My 2 Month Old Refuses to Sleep on Her Back

I was told to have my babies sleep on their backs as well. But as soon as they could roll over, they chose to sleep on their tummies! The doctors said it was fine.

My son would only ever sleep like that! I tried positioners and swaddling and all that stuff, but come morning he would have kicked 0it off and be on his tummy. I really didn't rest much. In fact, he's 17 months old now and still sleeps like that! Give her a pacifier to help reduce the risk of SIDS and try to relax. There is little you can do about it, short of staying up all night to watch her sleep!

Also, if you have concerns about him sleeping on his tummy, they say pacifiers help prevents SIDS. My baby boy has slept on his stomach ever since he came home from the hospital. At first it was on my chest until he started getting used to sleeping onme, I quickly moved him next to me and he was just fine. But tummys are the best to sleep on.

My son does the same thing, and he is now 9 months old. Have you tried using a sleep positioner, and swaddling her? We also transitioned our son to sleep on his back by lying him on our bed between us so he could get use to it, and then gradually increasing the sleep time in his crib. By the time he was 6 months old he was able to self-regulate and still sleeps on his stomach with his butt in the air, legs tucked in to this day. To alleviate the fear of SIDS we kept the crib clear of blankets and stuffed toys, except for a very thin blanket to cover his legs only. Hope this helps.

M.,
This is my take on the whole situation. When my 2 year old was a baby I woulddo whatever I could get him to sleep. If that meant he wanted to sleep on his stomach so be it. I would start him on his side but he would be on his stomach in no time. Get some sleep. She will be okay.

M.

Have you tried swaddling her? All 4 of my boys would only sleep on their back if they were tightly swaddled.

My 7 month old daughter was the same way - even when she started rolling over she'd get furious when she was on her back. I tried everything to no avail. Some of the things that you might try, if you haven't already are those support forms that you lay them in between, swaddling, or maybe putting a little hat on her, maybe she likes the feeling of her head being covered. I lost many nights of good sleep fretting over this with my daughter, my pediatrician didn't have any suggestions either. In time, this too shall pass - keep telling yourself that!

Dear M.,

I am sure that you will get a lot of good advice on this one. My only suggestion is to put her on her side with a rolled up baby blanket at her back and, one on the front side too. I think that they have a machine that you can get to warn you.

You have to get some peaceful sleep for her sake too.

We have some really sweet pictures of my gr grand daughter sleeping on her tummy with the top half of her body on a pillow and her butt up in the air. Maybe they were taken when she was past the SIDS age worry.

Good luck, C. N.

Lots of babies just prefer sleeping on their tummies, just like some adults! If this is her sleeping preference, there won't be much for you to do to change that - and once she starts to roll over, you will have even less control. All you can really do is make sure she is safe in her bed with a firm mattress, a tight sheet that pulls properly over the mattress and doesn't wrinkle or bunch up, and no bumpers, stuffed animals, or blankets. Just put her to bed in a blanket sleeper and a hat on her head for warmth, and clear everything else out of her crib. Once she is 5 or 6 months old, you can move the bumpers back in and a blanket: at that age, the risk of sids goes down greatly as babies are now capable of recognizing when their breathing is obstructed and can move themselves accordingly.
As long as you take the proper steps to SIDS proof her sleeping area, have a good nights sleep. Most babies that die of sids die because their mouth/nose/face becomes pressed into extraneous blankets, toys, and bumpers and their little bodies are not yet old enough to move themselves away. If none of those things are present, she'll be fine!

M.,

My son is now two years old and as healthy as a horse. He at three weeks old slept through the night for 14 hours. This after I couldn't get him to sleep at all, and it was because I put him on his tummy and he was happy ever since. I too stayed up for hours watching him for months in his crib making sure he was breathing, but after a while you will get used to worrying while they sleep and while you sleep. You have to get some rest and let her sleep too, it will make for a better morning and next day each day. I am expecting twins this year and am sooooo nervous about the same things, and I know I'll stay up for a while after they are born to make sure they are alright, but with a toddler too I have learned to be patient and to be a worrysome mother as well as a rested mother, which I feel makes me a better mom. Just do what you feel is right in your heart and take a deep breath and enjoy watching your baby sleep. Good Luck!!

It's not a bad habit. My son 17-1/2 months old and never slept on his back. He either slept on his side or stomach. My daughter is almost 8 weeks old and she is the same way. Babies don't like to sleep on their back. It used to be that parents shouldn't let their babies sleep on their back and now they say to not let them sleep on their stomach. I say let her sleep on her stomach and make sure there are no loose blankets around her face. She will be fine. Good luck!

