Be honest anyone let their infant

[Anonymous]

sleep on their stomach. I know we are not supposed to but he will not sleep any other way. This has been going on since we got home from the hospital. When you lay him on his back he literally freaks out. He waves his arms wildly and cries. For naps I let him sleep on his stomach and I check on him a lot. At night since we are not comfortable with the whole stomach thing he sleeps with us on his side right next to me or on my stomach. I do not want to hear about co-sleeping in this post as we co-slept with our other child as well.

Any other stomach sleepers out there or does anyone have any ideas on how to get him sleep on his back.

[Anonymous]

I did this with both of my kids. Around the age of 4 months my babies had learned how to roll over and they would always sleep on their stomachs. I tried using one of those devices that keeps them from rolling over onto their stomach but both of my babies would just scream if they couldn't be on their stomachs. The pediatrician said that if they were able to roll over and be on their stomachs, then I should let them be. I also slept with my baby on my chest because I loved having him close to me. My kids would both scream and wave their arms in the air as if they were falling so after many attempts in the middle of the night to turn them over, I eventually gave up. Both are now heathly bigger kids that still prefer to sleep on their stomachs.

[Anonymous]

If you are right there and checking frequently, I wouldn't worry about it. However, if you really want to get him onto his back, would you consider swaddling? Our little guy did not like being put into the swaddle but once he was in it, he was very happy and relaxed. He slept very well from very early on, which might be unrelated but I tend to think the swaddling was a factor.

[Anonymous]

I would try swaddling - it needs to be very tight. The Happiest Baby on the Block dvd shows how to do it.

[Anonymous]

Yep, I've let my babies sleep on their stomachs. I would never do it if they were in their own room, though. Co-sleeping greatly reduces the risk of SIDS (as does breastfeeding) so I might not allow stomach sleeping if I did not cosleep or if I formula fed. Anyway, I usually wait until I feel comfortable that the baby can lift their head and turn it from side to side. With both my kids this happened around 2 weeks. Then, obviously, I would never put them stomach down on a soft or squishy surface, and certainly not with any blankets underneath them. Following those guidelines, with them right next to me, I felt totally comfortable with them sleeping on their bellies. And so did they!

[Anonymous]

Yup. My baby was a stomach sleeper. I was so paranoid and checked on her a ton! But she wouldn't sleep any other way. For a while I got her to sleep on her side but then it was strictly stomach. And when I asked around, this was not as uncommon as you'd think.

As for the whole swaddling thing.... she HATED it! The nurses at the hospital tried to prove me wrong and even they called her "Houdini" because she'd force her way out no matter how tight the swaddle. I read "Happiest Baby on the Block" and none of that worked for her. I knew why too... in all of the ultrasounds, her hands were on her face. She likes to sleep with her hands on her cheeks. So swaddling was torture. And sleeping on her back without a swaddle just made her startle herself awake. Once I gave in and put her on her stomach, she slept soundly and happily.

I of course felt guilty and like a bad Mom; but she was flipping over by 4 months and then I stopped worrying as much.

[Anonymous]

Yes, closet stomach sleeper here. Did it with both of my kids. Mind you, I did it with my eyes wide open. Meaning, I understood the risks, etc but felt that it was the ONLY way my kids would fall asleep. Both are healthy preschoolers right now.

[Anonymous]

I'm a big fan of swaddling but you have to do it TIGHT. Don't worry, it won't hurt them. At 8 mos. we still lightly swaddle our DD. She loves it.

If you baby is old enough to roll over, I wouldn't worry about sleeping on her stomach. I do have a friend who let her infant (she's a toddler now) sleep on her stomach from day one -or thereabouts- because that was the only way she would sleep.

[Anonymous]

Yes, both of my kids slept on their stomach. This was the only way they would sleep.

[Anonymous]

if you are really worried about the breathing etc.. you can buy an "angel sensor" which is an alarm that goes off if baby stops breathing from choking or anything. it is less than 100 dollars and for us was peace of mind, especially when they have a cold or something. you can find it online.

[Anonymous]

like many others i let my son sleep on his stomach in the pack and play (since it was firmer than our bed or a crib) while i could watch him, so it was ONLY during the day.
i think they key is that you are around and are able to keep an eye on the kid and that they are on a firm surface.

[Anonymous]

My second baby has been a tummy sleeper since she was 2 weeks old. I was comfortable with it because she was strong and healthy. I kept the crib totally clear and made sure the sheet was really tight. She's still on her tummy at 7 1/2 months.

[Anonymous]

The only time I let my now 2 1/2 y.o. son sleep on his stomach was when he fell asleep with me--stomach to stomach with his head sideways. My L.C. said this was actually a very safe way to sleep because I would wake if he stirred at all and it promoted bonding. I only did this during the day for naps, not at night. Otherwise it was always on his back until he rolled on his own at about 4 months.

[Anonymous]

My DS started rolling over to sleep on his tummy of his own accord when he was 10 weeks old. For a while, I would put him down on his back and let him flip over, but sometimes it woke him up, so now I just put him on his side or on his tummy. He's 7 months and I think the risk of SIDS is very, very remote because his motor skills are pretty advanced.