. But it really varies child to child.

I had all of my children sleep on their tummies. With my first son, I complained to my father that he was only sleeping for an hour or two at a time. That night, my father came over, took my newborn son, swaddled him, and then put him on his tummy in his crib. The child slept for 8 hours. When I woke up, I completely freaked out when I realized that the baby hadn't woken all night. Of course, I had nothing in their cribs, no toys, no blankets, no pillows, etc. Don't be ashamed. My father, who is the youngest of 10 chidren, couldn't understand why I wouldn't do it. You have to do what is best for you and your children. : )

Hi A.,
I totally feel your pain. My 2 month old will only sleep on his tummy to. We started out putting him on his tummy to help relieve his gas and he ended up sleeping well for his nap. When it came to bed time, he would start out on his back, and like your child, he was up every hour or so. Come 6am, when I was up, I would flip him to his tummy and I would get at least 3 more hours out of him. Finally, I was convinced that he is a tummy sleeper and that is the only way for him to get the rest that he needed. He went from 20 minute cat naps during the day to a few hour stretches and an hour at a time during the night to 7 hour stretches. I know the risks that are involved with tummy sleepers, but because of all of the time he spends face down, his back is super strong and he has awesome head control, so that alleviates a few of my worries. I think when all is said and done, you need to do what you need to do in order to ensure that your child gets the proper amount of sleep. Lack of sleep by infants has proved to be harmful in the long run (at least that is what my OB has told me). Also, when we mentioned it to his doctor, she never told us to stop or anything like that.

Good luck,
Cari

We were in the same boat. Our baby was a light sleeper and really gassy. Lying on his tummy was the only way he could deal with both of those and sleep for more than 45 minutes. Against our wishes, we ended up giving into this, but made sure there was absolutly nothing in his crib with him. By the time he started rolling over, we found that he never chose his back to sleep on either. He's almost 7 and still a tummy kid.

I know it's worrisome and many moms may speak harshly, but I just wanted to let you know that we were in your same position and understand.

A.

I know you have been overloaded with responses. I am glad I am not the only one that let my baby sleep on her tummy. I even told my ped that and she said to try the back. Some babies should sleep on their back but as a mom , you know your baby best. My daughter spit up on her back and I had to grab her and move her forward to help because she was choking. If she spit on her tummy, she would move her head. I could not get her to sleep through the night on her back, so I did a lot of thinking and put her on her tummy and she slept through the night since 6 weeks old. It really comes down to how well you know your baby, and people can suggest things all day, but if your baby does not have proper movement tummy sleeping can be very dangerous. So watch your baby and make your best decision based on how your baby moves and how sound he sleeps! Good luck, you have a lot to read through on responses!

I admit it, my son slept on his tummy starting at 3 weeks- it was the only way he slept at all!!! He's now a happy, healthy almost two-year-old! Why be ashamed? We all slept on our tummies and lived to tell the tale.

I did worry a lot, but I had one of those Angel Care baby movement monitors. If the baby stops breathing or moves off of the pad, the thing makes a noise that will wake the dead! I guess that's the point! Good luck!

I haven't read the other posts, but mine slept on her tummy since day one (she was born already holding her head up and she slept in a co-sleeper with us till 5m); but his risk for SIDS goes down after 3m, keep a fan in his room, that helps reduce the risk for sids, but I always wonder how we survived so long...??

Best wishes,
J. W. MPH
Wellness Educator in Maternal and Child Health

Hi A.,

My son who is now almost 8 months did the same thing. When I discovered that he rolled over onto his stomach I would roll him back over and he hated it. He would cry himself back to sleep and then roll back over. I spent many sleepless nights constantly checking on him to make sure he was still breathing and roll him back over. It was a constant struggle. I finally got to the point where I wouldn't roll him over anymore, but just check on him often. The difference in the amount and quality of sleep he received was amazing. He started sleeping through the night (about 10 hrs) and takes 3 naps for me (first 2 are anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hrs, 3rd is about 45 min.) He has basically been doing this since he was 4 months old. So, sometimes you just have to go with your gut and do what is best for your child. If you worry about him, as I did with my son, just check on him often until you are confident in his ability to sleep safely on his stomach. Like I said it made a huge difference for us. Good luck.

