Belly Sleeping

[greekypie]

If you allowed belly sleeping for an infant (I do not mean a kid who puts himself on his belly - those you can't control)…. 

- what age was baby when you started
- naps or night or both?
- do you put them down on their belly?
- did you use a special monitor?

Please don't educate me re: SIDS and belly sleeping. I am very aware.

[arch01]

DS was just under 3 months if i remember correctly. i'd have to go back and look at pictures, but i know it was before 4 months (he went to DC then and we had to have a signed pedi note saying it was OK).

started for naps, rarely for night time unless he really wouldn't go back down.

yep.

nope. hell, i can count on 2 hands the number of times we have used the monitor, he's slept in his crib from day 1.

belly sleeping was a game changer for us.

[Deleted]

A little after 3ish months I'd say.
Just at nap. She had no problem going to bed at night on her back. I was also too paranoid at night to be honest to do belly. The kid wouldn't nap though and being on her belly would put her right out.
Yes, I put her on her belly until she could get herself there.
Nope. I didn't even own a monitor until about a month ago. I need it for the next kid who's room is a bit far from ours.

[bunch]

4 mos when I ferbered, before that for naps

She could almost roll there and was furious that she couldn't.

Used snuzza a few times but quit when the battery died. Dr did give me a hard time at her 4mo appt. She started rolling herself a few weeks later. I still always put her straight on her belly when I put her down at night/naps

[bearbaby]

Started with naps at around 4/4.5 months. DS was not an early roller, but had great head control and could push himself all the way up on his hands - so I was comfortable. No blankets or anything, but I just used the standard monitor.  It was immediately apparent how much better his nap sleep was on his belly.

He started putting himself on his belly at nighttime at about 9-mos - at this point I obviously just leave him be...it usually results in tummy sleep/tush up.

[sugarbear]

Jan 14, 2014 9:18:10 GMT -5 TamiTaylor said:

I think there is a poster here who would put her LO down on their belly. Maybe sugarbear?

I had thought about it, because his sleeping problems seems to stem from just not being able to get comfortable. LOL-- it was so long ago, and I was in such a haze, I hardly remember. I decided not to put him directly down on his belly, though, primarily because at the time he was in a sleep suit and he wasn't really able to move around much in it.

We sleep-trained at 5.5 months to drop the sleep suit and the binkie at the same time. Now, when I put him in the crib, he usually rolls right to his side or belly.

[elcjet]

We started at 6 months, after I pulled her out of the swaddle and she naturally flopped over on her stomach.  She was a reflux baby so it made sense that this was more comfortable for her......it is her "default" position.  

[MadamePresident]

6 months. My daughter had a cold and she could sleep better on her belly. I started for naps, but soon moved to all the time.

I have a good friend who has put both her children on their belly right away. the baby sleeps better, which means she sleeps better. She feels like she can be a better mom when she gets a little more rest and that is worth any tiny increase in SIDS risk.

Besides 20 years ago mothers were all told to put babies on their belly because it was safer. Sometimes I wonder if recommendation are made so researchers can see what impact it has.

[noodleskooze]

We started putting Leo to bed on his belly very early...he slept so much better and had freakishly good head control. Yes, it was a risk, but many things are. That doesn't even necessarily mean we would do it again, but it worked for us with this kid.

[Deleted]

We started putting them down on their bellies when they could roll over both ways. We used an Angel Care monitor with DS1 but didn't bother with the other ones.

[kanga]

We started when he was around 3 months.  He had a congenital torticollis and was getting a flat head which was making it difficult to re-hab his neck.  The physiotherapist was careful in how she worded the suggestion to switch to tummy sleeping and was clear that it increased the SIDS risk.  I bought an Angelcare monitor and felt comfortable with putting him to bed on his tummy.  He's 2 now and I still love that monitor!

[deo]

DS2 started at 4.5 months. He rolls around all the time and wouldn't stay on his back anymore. I mostly lie him on his side in his crib and then he almost instantly rolls over to his belly. His sleep quality greatly improved once he started sleeping on his belly.

[Deleted]

Jan 14, 2014 9:14:22 GMT -5 greekypie said:

If you allowed belly sleeping for an infant (I do not mean a kid who puts himself on his belly - those you can't control)…. 

- what age was baby when you started
- naps or night or both?
- do you put them down on their belly?
- did you use a special monitor?

Please don't educate me re: SIDS and belly sleeping. I am very aware.

DS will only stay sleeping on his stomach otherwise he wakes himself up after one sleep cycle. He hasn't tolerated the swaddle since about 4 weeks.
Maternity leave was absolute hell for me between colic and no sleep. I would put him to sleep on his stomach for naps but watch him the whole time. About a month ago we decided to try it at night too - he was about 14 weeks at the time and It was a last resort for me. I was SO anxious about it at first that I couldn't sleep and was constantly watching the monitor. He has great head control though and now I'm mostly comfortable with the risk and can get some sleep. Well, aside from the FMW.
Re:SIDS - not to trivialize it, but even when people were putting kids to sleep on their bellies, only about one in a thousand died from SIDS. There are so many other things you can do to minimize risk now that objectively I believe the risk of having parents who are sleep deprived strongly outweighs the risk of suffocating from sleeping on their belly. jenny1980 put her kids to sleep on their bellies early but I think she had an angelcare monitor.

[Deleted]

jenny1980 - did you need a signed note from the pedi for daycare naps? I'm wondering how this will go with E next month. I haven't told our newest doctor. :/

[dbsk8dance]

If she rolled I didn't change her, but I didn't put her down on her tummy.