5 Month Old Now Sleeping in Crib

Hi, K.:

I'm a first time working mom too! My son is 6.5 mos old now and sleeping in his crib. My pediatrician said not to worry about the baby sleeping on their tummy at this point. If they're able to roll over, let them sleep however they want. She did say to stop using a blanket at this point so he doesn't get all tangled up. Now, we put him in footie pajamas and a sleep sack. That seems to be enough.

Hope this helps!

Best, S.

Hi K., my boy did the same thing. What I've learned is that if a baby rolls over onto his stomach, that's ok. As long as you lay him down on his back, and if he DOES wake up crying and you pick him up, then you again put him on his back. If he rolls onto his stomach, it's because he's more comfortable that way and can probably wiggle himself out of the position. The reason it's dangerous to lay a baby down on his stomach in the early months is because he's not strong enough to roll himself away from the mattress, sheet, and anything else that could be a suffocation hazard. But if he's flipping onto his stomach on his own, then he should be fine. And get some sleep. :-)

I spent many a sleepless nights worrying about my DD when she did the same thing. She is now 8 months old and trying to crawl out of her crib. Makes me long for the days when I worried about her rolling over in her sleep. LOL If he is big enough to roll over on his own, he will be fine. Enjoy!

If he is able to roll himself over from back to tummy he probably has enough head and body control that you don't need to worry. As far as I know SIDS usually happens when a child cannot pick their head up enough. My daughter was a belly sleeper from 2 months on and my son from the time he could roll himself over (about 4 months). Try not to worry about this.

C.

Don't worry! If he's big enough to roll over, he's big enough to sleep on his tummy. Just make sure that there's nothing in the crib (including bumpers and sleep positioners) and let him sleep. :)

Hi K.,
It's my understanding that once they're old enough to roll over on their own, they're old enough to get themselves out of trouble, too. You will drive yourself crazy trying to keep him on his back. It's also my understanding that the wedges you mentioned are not recommended as he could end up with his face pressed up against the side. Let him roll, but keep other things out of his crib like pillows and blankets at this point. Rest assured!

You know what is kind of odd is that every few years the experts think that laying a baby in a certain is position is better for him/her. I remember when my now 19-yr-old girl was born, the stomach position was the "prefered" postion. Then with my 3 boys, I think that the stomach position was preferred. This is mainly for the SIDS & thinking that the bay will aspirate vomit in the the middle of the night while sleeping. Personally, I pefer the side-laying position during the night, but if the baby is able to turn themselves into various positions during the night then there isn't much to worry about. At 5-mo-old the baby can turn themselves to the side if they were to vomit during the night in order to prevent the potential of aspiration. Personally. I wouldn't worry about it because in a few years the "experts" will tend to revert back to the stomach lying postion.
Enjoy your little boy because he will grow faster than you will think :-)
B.

Hi K.,
As soon as my daughter learned to roll over at 4 1/2 months she would immediately roll over to her stomach when I put her down to sleep. It is not necessary to get up and put your son on his back. Once he has learned to roll over and at this age the chance of sids has gone down. If I was you just keep the monitor on and if he wakes up you'll hear him. Good luck and start getting some sleep.

My daughter began sleeping on her stomach when she was 3 months old and she's 17 months now. Needless to say, she survived! I think babies find what's comfortable and often their stomach can be the best for them. Think about what adults find most comfortable...I know I'm a stomach sleeper. Your son won't always sleep on his stomach, he'll roll around and be in all sorts of strange positions, that's just what they do! Get your rest and let him be comfortable, even if it's not "by the book" :)

Hi K.,

Just thought you'd like to know that my little one never wanted to sleep on her back from day one. I'd put her on her back and sure enough she'd roll over. I consulted my mom, aunts, and grandmother.... : ) all said to let her sleep the way she wanted to sleep. I've had no problems. She's a tummy sleeper. Still is. And one positive and that you won't have to worry about a "flat head" from him sleeping on his back.
Just make sure that he alternates which side of his head he sleeps on and that there are no "fluffy" toys in which he could snuggle up against.
Hope this helps!

