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sleeping on tummy

Hello ladies, well this is my first post in the baby forum since having Finley my new little bundle!

I know it's a very controversial topic but what are your thoughts on babies being put to sleep on their tummys?

The reason I ask is that Finley (5days) is already looking to get into some bad habbits at nighttimes. The past 3nights theres been a period during the night where he's been awake for 3hours, which is fine by me, I fully expect broken nights but during this time Fin is definately tired and just won't settle.

I'm breastfeeding and during this awake time he seeks the boobs constantly but just suckles for comfort and isn't actually drinking properly. I don't want him to be using me as a human dummy. Last night my hubby gave in and gave him a dummy, but this lasted 5mins, as it fell out twice and he woke up and cried until I put it back in... then I decided BAD HABBIT and took it away. He also will happily fall asleep lying on his tummy on hubby or I's chest. Whilst this is lovely, and I do love the cuddles again it is just allowing a bad habbit to set in, and hubby is also much too deep a sleeper for me to allow him to fall asleep with Fin on his chest.

Last night, after a good 2hours of crying and fussing and not quite knowing how to settle him, he got a chest cuddle from daddy and fell promptly asleep. I decided to try and put him down in his crib, I lifted him from hubby and as I needed to sort out the crib blankets I lay Fin in the same on tummy/bum in air position on our bed. He stayed FAST asleep and looked so comfortable. He had his head to the side so could breathe easily. I then put him in his crib on his back and straight away he woke and caused havvoc as we couldn't settle him!!

This made me REALLY want to let him sleep on his tummy but due to the "guidelines" and all the cot death risks I was terrified I'd be failing him if I did this, and if anything (god forbid) happened I'd never forgive myself. Hubby on the other hand gave me the "Me and my 3brothers were all put to sleep on our tummys and we never came to any harm" and this made me think more logically about it. He seems to have very good neck strength for his tiny age and can push up with his hands to maneouver his head, there is also nothing in his cot for him to snuggle his head/face into.

I feel we're going to get into a bad habbit anyway, be it dummy, suckling mammy for comfort, sleeping on my chest... or.. putting him down on his tummy. Just not sure which is the lesser evil.

Sorry I wrote so much there but please give me all your oppinions on this be it for or against!!

Thank you image

xxx

Replies

  • Congraulations!! You sound like you're doing brilliantly for just five days of Mummying.

    Personally, I wouldn't put him to sleep on his tummy.Yes, many of us were (me included) and we're all fine, but there were some who weren't fine and that's why the guidelines changed. I just don't think it's worth the risk.

    I would try swaddling or not swaddling or a sleeping bag or other techniques to try and find something that works for him on his back. When my LO was tiny I used to BF her in her sleeping bag, let her fall asleep on me and then gently transfer her to her crib. I think the change in temperature from Mummy to crib can wake them up, not necessarily the change in position, but she stayed really snuggly in her sleeping bag.

    Also if he wants to feed for three hours at a time - let him, even if you think it's just comfort feeding it might not be. He's still learning and it can take a while for them to become really efficient feeders. Feeding can also be really erratic for the first few weeks while your milk supply is establishing itself, so I would trust him to know what he's doing. Plus, if he's really full up to the brim he's more likely to sleep more deeply.

    Finally, don't stress about bad habits at this age. I think its more important to help him settle into his own routine and if that means rocking him to sleep with a dummy then so be it. I did whatever it took to get my LO to sleep in the early days and then when she was about eight weeks, was sleeping through reliably and had established her own routine, I gradually started teaching her to sleep on her own without props. She's seven months now and still has a dummy but I'm not bothered, it'll be gone by a year. (The only reason I haven't taken it away is because she's teething and really needs it at the moment.) She sleeps 7-7 without waking and naps perfectly and I think this is more important.

    Relax and enjoy your cuddles together - this stage doesn't last for long so make the most of it while you can. If you can't enjoy cuddling your baby to sleep when he's only 5 days old when can you?!

    B xx
  • Hello!Congratulations hope life as a Mummy of two is going well!

    Mia is 14 weeks now and has slept on her tummy since she was 3 and half weeks old. Purely by accident we discovered one evening that she could settle herself this way and she was very comfy consequently started sleeping through 9pm-6.30am from this point onwards!

    I was nervous at first but I got over these fears- I think being a 2nd time Mummy might have helped as you tend to learn that you have to do what suits baby best and not always following the "guidelines" is best for them...or you!

    I would say we have had a few problems especially now with regards to being in the carseat as she struggled to settle herself on her back we use a dummy now for these occasions- and after travelling 5 hours to Devon the other week for our holiday she is more than used to it by now! You may be different with this if you use the car alot during the day- I'm not driving at the moment so if we go out when Daddy isn't around she goes in her cocoon in the P&T so she sleeps on her tummy again!

    It has also meant she loves TUMMY TIME!She has amazing head control and can lift her head completely and hold it for ages....and she has started commando crawling already!

    Anyway that's my personal experience I'm always careful what sheets etc she has in her bed and generally she just has a fitted sheet and then a sheet over her tucked in!x
  • Hi, I personally wouldn't but that is my own opinion. I have put my little one on his tummy once and I was constantly checking him and panicking. Honestly you wont get him into bad habits at 5 days old, tiny babies need to be attached to their moms and that is mother nature. My baby was attached to be permenantly for the first 4 weeks and now he is now clingy at all at 12 weeks old. Enjoy those snuggly cuddles. xx
  • I have about 5 million books on baby sleeping!

    The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan says that if you have a tummy sleeper (or a bay with reflux who can't settle on their back), then go with it but take precautions. It sounds like you already have (making sure there is nothing in cot etc) but the book also recommends buying a breathing sensor mat or some device which clips onto your LO's nappy and monitors breathing.

    Have you tried putting baby to sleep on their side? if this works then you can buy sleep positoners to keep then on their side - I think Delta Baby do them

    xx
  • I'm afraid my lo is on his tummy after a week of no sleep after getting out of hospital. He still cannot settle on his back, I feel guilty every day but like others have said I'm not sure which is worse, 2 exhausted parents falling asleep with him or him on his tummy

    He now self settles and sleeps 6-7 hours a night. Good luck with making a decision xx
  • My boys were put to sleep on their tummy in hospital! (they were in SCBU so it wasnt me who did this) We then couldnt get them to settle at all on their backs when we got home. We used swaddling and managed to get them to sleep on their sides with towels to stop them rolling. Now, at 10 months, Alfie has slept on his tummy ever since he could roll over himself!

    I agree with the sensor mat. This is what they used for the boys in SCBU and theyre fab!

    HTH and good luck with the sleep!
  • yep, we have a tummy sleeper here too. like you guys she always slept well when laying on our chests so once i spoke to my hv she told me i was her mum and if i thought she would sleep better then i should try it.
    i was REALLY scared at first.. i put her down on her front for the first time during a daytime nap and i sat and watched her the whole time!!

    she is now 10months and a happy, healthy baby!
    dont be scared into doing what you think is best.

    good luck image xx
  • my lo rolled onto his tummy today after 40 mins on his back stirred rolled over and went to sleep all this week he was just rolling and waking up, now i put him to sleep at 7:15 and about 20 mins later was on his back, i rolled him over again on his back ,he rolled on his stomach about half an hour later, have again rolled him on his back and so far still on it but am panicking now as he seems to lie on his actual face! image
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