J.

My first daughter had the same problem and at 6 weeks, with
reluctance, put her on her tummy, and yes she finally would
sleep for 8-10 hours, before she would only sleep an hour or
two at a time. I figured that my Mom had 5 of us on our tummies and same with my husbands and we all are fine... It
is a hard decision, but I went with my instincts and she is now a happy, healthy 9 yr old.

A., Don't beat yourself up. We were adamant about putting our son on his back but when our daughter came along, we decided that it was okay to let her sleep on her tummy. She was a little younger that your son but she slept so much better on her tummy. What I did (and I'm sure you do) is just check on him often and then gradually extend the time when you check on him. You have to do what is best for you and him. You also have to feel okay with your decision regardless of what everyone says.

Good luck and good sleeping! :) T.

I will admit that my daughter (who is 13 months old) only sleeps on her tummy. She's been doing this since she was 2 weeks old and is safe and healthy.

When I said something at work about this because I was feeling guilty, many of my co-workers admitted that their kids are tummy sleepers as well.

When I did talk to my ped about it, she said that when babies learn how to roll over, you can't do anything to prevent it then (if they roll to the tummies in the middle of the night). She also said that once the baby is old enough to lift her head, then it's ok.

Good luck and please know that there are parents out there who put their babies on their tummies to sleep.

Hi A.- I did let my son sleep on his tummy...he was a little older, probably more in the 4-6 month range. I had a lot of reassurance from my mom, gran and other friends that they had done this. Times change and so does advice but every piece of advice doesn't fit every baby. My son had a lot of jerks and startle movements which would always wake him up after one sleep cycle (about 40 minutes) but once we started sleeping on his tummy, he slept much better and was much happier for it. My feeling and what I was reassured with, is that if they can move their head and lift it up, it should be okay. It's funny how advice changes from generation to generation and the reasons. The reason we all slept on our tummys as kids was because they were worried about throwing up in your sleep and choking. Well, isn't that still something that could happen? On your back or your tummy there are things that could happen but if your baby is strong and you know they can move their head if needed, I think it is okay. I hope this helps and really you just have to decide if you are okay with it. You know? Good luck and get some sleep while you can!

My youngest slept on her belly since she was about 3 months for the same reason - we had to get some sleep. She had very good upper body strength by then - could push up on her hands and move her head around. So I wasn't as worried about her not moving if something blocked her breathing. I always made sure there was nothing in the crib that could get near her head, tucked her blankets in very firmly to the crib sides, moved all toys out, etc. We also kept a fan running in her room (it was summer), but I have read that circulation of air in the baby's room can help reduce the SIDS risk. Good luck!

Sorry, just now reading this after you've gotten 20 responses. Didn't read the responses, but just your update. Just as a head's up, the angel monitor only alerts after they stop breathing, which I learned in a SIDS class that the only real benefit to that is knowing the time of death. If a child is to die of SIDS, it really cannot be helped as their body shuts down and cannot be revived, as I understood it from the SIDS class I went to. So all we can do is take the precautions. Having said that, I am one who allowed my kids to sleep on their tummies and here is why. I started them on their backs when they were really small and would sleep any which way, swaddled them and all that to try to keep the habit of course as it was recommended. But as time went by, they both got to the point that they would not sleep well on their backs. (I'm guessing tummy might be preferred due to how we tend to hold them close with their tummies against us along with the startle reflex less likely to wake them from sleep. Considering all the other factors related to SIDS that are not nearly so publicized/ground into our heads are the other things like not smoking around the baby, keeping loose blankets away, etc...along with breastfeeding and pacifier use are said to help lower the risk...and the list goes on. Along with that, there are known detriments to sleep deprivation, lack of motor development from sleeping on the back, along with greater chance of flat-head syndrome (remember they also NEED to be on their backs for the car seat and many of the baby equipment has the baby's head resting back, so intentional tummy time still is not much in the scheme of things for getting the pressure off the back of the head). After researching it, I'm not convinced that the VERY SLIM chance of SIDS outweighs the known detriments. I understand that people who have gone through it would do ANYTHING to turn back time and do ALL the precautions and I want to be sensitive to that. But just considering all around safety, everything has risk to something so what is the safest route based on what you've researched and feel comfortable with is important. The tricky part is basing it on facts instead of what's most publicized alone.