Hi K., my son started rolling over at 3 months old and the doctor said that once the baby can turn himself over then they are ok. You are a good mom for worrying but no need to, he will be ok. God Bless!

Dear K.,
Yes, babies are more comfortable on their bellies and sleep longer, but yes it does increase the risk of SIDS according to the epidemiology of SIDS. In the extensive research I have done, it seems that this is because the gases forming on the crib mattresses are more easily breathed in when the baby is face down than when he's 180 degrees the other way. Check out www.stopsidsnow.com for more information on mattress-wrapping for crib death prevention. The covers are $32-35 and there has never been a single incidence of crib death on them in over 32 countries over the last 13 years with over 165,000 covers distributed. Good luck to you and all the other mamas. It is the best money I ever spent and I can relax with my 9 month old knowing that no matter how he sleeps, he's going to be fine when I wake up. Until then, keep a fan going to keep the gases from settling on the baby's face.
My 2 cents,
J.

Worry no more! Once they can roll over on their own there is no stopping them sleeping how they want. He will be fine. It is good to still put him on his back when you lay him down but otherwise don't worry about it. I actually started putting my four month old to sleep on his stomach as soon as he could lift and turn his head back and forth. He didn't sleep well on his back- he would startle himself and choke on his spit up. On his stomach the spit up goes off to the side and he doesn't startle. He sleeps beautifully! He is in a co-sleeper so I can check on him easily. He just started rolling so soon I will not have to worry at all. With my first we put him down on his back and once he started rolling he rolled to his stomach to sleep. They have over emphasized the whole back to sleep thing. Relax you have done the right thing- now let him roll.

Some say stomach, some say back, if you think about it, it may be more safe to sleep on his tummy. I bet a lot of readers are jealous that he sleeps well enough that you would dare disturb him at all ;)

My daughter did the very same thing at around 5 months. It scared me too, until I finally came to the realization that if she was able to roll herself over on her own she would probably be able to wiggle herself back out of any potential problems. In fact, at 15 months, she still goest to sleep on her stomach. Your son may just be showing an early preference for sleeping on his stomach. The hardest part is bringing peace of mind to yourself. Just make sure there's nothing in his crib that could be a potential danger -- no blankets, no stuffed animals, and if you have a bumper on the crib, make sure it's secure.

I think you may have misunderstood the point. For safety YOU put the child down on his back and if HE rolls over onto his stomach it is totally fine. It means he is strong enough to do so. You do want to make sure you do not have toys and other items in the crib that could interfer with his new movement at night while sleeping. You do not want to keep him on his back if he wants to roll over. He is exploring all his body can do nd this is just the beginning. From this they move to rolling, rocking on al fours and then pulling themselves to standing all in the crib. It is a wonderful time of exploration for babies.

K.,

Stop worring, most of us were belly sleepers & we all survived. Plus there is no proof that crib death or sids comes from sleeping on their bellies. The 2 people I knew that lost a family member said that they were face up. One was a week old and died in the car seat on the way home from the store. The other was 1 1/2, and died taking a nap on grandma's bed face up, by no pillows.

So maybe he likes sleeping on his belly, all mine did and they are fine. Can he roll back to his back by himself, or gets stuck their? And has anyone in the families lost their baby to sids? If not I wouldn't worry then. If you are still worried stick the baby monitor in the crib so you can hear better, say a prayer over him everynight that he'll sleep fine and be ok in the morning and that you'll be comforted during the night. Good Luck! J.

Hi K., get a baby monitor, install it, use it and have a restful sleep.

Hi K.,
My baby started rolling onto her stomach at three months and her pediatrician said as long as she's put down on her stomach not to worry. If he's strong enough to roll over the risk of SIDS is very little.
Best,
S.

Once mine started rolling over onto his stomach on his own I quit rolling him back.

Hi K.,

I read in a Dr Sears book (pediatrician with 8 kids) that babies will roll themselves over to get comfortable. The best thing you can do is make sure that there are no toys or blankets that can get in his face. Usually they will change positions again by themselves just like adults do. You should always start them out in the back position. There is a good website that I like called the Baby Center that talks about this too.

Also don't use the wedges. They can block his face and cause a breathing problem.