I can't really offer advice on how to break her of this habit, but wanted to let you know that my son (now 2 yrs old) also only wanted to sleep on his belly for the first 6 months of life. I had him in a co-sleeper (a small crib that opened to my bed on one side) for the first 3 months and that helped me because instead of getting out of bed, I simply opened my eyes or even just reached my hand over to feel and make sure he was still breathing. I don't know if that helps at all, but that's how I dealt with my belly sleeper.
-L.

Try have her sleep on a soft thick baby blanket make it like you have her wrapped up but you can have it open if it is hot just so she dont know she is laying flat you can kinda lean her sideways just make sure she cant roll my daughter was the same way just make sure when you turn her take the blanket out what the blanket is going to do is pretend you are holding her the blanket should not be all nice and neet lay her in the blanket like you are holding her then lay her down and tilt her just a little then open blanket a little

i would put my son his his swing for like 4 days to put him to sleep and reclined the swing back to break him of that habit. steph s.

First I want to say that their are real reason they have decide that babies should only sleep on their backs. While it is true that parents used to be told to put babies asleep only on their stomach, fewer babies die of SIDS since the Back to Sleep advice. Before 5,000 babies/yr died of SIDS, That number has been reduced to 3,000/yr.

SIDS is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby under 1yr. So Nobody knows what causes SIDS. It is not suffacation. The baby just stops breathing. They now think there are pressure points on the head that may trigger it and so positioning babies on their backs aviod those pressure points.

That being said I know how you feel. My daughter was very colicy and didn't sleep well once I put her down on her. I don't know if she would have slept better if I put her down on her tummy because I didn't really try. I usually ended up with her sleeping on my chest. I know people say that, is bad, because what if I rolled over or she fell off. Mostly It was just the first few months and I was so worried something could happen to her, she could move without me being instantly awake. I felt like I would know if she stopped breathing. Later She slept in the bedside bassinet and I would always have my hand on her while I slept. If she slept in a separate bed I was always getting up and making sure she was breathing. Now that she is 3 1/2 yrs and is completly fine, I only check her while she is sleeping every once in a while. LOL

I know that no matter how many people tell you to stop worring you can't because you little is the most precious person in your life now. While putting your your baby to sleep on his back is the safest, it does not completely eliminate the risk of SIDS. Do some research on SIDS so you understand it better and try to find a happy medium, even sleepng on the side is better than the tummy.

I had the same exact issue. I tried and tried to but my daughter on her back but she was not having it. I finally gave in and she is 3 months now and has been sleeping on her tummy with her butt in the air for 2 months now. I do get many comments from other moms, my in-laws, and doctors because of the SIDs. I still do get up every couple of hours to check on her. But She is comfortable and I am getting to be ok with it.

They sell sleep aids that will position your baby on her back. It'll stop her from rolling over. You have to be ready for her to scream though and not sleep at all. She's comfortable on her stomach and may never be a back sleeper.

I know they recommend to put babies on their backs but I have 7 kids and did fostercare for 7 yrs and all of mine slept on their stomachs. It seems the babies slept better. I was always afraid of them choking if laying on their backs. If your daughter won't sleep on her back I would just keep her in your room a bit longer and use the baby monitor during the day or keep her in the room with you and quit loosing sleep over it....T.

All three of my children would only sleep on their tummies. With my first, I was so worried. I spoke with my pediatrician, and she informed me it was ok to let him sleep this way. She also told me they don't actually know the cause if sids, and it was a suggestion to have them sleep on their side/ back to reduce the risk. If that is the only way your baby will sleep, then it is just her preference. If it will make you more comfortable, make sure their are no blankets, toys or loose fitting sheets where she sleeps. Also, they recommend a pacifier for young babies.

M.,

Stop stressing on your child's sleeping position. If her head is in a position where she can breathe, then she is alright. I have four and none of them slept on their back. Three slept the same way your baby does and the other slept on her side. If she was sleeping with her face facing downward then that is something to worry about because she could smother herself.

