# tummy sleep or back sleep?



## delphiniumpansy (Mar 1, 2007)

Does your little baby tummy sleep with you or back sleep? Or side? I am curious. I know some mamas here think the back to sleep campaign is bunk and others value it. I put mine on her back because my mattress is not super firm and my sheets are not super tight. I would do tummy in her crib as it is a firm mattress and tight sheet but not with me. She is with me 100% for now.

What do you do and why?


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## MilkTrance (Jul 21, 2007)

My aquaintance researched SIDS and his conclusion was that it was related to the dive reflex.

his articles: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en...RVAbstractPlus

So, since that's what we started with, that's what DS prefers. Sometimes he falls asleep on his side (we co-sleep) and then he turns over onto his back later on.

I think that if we'd started him on his tummy when he was a newborn, he'd like that just as much, or maybe even more. When he was tiny, he would sleep on DH's chest, tummy-down.


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## dubfam (Nov 4, 2005)

My LO is 4 now but we used to let him sleep on his tummy.
He had bad gas issues and it really helped.

I don't agree w/the "Back to Sleep" preventing SIDS


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## 2shy2post (Oct 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dubfam* 
I don't agree w/the "Back to Sleep" preventing SIDS











When you read the data about tummy sleeping and SIDS they always convert to the word "suffocate" and talk about sleep surface or blankets. That's not SIDS, that's suffocating. It may not have been on purpose ~ that doesn't make it an "unknown" reason. The baby couldn't breathe b/c something covered it's face.

I personally believe that it's resposible for the dramatic diagnosis of babes with reflux, the *need* for baby training (most babes don't sleep well that way), and a host of "assist" products because a lot of babes wont stay on their backs. I applaud the abitlity to create more consumerism with scare tactics.

I picked tummy. Honestly, DS started on his back b/c we thought that's what we should do. After a month of no sleep & screaming fits from the reflux, I flipped him over. DD started out on her tummy. Though b/c I would nurse them to sleep sometimes they would end up sleeping on their sides...
(a completely unscientific observation: DS now sleeps on his tummy, DD on her back







: )

I think ultimately you can create an unsafe sleep environment in a crib or a "big bed" and you can create a SAFE sleep environment in either. IMHO it's really a waste of time to try to blame SIDS on broad spectrum generalities like cosleeping, cribs, sleep position.


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## AlexisT (May 6, 2007)

Mine started on her back; in the past month she's started turning onto her side.


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## aran (Feb 9, 2005)

Side - easiest to bf that way.

Also, DS2 has nightmares when on his back, and I am not comfortable with him on his belly when my pillow and clothes, etc. are close by.


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## Woodland (Mar 6, 2006)

my almost 3 month old baby sleeps on his tummy and sleeps for nice long stretches. although now that he is used to tummy sleep, he has a hard time falling asleep in his carseat.


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## lemurmommies (Jan 15, 2007)

When DS was a newborn we always put him to sleep on his back. That's what I was most comfortable with, and he didn't seem to have any trouble sleeping that way.

As soon as he was able to roll, he started sleeping on his side, and that's how he always sleeps now. So I voted side.


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## herilane (Jul 1, 2007)

Can I vote "other / all of the above"?

At first I always put her on her back, because that's what you're supposed to do. She was a lousy sleeper, never fell asleep unless she was on me, woke as soon as I put her down, woke loads during the night etc etc.

Then I tried putting her down on her side and oh what a difference it made! I could put her down in the bed without her waking, and she stayed asleep a lot longer. She must have been really uncomfortable on her back during those first months, and I never even guessed that that was why she was sleeping so badly.

Since she mastered rolling over and could roll whenever and however she wanted, she generally sleeps on her tummy, or forward-leaning on the side, but sometimes also in a sprawl halfway between side and back, with half her body on a pillow. Never ever on her back.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

DD1 and now dd2 both slept/sleep on their side, curled up under my chin. Sometimes they would/will roll onto their backs but side sleeping makes BF easy. Neither will sleep on their tummies...both have hated tummy down with a passion!


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## sugarlumpkin (Dec 20, 2006)

Before my ds was capable of turning himself over i always had him sleep on his back (or side). Now he sleeps on his back, his side, his tummy, and some combination of those positions that do not look comfortable at all...

I voted "back."


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## klg47 (May 20, 2003)

When Baby is breastfeeding, he is on his side. Sometimes we sleep that way; sometimes he ends up on his back. I tried putting him on his tummy the other day (during the day), and he just stayed face-planted into the mattress - he refused to turn (or let me turn) his head to the side. So for now he won't be sleeping on his tummy! Sometimes he does sleep on his tummy on our chests.