If he can roll both ways, he can wriggle himself into and out of any harmful situation. Just follow the guidelines about not putting toys, quilts, etc in his crib. If you are uncomfortable in your sleep, you move around, right? Once he gets the ability to roll around on his own, I would not flip out and check him 10 times a night. If he can't roll from tummy to back yet, try working on this skill with him during the day.

At 5 months they are pretty safe. I have twin boys and both of them did this and its nothing to worry about. He is strong enough to push and pull things out of his way. I believe they tell you not to lay them down that way, but if they move in that position its okay. I wouldn't worry about it. The most annoying part of the 5 month mark for me was turning them back over because they couldn't flip back from their tummy to their back and they would cry...which also told me they were fine and would call if they needed to be put in a different position.

That is EXACTLY my life the last 2 weeks!!!!!
My son is 5 months old, born 3.16.08, one night 2 weeks ago, I woke up and he was asleep on tummy on his face!!!
After that he slept in my bed for a week,which is even owrse, it is a pillowtop, has lots of soft, deep corners he can bury face into. we bought him a new crib (he was still sleeping in his pack and play), so now he is in there. He is sleeping great but I still wake up every hour or so it seems, I look at him and of course he is on his tummy. He refuses to stay on his back now that he can roll over. I am still really paranoid, but trying to let myself relax. My pediatrician said, if they know how to roll, AND can hold their head up, there is not as much to stress over. If you are worried about SIDS, it takes more than that, there are generally other factors.Plus if he is in a crib with a nice firm mattress, no covers, no toys,you are doing the best you can.Good luck!!!!
oh yeah, wedges may not be safe, so be careful!

It seems to me that if he can roll TO his tummy, he's got a fighting chance at rolling back, or at least sqawking for help if need be. My 6 month old is a tummy sleeper, and so was my 5 year old. We co-slept, so he was never out of ear's reach. Such a tough call, given all the concern about SIDS. There's always the positioner pillows, snuggling him in on his side. Good luck.

All three of my kids did the same thing! I was told that when they can roll over then take everything out of the crib and let baby sleep, they can now turn their heads if needed. No more bumbers, toys, blankets, and so forth that baby can bury his head into. Talk to your doctor also to help put yourself at ease so that you can also get some much needed rest - won't be long now until he is crawling and you will need all the energy you can muster to keep up with him! God bless you and your litte boy.

If he can roll from back to front and from front to back, I would not worry about him. Just don't use a pillow and when it gets cold use a sack with arms and a zipper instead of a blanket. They use to tell you to keep him on his tummy so if he spit up he wouldn't choke. He sounds like he will be an early crawler and walker if he is active.
Enjoy your beautiful baby and be glad he is sleeping through...I had one who didn't until much later:)
H.

K.,
I wouldn't worry about him sleeping on his stomach since he is able to roll over by himself. He probably prefers this position and will continue to roll over every time you place him on his back.
Side note: My neighbor (who is a surrogate grandmother to my son) said that when she had babies they doctors told her to not let them sleep on their backs due to the risk of aspirating their vomit in the night. She said, "Isn't it funny how things change. Just put him on his side as a compromise." My son, almost 4 mos now, will only sleep on his stomach...maybe 30min on his back rarely. He does fine.
Keep the sheets nice and tight to the mattress and remove any unneeded sheets and blankets or toys from his crib at sleep time. Also, remove any bumper pads.
Good luck,
T.

My baby who is not yet 6 months old did the same exact thing! If his head is strong enough to hold himself up, he should be fine. You should ask your Pediatrician about it and see what he/she says.

Since you check on him several times, do you notice that he turns his head to the side? If he does, he's probably fine. However, I understand the concern because I did the same thing, which was check on him several times. Eventually, I could see he was strong enough and he also figured it out for himself that he needs to turn his head to the side.

Good luck!

G. T.

just in case anyone hasn't already mentioned, you can buy a sleep bumper at Babies R. Us. Don't remember the brand, but I have two of 'em. The design has "swirl" pattern on it. It's about $9 or $10 -- at least when I bought it 2 years ago. I'm using it now with my 3.5 month old.

You can adjust the width of the bumper to help your child stay snugged.