I understand your concern with the idea/possibility of SIDs. Every mother fears that they could find their child not breathing. There are also other concerns for a child's well being and long life. It is part of our role as caretaker and mother. You are not, though, doing yourself nor your baby any good checking every ten minutes and waking the child up because she prefers to sleep on her tummy. You are making yourself sick and the child is going to be very cranky and overly tired. Relax mother. I can't say that your child won't get SIDs but I also can't say that your actions will prevent it either. Bottom line is you have to make you own decisions but since you asked, this is my opinion. R. T.

I agree with everyone who recommends secure swaddling, in case you are not already. If you have trouble with the blanket, I highly recommend The Miracle Blanket (miracleblanket.com). Also, the book, "The Happiest Baby on the Block" absolutely saved me with my son who would not sleep and cried almost anytime he wasn't nursing. The book taught me that babies are often startled and upset by the feeling of being on their backs. You should really check it out from the library. I got a baby sleep positioner, and I always put my son on his side. He liked that much better than his back. Good luck!

As soon as she knows how to roll over by herself, I agree that she should be fine, so long as the sheets are tight and there are no pillows, stuffed animals, etc. in the crib. Wearable blankets are also a good idea. I know the feeling. My 11 month old has always liked to sleep on his side or his stomach. And, I don't think, as a caring parent, doing the "is he breathing?" check will ever go away, not even when he's a teen (so I've heard.) ~B.

all my kids have been tummy babies. I know that you are concerned about sids but they baby also like being on the tummy. I wouldn't worry about the baby being on the tummy.

I'm having the same problem with my 2 month old. Her doctor told us we could only sleep her on her belly for naps but not over night. We've been letting her sleep on her belly cause honestly it is the only way she will sleep. I did some research on SIDS and saw many stories where the baby wasn't sleeping on their belly's also hearing from my mother that when I was a baby they were told to sleep us on our belly's gave me some piece of mind. It took my husband and I a while not to be up every 15 mins checking on her. Its nice to hear someone is on the same boat as us with this.

I don't. But lots of babies slept on their tummies until recently, and a huge majority of these babies were fine. I would try not to lose sleep over it, if I were you.

Hi M. C,
My name is T., I'm mom to a beautiful 11 wk old baby boy. Have you tried putting her to sleep on her side. My little boy likes to sleep on his tummy also, but at night I put him on his side and sometime during the night he roles to his back. He will also sleep very well in my arms and wake up when I put him down, but I put him on his side and pat his bottom until he goes back to sleep. Hope this helps.

How about rolling up a receiving blanket, putting her on her side, close to the edge of her crib and then put the rolled blanket on the other side. Hope it helps!

V. T.

Hi M....i just read your request and it's funny you mention that you've been told to lie your baby on her back because of sid's....when my oldest was born 16 years ago i was told to "not" lay her down on her back only to her sides...so i bought one of those pillow support cushions (not sure what they are called) but they kinda look like a long triangle and it helped her in staying on her sides...she loved it...also, i've noticed throughout the years when they are sick or starting to get sick with a cold sleeping on their backs makes the situation worse...in the sense that when they lie on their backs all the mucus is dripping in the back of their throats therefore, causing it to build up in their chest and eventually have a severe cough and alot of congestion...i recommend you ask another doctor and she what they say so that at least you can sleep a little! Here if you need me!

M.

Mine all slept on their tummys. eventually they get to where they'll roll over anyways.

I don't know if there's a way to break it. However, I know several moms with babies just like this, they talked to their doctors and the docs said to let them sleep on their tummy. My advice would be to talk to you doctor and just keep the sheets tight. Good luck.

Hi, M., I wrote about this very same subject recently to another S., who was having trouble with her newborn sleeping. Here are some of my thoughts to her, that might apply to your daughter as well. The first thing that comes to mind is whether you are properly swaddling your baby. All newborns feel much better when they are closely, tightly, wrapped up in a receiving blanket. Their little limbs can't flail about and awake them. I also think that back sleeping is the worst idea to come down the pike in a long time. My first-born, now 18, was swaddled and laid down on her side. We would roll up receiving blankets and wedge them next to her back and against her tummy. She slept like a log, and was sleeping throughout the night at 8 weeks. My second daughter, now 13, was born when the whole back sleeping thing came into being. She would wake up much more frequently and flail about. I would not worry about SIDS...this is as draining as worrying about getting run over every time you cross the road! As long as you place the baby is on a firm mattress (no pillows!), and not on her tummy, you are doing all you can. Try putting her on her side, with tightly rolled-up blankets behind her and in front, so she can't flip over. And don't forget to swaddle her if you can. When your baby starts turning over on his own, you will see that she will sleep on her tummy - it's a much more comforting position for babies! I hope this helps. I also would like to suggest that you place the bassinet in baby's own room. I had my baby next to me for 2 weeks, but couldn't sleep a wink for all the snuffling. Once I moved her into her own room (with a baby monitor, of course), I was able to get some crucial sleep. Don't worry about doing this - you need to be able to function during the day to be a good parent! Please feel free to contact me if you need more help.
All the best,
S. A.