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## MilkTrance (Jul 21, 2007)

I've read things that really weird me out about SIDS -- how the "best" way for baby to sleep is at the bottom of the crib, with the sheet no higher than his chest, tucked in around the edges of the mattress, with no bumper pads.

Seems a bit extreme.


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## MissMommyNiceNice (May 1, 2007)

We had a home birth and I didn't want to put ds down. He slept on my or dh's chest every night (chest to chest) for about 2 weeks. Then on his tummy in bed between us. We sometimes use the crib when he goes to sleep before us - at the beginning, 7 pm bedtime sounded good to everyone! - and still on tummy. He didn't sleep on his back until he was old enough to roll there himself.


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## duckmom (Mar 29, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *2shy2post* 

I picked tummy. Honestly, DS started on his back b/c we thought that's what we should do. After a month of no sleep & screaming fits from the reflux, I flipped him over.









: *EXACTLY!*


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## RileysmamaNM (May 10, 2007)

side almost always unless he flops over on his back but will end up back on his side when he wants more booby.


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## wonderwahine (Apr 21, 2006)

whatever he felt good in.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

All three of mine slept on their sides when they were cosleeping. DD1 slept with her back against me, facing out from me. The twins both like to sleep facing me, close enough that they can latch themselves on easily.

When DD1 slept alone, she slept on her back. She always slept well that way, so I never really questioned Back to Sleep. I still don't entirely question it; I've read some interesting things about sleep states and arousability that make me think. But the twins can't sleep worth a fart on their backs. When they sleep alone, DD2 sleeps on her side propped against a bolster, and DS sleeps sorta on his side but mostly rolled over on his belly, which is funny 'cause it's the exact way I sleep.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I voted tummy, but, thats only part of the time.

Honestly, its probably about 40/40/20 (tummy/side/back).... Hes just always slept better on his tummy, so after about a month I decided it really wasn't worth the battle to get him to sleep on his back - either I could lay him down on his tummy and expect at least 10-20mins of nap time, or I could lay him on his back and hope and pray for 5....


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## maiat (Dec 15, 2006)

I put my dd on her back because the stats say SIDS is twice as likely in tummy sleepers. I think it's been pretty well documented. It's not thought to be due to suffocation, it's now thought to be due to a glitch in some infants' brains so that they don't struggle when CO2 levels get too high and O2 levels get too low. This can be caused by their nose/mouth being close to the bedding. I know that there are no guarantees and that noone really understands SIDS but I can't bear to take the chance.

Recently, she has started to roll onto her tummy when she wakes and resettles herself during naps. I go in and roll her on her back again.

We do cosleep and sometimes she does stay in side position after nursing in sidelying.

Interesting that so few babies in the poll are back sleepers.


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## Margot Adler (Jun 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MilkTrance* 
My aquaintance researched SIDS and his conclusion was that it was related to the dive reflex.

his articles: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en...RVAbstractPlus

So, since that's what we started with, that's what DS prefers. Sometimes he falls asleep on his side (we co-sleep) and then he turns over onto his back later on.

I think that if we'd started him on his tummy when he was a newborn, he'd like that just as much, or maybe even more. When he was tiny, he would sleep on DH's chest, tummy-down.


I've also heard that it is related to inner ear development. Wonder if these two things are related?


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## secondintheoven (May 21, 2007)

I started our baby on back but he slept SO much better on belly. Once they start rolling, they do what they want!


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## puddle (Aug 30, 2007)

I nurse her to sleep so she stays on her side squished against me. She doesn't sleep well on her back at all. Occasionally she will sleep on her tummy on top of me but this is rare--we both get too hot.


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## arelyn (Mar 24, 2006)

DS was born able to flip to his side and we've never managed to get him to sleep on his back. He just likes it on his side!


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## eucalyptusleaves (Feb 5, 2007)

I think somewhere between back and side -- easiest for BFing, though we no longer co-sleep.


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## sandy'smama (Oct 16, 2005)

I voted side but that is only because I always put my kids on their side. My Ds always ends up on his back and my dd since she could turnover she always turned herself onto her tummy! Never put them on their backs because they would wake up as soon as I tried to put them down and I heard all those stories about flat heads (and seen so many kids with them) and wanted to avoid that...(vain I know







: )


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## AugustLia23 (Mar 18, 2004)

Why was ther no option for "my lo sleeps however he wishes". We don't have a preference here, sometimes belly, sometimes back, sometimes side. I really don't care, unless he's swaddled, then of course it's on his back.


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