I haven't read other posts but, don't worry. Both my kids only slept well on their stomachs. My oldest would barely sleep more than an hour on her back, at 8 weeks, I tried her stomach and she slept 7 hours straight and I never looked back from there. My 2nd, didn't like her back either, I flipped her at 2 weeks and she's been a great sleeper. As long and they have good head control, I say go for it! I agree with your MIL- we all slept on our tummies :)
Good Luck and if you need any more support I'm here!

I have two children, 7 1/2 and 2 1/2, both slept on their tummy, they actually flipped at 2 months old. They could lift their heads and turn them and this was the only way they could sleep. I'm not telling you what to do, just telling you what I did.

My 2 1/2 yr. old son is a tummy sleeper and has been since he was 2 mos. old. I went through and tried everything you did with no luck... and was desparate for him to sleep some. I was really nervous the first time we put him on his tummy to sleep, but he slept so well and was a much happier baby after a few nights/ naps of good sleep. In the long run, I also felt a lot better having some sleep at night too. He did roll over to his back at 3 weeks (which was crazy) so I found a little comfort knowing he could do it.. He still falls asleep on his tummy now. Good Luck

I have 2 children now 3 and almost 1 and both of them were tummy sleepers. As sson as I got home from the hospital with both, neither would sleep on their back. With my first, I was putting the bouncy seat in the bassinet - not a good idea, I know but nothing was working. Then I started putting her on her tummy for naps and checking her regularly. Finally I gave in to the tummy. I have to say both of my children were larger at birth - over 8 oz and we are a smoke free home - both birth size and smoking are contributors of SIDS. I would start with naps and when you are comfortable, let them tummy sleep at night. When I did it, they were in a bassinet in my room until 12 weeks so I could check on them easily. The mattress was thin and the fabric cotton so I felt better about that.
Do not think you are a bad mom for wanting your child to sleep comfortably. I dealt with the guilt too but I recall my nieces and nephews sleeping on their tummies and they were fine.

My son who is now 2 would only sleep on his tummy and still to this day only sleeps on his tummy. From the time he could roll from his back to tummy he would roll as soon as I walked out of his room. But even before then I would put him to sleep on his tummy. My 3 month old slept awesome on her back until she started to develop gas and spit up problems then she wouldnt sleep on her back so I put her on her tummy to sleep and she sleeps good and it has helped some w/ her gas problem. I have a friend who also has a 3 month old boy and her ped told her to put him on his belly to sleep since he has acid relux, she said he would be fine since he could lift his head and move around really good and he's been sleeping on his belly for a month now. I think it is what works best for you and baby, I slept on my tummy when I was a baby and Im just fine, everyone in my family slept on their tummies also and we are all fine. It's scary at first but just keeps checking on him.

Hi there. My son is now 2 1/2 and also slept on his tummy. He would not sleep any other way. I had no choice. The only thing I can say is that you don't have too much longer before he is rolling over and he will roll over on his tummy at that point anyway.

I have a question for you. I am considering going back to school for ultrasound thinking it would be a great job for a mom. I am unsure about what school to go to because I have heard that they need to be acredited and not all of them are. What school did you attend? How long did it take and is a great part time job for moms?? Thank you so much in advance.

A

My Daughter only slept on her tummy too. She slept thru the night from the first night she came home from the hospital. I tried turning her back to her back but she always found her way back to her tummy. She is 25 years old now, so Iguess it was ok for her to sleep that way, after all i did too when I was a baby.

When my 2 year old was about a month or two old he had some bad reflux and seemed to only sleep well on his tummy. I was not comfortable putting him on his tummy so what I did was I slept with him on my chest with him on his tummy. That way I could still hear him breathing and he slept great. It was not incredibly comfortable for me because of course I wanted to be on my side because I couldn't! But I did it for a month and eventually he would sleep on his back in his crib. You might want to consider this option so that he will sleep. Hope this helps, good luck!