I was in your same shoes a few moths ago! In fact i wrote the same question on here.
I was so worried to about the tummy sleeping i swaddled him so tight but he'd still break out and end up on his tummy.
So finally i just let him do it and he is now 8 months and prefectly fine sleeping on his tummy. I think once they are strong enough to turn its prefectly fine.
One of the moms recommended that i get this special monitor that is like a mat they sleep on and when it sences no movement the alarm goes off. I personally didnt get one but its an idea that might help ease your mind.
Good luck! The worrying never stops! Every month its somthing new to be concerned about : )

No worries! One of my daughters (5-mo-old) goes straight to her tummy when she sleeps also. I worried at first, but if he can roll to his belly, he can roll back. As far as I know, this is the only concern. I still put her down on her back, but she ALWAYS ends up on her tummy! I now think it's very endearing. =)

Hi there! My pediatrician says it is fine to let a baby sleep on his stomach if he gets himself into that position. In other words, if they are developed enough to roll over, they are okay to sleep on their tummies. I have also heard this from other sources.

If he rolls to his tummy, he is just fine. But always put him down on his back.
Don't worry!

My son started doing this at about 3 1/2 months old. If they can roll over onto their stomachs...the pediatrician told me that they are ok to sleep like that. Since my son started sleeping on his stomach---he sleeps longer. If I were you I would get a sensor monitor that goes off if your baby stops breathing. We got one and it gives us peice of mind. Instead of rolling him back over---we let him sleep how ever he is most comfortable. When you put him down--still put him down on his back. He will most likely roll over on to his tummy. This is normal--I have talked to several other moms about it too. Keep doing tummy time with him during the day. He is totally fine and normal. Get some rest. take care.

Kelly, I was told by my pediatrician that once a baby is old enough to roll over in his/her sleep, you needn't be concerned about him sleeping on his back any more. Just lay him down on his back when you lay him down and if he rolls to his stomach while he is alseep that it is okay. I hate to say that I've also heard some wedge horror stories of babies suffocating from their use. All of my three children were definitely rolling over onto their backs by 5 months and they're 6,4, and 13 months now and all okay. I hope that helps you get some more sleep. :0)

I remember that happening with my guy! Don't forget to remove the crib bumpers too! My mother in law bought a very expensive bedding set for me which we don't even use since it's unsafe...ah the new mom lessons we learn! I should have exchanged it for the coveted jogging stroller! Good luck! Mine sleeps with his butt up in the air and face pressed up against the slats of the crib :)

I have four kids, 26, 23, 21 and 8. When my first two were babies, mommies were told to put our babies down ONLY on their stomachs or they were at risk of SIDS. So I did. My mom was dead set against it, because when her kids were babies she was told to put them on their backs to help prevent what was then known as "crib death". My grandmother, on the other hand, insisted that of course babies should go down on their stomachs and all of her babies had slept that way. With #3, suddenly side sleeping was advocated. Boy, was that difficult! Wedges were the only way, and once the baby is old enough to wiggle out of them... good thing that phase was with my third child or I would have been a basket case. :0) When my 8 year old came along, it was the exact opposite once again - babies to sleep on their backs only - and surely, if we put him down on his stomach, he would succumb to SIDS. Each generation seems to flip-flop on this, and each feels that it is correct because of the benefit of the latest medical research. Who knows what is truly best?

I remember getting up many times a night to make sure my first-born was still breathing, still sleeping the way he was supposed to be. At any rate, my advice is don't give it another thought. He is past the "danger zone" anyway. He can roll over on his own! All four of my kids - those who slept on back, side, and stomach - are all as healthy as can be. SIDS is so very rare! Your child is at much greater risk from a million other things. Not the least of which is simply driving in the car, but you don't stress out nearly as much over that. Put it into perspective and try to just enjoy your little guy. All of these modern-day worries can really suck a lot of the joy out of parenthood.

HI K., I am the mom of a two year old and an 8 month old, and my little one always rolls onto her stomach. She is just more comfortable that way, like your son. With both of my babies, I used the "Angelcare" sound and movement monitor. It is a monitor that has two sensor pads that you place under the crib mattress. They detect all movemnet,including breathing. If there is no motion detected after 20 seconds, an alarm sounds. It has given my husband and I such peace of mind while baby sleeps. I highly reccomend it. Best of luck to you and your baby boy!!