My only suggestion is that you have faith and pray. All 3 of mine were tummy sleepers, and they all survived. I was like you with the first one, but knew I had to do it differently with the other 2. Pray and then believe that God is holding them in his hands.

My 4 month old has never slept on her back, except for the times she fell asleep in my arms or in her car seat. She loves being on her tummy. I know the doctors discourage it, but my 17 year old son slept on his tummy without a problem. I think just as long as the baby has a firm matress with very tight crib sheet and a light blanket just up to it's waist, then it's fine.

I think this is one of those things that changes every decade. My mom had 7 children over a 20 year period. She said the doctors instructions changed every time.

Hi M.,

My son (who is now 16 months) was the same way and still is. My son was always a very strong baby, so I didn't worry about it much since he could easily lift his head up pretty early in his infancy. I wouldn't worry about it because there are dangers to both (stomach sleeping/back sleeping) that you can't avoid. Maybe you could get a video monitor so you can look at her when you get worried without having to get up?? I know it's hard not to worry as a mom. =) Good luck - I'm sure everything will be okay.

-C.

Both my kids were the same way. I just let them sleep on their tummy and the doc said it was fine.

Hey M.-My boys are 11 and 13 and I was always told to put them on their stomach because if they spit or threwup in the middle of night they could choke- I pick a happy medium and bought this item that had a rice filled bean bag type thing sewn on both sides of a cloth. I would put my babies on their side and prop the rice bags (one behind back and one in front of baby) that way it would keep the baby from rolling either way. Soon she will be strong enough to roll herself either way anyway- I put my two in the bed with me the first several months anyway, that way they were right there by me. I was/am a light sleeper and woke up at any major move they made-could open my eyes and see they were ok. People might say didn't you lose sleep like that, a duh, you are losing sleep worrying about them dying during the night- I felt more comfortable that way. My husband is a physician and had to wake up all hours if/when he was on call-so I would sleep some nights in another room, so I didn't disturb his sleep. I'm sure you will get alot of advice from a lot of people, but in the end, you must do what works best for you and your husband- GOOK LUCK!! J.

When I had my son and my sister had her first two, we were told to put them to sleep on their tummys. When I had my girls we were told that sleeping on their sides was the best so I bought this little pillow thing so they would sleep on their sides. I don't really know whats the best position. But I have three kids and my sister has four and they slept on their tummys and sides. A baby monitor would probably be a good idea if you don't have one.

http://www.parenting.com/parenting/baby/article/0,19840,6...

This is a web address for an article in Parenting Magazine. It's about the threat of SIDs, as well, it mentions a couple of types of monitors that could help you know if your child has stoped breathing. It's a way to put your mind at some ease but nothing is 100%. You eventually get used to the idea that you are going to worry every day of her life. It gets easier to sleep and worry at the same time.

Dear M.,
Sometimes, in the womb, the baby gets in a certain position and is apt to be in that position for a long time. That position then becomes comfortable for them, so they want to be in that position as much as possible. Sometimes their little joints get stuck in that position and it is uncomfortable for them to be in any other position. Have a chiropractor check the baby for any misalignments in their neck and back. If there is a problem in the spine, the chiropractor can fix the problem. Then the baby will be comfortable in any postion.

Sincerely,
Dr. C. Demaray
Chiropractic Pediatric Specialist
Vacaville

My son was the same month...only slept on his back all the time. He is now 3 years old! He was also premature. I think as long as you check in on your little one from time to time, like any good parent should, and keep all blankets and stuffed animals away, you are just fine. If you really are losing sleep over it, you can always get one of those monitor blankets they sleep on. But SIDS is few and far between, not that one should live by the addage "it won't happen to me," but my guy, to this day, still sleeps on his stomach. He likes it. He was happiest on his tummy. And your 2-month can obviously move herself around, so I don't think you have too much to worry about! Oh...and if you're worried about keeping her warm, those wearable blankets...my son lived in them when he was an infant!!!! They work great, and you don't have to worry about her getting caught up in a blanket.