Hi A..
Don't worry about it. All three of my children refused to sleep in any other position and my oldest child is 13 and was born when it was perfectly acceptable. They are all absolutly fine. I even confided this to my pediatrician. she wasn't very happy but I had to sleep at night. I hope that this helps you to feel better about it. God bless you and your family.

Have you tried letting him side sleep? My son went through the same thing and our ped reccomended the side sleeping pillows you can get in baby stores. They have bumpers on either side to prevent the baby from turning on their belly but lets them sleep on their sides. My son slept much better on his side then on his back, almost as well as on his belly.

I have three children, 9,7, and 5 that were ALL tummy sleepers. All of them were colicy, reflux babies and the pressure on their tummies either by the way I held them or them sleeping on their tummies made the reflux ease up for them. I read all the books, listened to my ped, but did what worked in my house for my family. A way to put your mind a little bit more at ease; try to get one of the sound/movement baby monitors. We had one for my kids. There is a pad under the mattress that is movement sensitive. If your baby doesn't move for 20 seconds or more, it beeps. That might make you feel a little better about tummy sleeping. Good luck.

A.

Stop beating yourself up For years kids sleep on their backs with do issues. I truly belive their are other moms that still do the samething. I actually had my daughter on her side with one of those /wedges curves. Consult your doctor to see the really reason why not to try it. Discuss the stituation how well he sleep and whats happening. Usually its because of them throwing up You may be able slant the bed or have him lay on a wedge. Think of it this way if your not resting neither is your baby and it is impacting his growth and mood which is not healthy for him. Reach the website. Best of luck

you know, they used to say tummy sleeping was best...so babies don't choke on any vomit. then it was side sleeping. now it's on their back. my cousin's 2 kids both had reflux and colic problems and the only way they could sleep comfortably for their digestive issues was on their tummies.

i say whatever works best for you and baby is what IS best. both mine slept on their backs but now my younger daughter has switched (since about 14 months) to her tummy - she has some constipation problems from time to time, and i think it just helps her pass the gas more easily. i just keep an eye out to make sure her mouth isn't covered. otherwise, her tummy sleeping is fine with me. maybe your boy has some gassiness he's trying to work out.

i would let your ped know. even though back sleeping is recommended, i'm sure the ped would understand that if your son sleeps best this way it's ok (unless the dr is kind of a jerk!) :)

don't worry. you're a great mom for being concerned but congrats on him getting more sleep!

Although they recommend back sleeping, my daughter is also a tummy sleeper. And she did fine... I would look into some of the contributing factors to SIDS and try to knock them out if you want to put him on his tummy. I've heard about putting a fan in the room, using a pacifier, not letting him get too hot, etc... I did all of these things, and she was fine. I was OBSESSED with SIDS, and made sure I got rid of all the other known contributing factors. If you're still worried, they have the sleep monitors that you lay in the bed, and they go off if there is 20seconds of non-movement. GOOD LUCK!

My 7 month old slept on his tummy for the first several months. I have an older son and I needed the good naps from him. That being said my husband and I checked on him all the time. I was nervous about doing it and therefore was very vigilant about the room temperature, using a paci, not using blankets, and checking on him often. I am happy to say that at around 5 months he switched back to sleeping on his back and prefers this position better. However, we never did tummy sleeping for bedtime since we weren't able to monitor it. I wouldn't really recommend it because they get in too deep of a sleep, plus they should still be eating at least one time per night. That is just my opinion though.

Dear A.,
My sons are now almost 26 and 23 years of age. Back when they were born, we were told not to let them sleep on their backs. They always slept on their stomachs. My older son also always curled up in a corner. Both slept well through the night from a very young age for which I was grateful as I returned to work full-time as soon as had to-no choice. Good luck.
S.

As a nurse I knew this was a no, no but I did it because that was the only way my son could sleep- I just thought- he wasnt a priemie- we didnt smoke- no history of wheezing etc.. so I took that risk- the first few nights I still checked a lot but got used to it- by 4 months he was rolling anyway. But still- I can not imagine the guilt I would have felt if something did happen. good luck!