I have a 4 month old daughter who actually spent 2 weeks in the hospital because she was suffering from SIDS. One day she was laying on her back and I left the room for a couple minutes and I cameback and she was completely blue, luckily I caught it in time and saved her life. It happened continuously for about 3 days and then it stopped. Now she's home and sleeping in her own crib on her stomach. I will never be comfortable with her sleeping on her back again. I say to put him to sleep however you and him feel comfortable.

Hi K.,
Check out www.guardiansleeper.com. This is a unique one piece cover and positioner that maintains a baby in the back to sleep position. I hope this helps.
C. :-)

Hi K.,

I am a mother of three...13,11 and 6. Each and every one of them slept on their tummies from the time they were born. If he is strong enough to get himself onto his tummy, then he is fine. Just make sure that there isn't anything in the crib that your son can get wedged into...stuffed animals, heavy blankets, pillows, etc. and that his pj's aren't loose enough to get pushed up against his face. If you let him play on his tummy during the day, you'll see if he is strong enough to lift his head and readjust himself if needed at night. That should give you the confidence to be able to get some sleep yourself.

I would suggest just checking on him every now and then. My first daughter did not like sleeping on her back for the the first 4 months she never slept much until she could roll onto her stomach.
With my second daughter, I layed her on her stomach right from the start (against all reccomendations) and she slept great. THey are now 5 and 3

Dont be so stressed about it. Just keep checking on him.

This is common. Remember SIDS is increased when babies < 1 yr. are on their stomachs while they sleep but that's not what causes it. Just as Formula fed babies are at an increased risk. Just be sure you have no loose bedding, just the fitted sheet. No stuffed animals, nothing fluffy. I would even limit the use of a blanket(unless she is accostumed to one already). Just dress your baby appropriatly. This time of year terry cloth footies, then in winter a heavier fleece footy. It nothing is in the crib then you will get some sleep and have peace of mind. Just be glad he's developing and rolls over. Applaud that and just make these easy changes...
W.,RN, Lactation consultant
mother of 3 girl(7-5-2)

I was told by the PEDI that when the baby can roll over that it is OK to let them sleep on their tummy. If they can roll or move their head when needed it is safe- so I've been told. I guess the theory is that if they are strong enough it is OK.

Hi K., My 2nd daughter did the same thing. All the advice I got was that if she rolls over to her tummy on her own, it's okay. My first was a back sleeper all the way, so my younger one threw me for a loop. She is always sleeping on her tummy, even now at 18 months. I guess as long as she is healthy otherwise, there shouldn't be any problem with the tummy sleeping.

I'm a SAHM with 3 1/2 and 18 month old girls.

K.,
I had this problem too! I had to come to terms with it and say she got herself there she can get herself back again. If your son is able to turn his head side to side and roll over independently and spontaneously I don't think it is a bad thing. Yes there are times when I have to roll her back over because she's worked herself into a fit but in reality she is capable of doing it alone so I have to take a deep breath and know that she'll be ok. I have a video monitor that I use at night so I can peek in on her and not have to go into her room and I love it!! It's by Summer, a bit expensive but worth every penny. I don't have to get out of bed to check on my daughter and the picture is good enough that I can actually see her chest rise and fall!

Good luck,
M. P

Put a pillow between the mattress and the crib bottom. This will elevate him and help his breathing. It doesn't need to be a fat pillow, but one what will elevate the bed a little.

The reason they say a child should not sleep on his/her stomach, is because they forget to breathe. This will eliminate the problem.

J.

Don't worry! I know I did the same thing. My little guy will be 7 months next week and I remember when I first awoke to see he was lying on his back. Get used to him doing this. Welcome to this new stage. Pretty soon- he will be all over the crib- you will see him up in the corner one minute- the next, all the way on the other side. By now, they are able to handle moving their face in a different direction. Soon, he'll be rolling from tummy to back and back and forth. Just go with it, don't try to change nature~! Good luck and breath!