My son is the same way. From the day we brought him home from the hospital, that's the only way he would sleep. It really worried my at first, but I soon realized he was fine. As long as if he doesn't have anything in his crib (blankets, toys, etc), he will be fine. I also bought the breathable bumper pads for his cribs. They sell them at Babies R Us. He will be a year old tomorrow and he still only sleeps on his tummy. But, just to warn you, when he starts rolling over during sleep, he'll probably cry. My son did. Rolling over onto his back would wake him up and it would scare him. I would have to go roll him back over. Good luck! Don't worry. There's nothing wrong with it. You have to do whatever works for you and your baby.

I think the best thing you can do is tell your Ped. You are not the first mother to have this issue nor will you be the last. There are several reasons it is more comfortable for a baby to sleep on the tummy, but discuss it with your ped to see what might help lessen any problems from it or if there is a problem causing tummy problems.

I know my girlfriend bought the sleeping alarm that goes under the mattress pad and sounds when the baby stops breathing. I think it is like $110-$200 bucks, but I think for your peace of mind (and sleep) it would be a good investment.

As Katie said, the warnings are there for a reason. Odds are it won't happen, but it is a risk. The sleeping through the night will happen sooner than you think.

Hi A.,
I'll admit it ... All my kids slept on their Bellies!!! All 5 of them....This was in the 80's and 90's.If I remember correctly, at that time they were starting to talk about a connection between SID's and belly sleeping....I on the otherhand worried more about them spitting up while on their backs, and possibly choking... I went with what was taught to me by my Mother and my sister-in-law, and that was putting them on their bellies to sleep. They slept deeper and longer that way... Babies Need sleep !!! The better the nap, the happier the Child, the happier the child, the more relaxed the Parent is...Another hint: Put a box fan in the babies room, facing AWAY from him. This is a producer of "White noise" Babies sleep better with this "noise". It also can work for Moms with snoring Husbands..LOL!Good Luck....JT

Let him sleep on his tummy! I'm a first time mom too and my son slept on his tummy from the time he was 5 weeks old. I watched him during the day when he took naps and realized he was fine b/c he had great neck control and could turn his head from side to side. We all slept on our stomachs as babies (that is what our parents were told to do) and we turned out fine. Is it more of a risk to have them sleep on their stomachs than their backs? Sure, but if you feel that your son has quality neck control and can turn his head from side to side, he is fine!

My daughter slept on her tummy as an infant. It was the only way to get her to sleep for any amount of time. I know the reasons for "back to sleep" but all children are different. For a time she would only sleep in a swing or sitting up like in a carseat. Know why that is "bad" too, but it worked for a few months and the rest of the family needed our rest too. Now she sleeps on her back and is a happy healthy 2 yr old. 19mos marked the time both my kids started sleeping all night so whatever it took to get them 4-6 hrs at a time until then I did. Whatever works, if you are safe and responsible about it. I had a monitor, we had her in a co-sleeper next to our bed, and you said your baby is still waking to nurse. You know not to have blankets, or animals and I didn't use bumpers in the crib while she was sleeping like that. Maybe you will have a happier baby if he can sleep on his tummy. You will be happier with sleep!

Hi A.!

I know exactly what you are going through. My 1st son would never sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time when he was on his back and we tried everything just like you said and nothing worked. So at 3 months we gave up and let him sleep on his tummy and it worked. He slept through the night that first night and every night since. At 6 he still only sleeps on his tummy.
At 3 months he was moving well on his tummy and had great control of his head so that made me feel better...but trust me I had the monitor as close to him as possible so I could hear him breathing at first. I made sure there was nothing in his crib with him, I even took down the bumper pad so there was nothing he could suffocate on. My next 2 children also preferred their tummies.
Is there a history of SIDS in your family? I know now that they can do some sort of test to see if your child is prone to SIDS, though I didn't want to know the answer to that question.
I know there are many that are going to read your post and my response and gasp at the thought but you have to do what is best for your baby and in my opinion sleep is the most important thing.

Best of Luck!
J.

Buy an Angel rest movement monitor! You can get them on E-bay used if you don't want to buy new. My son sleeps better on his tummy too so we bought this monitor so we can be sure that he is still breathing.