# My Newborn Sleeps On His Side



## Amatullah0 (Apr 7, 2009)

At night, I nurse laying down, but when I do put him in the co-sleeper, he rolls over onto his side. My first concern is that i didn't know newborns could roll over. my second concern is SIDS--should i be worried that he chooses to sleep on his side?

ETA: regarding SIDS, is it fine for baby to sleep on his stomach if he's on top of mommy or daddy? I truly understand nothing about this SIDS thing!


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## Youngfrankenstein (Jun 3, 2009)

I never did co-sleeping but my babies (3 so far) all slept on their tummies. I think if you are practicing safe co-sleeping, your baby being next to you will keep him protected. If you don't feel comfortable with that, you might try a wedge for his front and back.


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## fruitfulmomma (Jun 8, 2002)

I don't know any stats but my newborns always sleep tummy to tummy with me. Usually for a few days to a week but the last one did for about a month.

Sleeping on their sides is fine to, imo.


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## GradysMom (Jan 7, 2007)

ds slept on his tummy, on us, and between us and next to us. Can be safe... for me there were two things that eased my mind... ds was a competant head turner/lifter from birth and I woke up all the time to check on him... my hormonal state had me sleeping really lightly.

I think when it comes to SIDS know yourself... and keep heavy bedding away from young babies


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## pixiekisses (Oct 14, 2008)

We've had a couple of preemies, and you learn in the NICU to put the babies on their sides, every other time left/right, heh. And with a blankie rolled up in front of their tummy, between their legs and behind their back to support them both in front and in back, and to keep them from rolling over on their tummy. So, we've done that and we've always co-slept. Just take the other precautions.
And kangaroo care is all about the baby sleeping bare skinned on their tummy, on moms/dads bare chest.


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## mysticmomma (Feb 8, 2005)

I'm going to edit your thread title... "My newborn sleeps."

PERFECT! Seriously, You are fine IMO.


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## esteg0 (Oct 21, 2007)

We co-sleep and my now 5 month old has slept on his side, his tummy to my chest, with me since the day he was born. He would roll on to his side if I tried to lay him on his back. I think you're fine!


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## Baby_Cakes (Jan 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mysticmomma* 
I'm going to edit your thread title... "My newborn sleeps."

PERFECT! Seriously, You are fine IMO.

Hahah! I couldn't have said it better!

When DD was a newborn, she also slept on her side or on her tummy. You are both fine. In addition, I think when a baby is sleeping on his or her mama or daddy they are in the safest place they can be (in regards to SIDS). The breathing, moving person they are on helps regulate their own breathing even as they sleep.


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## SandraS (Jan 18, 2007)

Baby can sleep in any position that GETS him sleep. Please remember, tummy sleeping (or side-sleeping) does not CAUSE sids - it's a mystery with no cause, no prevention, and no cure. And it's so incredibly pathetically rare that you don't need to lose sleep over it anyways. If baby sleeps better on side, go for it. All of mine slept on tummies from birth because they slept phenomenally that way. It's just as safe as the back.

Good luck!


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## flower16 (Jun 2, 2009)

My baby has also always slept on her side from the very beginning, I think I read that side sleeping is fine. I never really worried about it because she was right next to me.


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## kim.mpls (Apr 6, 2008)

Mine did too, for the first month or so consistenly rolled up onto her side to face me, even when she was side-carred in the co-sleeper. Pediatrician said it was fine.


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## Super~Single~Mama (Sep 23, 2008)

My son has always slept on his side. I think its fine. My mom did say she'd never seen a baby do that before.


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## srs (Nov 8, 2007)

I remember being surprised when my three day old newborn wound up on her side (by herself napping in a bassinet). It happens, I guess.

As for cosleeping, I always felt safe sleeping with a newborn on my chest, but definitely follow your own instincts and have good safety precautions.


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## Limabean1975 (Jan 4, 2008)

With my first, my midwife instructed us to put him on his side, with towels rolled in front and back to keep him there.


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## MangoMommy (Oct 20, 2008)

My ped recommended side sleeping (with rolled blankets) to help prevent the flat head thing that is so common now because of the Back to Sleep campaign.


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## pixiekisses (Oct 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SandraS* 
Baby can sleep in any position that GETS him sleep. Please remember, tummy sleeping (or side-sleeping) does not CAUSE sids - it's a mystery with no cause, no prevention, and no cure. And it's so incredibly pathetically rare that you don't need to lose sleep over it anyways. If baby sleeps better on side, go for it. All of mine slept on tummies from birth because they slept phenomenally that way. It's just as safe as the back.

I'm sorry, but that's just not true.
At least where we live now it is proved that sleeping on the tummy increases the risk of SIDS. Sleeping on the back decreases the risk.
(There are several other things that increases the risk too, like sleeping with smoking parents, seeping in a room that's too warm, sleeping under the same covers as the parent instead of having separate covers for the baby etc.)


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## SandraS (Jan 18, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pixiekisses* 
I'm sorry, but that's just not true.
At least where we live now it is proved that sleeping on the tummy increases the risk of SIDS. Sleeping on the back decreases the risk.
(There are several other things that increases the risk too, like sleeping with smoking parents, seeping in a room that's too warm, sleeping under the same covers as the parent instead of having separate covers for the baby etc.)

What I said was absolutely correct. Tummy sleeping (or any position) does not CAUSE sudden infant death.

They are not sure what the risks are, so it is a slim possibility that back sleeping MAY reduce risks. Since infant mortality hasn't decreased since the BTS campaign, however, there are many schools of thought that the campaign has just spurred autopsies that have re-classified deaths to tracheal problems, heart defects, etc., but that's another story.

Tummy sleeping does NOT _"cause"_ SIDS. That is my point. And it still stands that it is ridiculously rare and shouldn't be a worry anyways.


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## ananas (Jun 6, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mysticmomma* 
I'm going to edit your thread title... "My newborn sleeps."

PERFECT! Seriously, You are fine IMO.

Exactly! If he naturally falls that way, and he's SLEEPING, go with it!


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## mystiquesmom (May 20, 2008)

DS#1 *hated* being on his back at all, on his side was the only way he would sleep. If side sleeping works, go for it!


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## Loralz (Feb 20, 2009)

I can't find it online now (probably because it was presented in the last 2 months at an LLL conference), but Dr. McKenna, a sleep expert from Notre Dame who studies--and encourages!--co-sleeping and bedsharing said that they found the majority of breastfed babies sleep on their sides or backs, naturally. Bottle-fed (whether breastmilk or formula) babies tend to sleep on their tummies.

If the article gets published online, I'll link it. Otherwise, talk to one of your LLL people to see if they have the information.


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## pixiekisses (Oct 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SandraS* 
What I said was absolutely correct. Tummy sleeping (or any position) does not CAUSE sudden infant death.

They are not sure what the risks are, so it is a slim possibility that back sleeping MAY reduce risks. Since infant mortality hasn't decreased since the BTS campaign, however, there are many schools of thought that the campaign has just spurred autopsies that have re-classified deaths to tracheal problems, heart defects, etc., but that's another story.

Tummy sleeping does NOT _"cause"_ SIDS. That is my point. And it still stands that it is ridiculously rare and shouldn't be a worry anyways.

No, you also said there are no prevention, and that tummy-sleeping is as safe as sleeping on the back, which is simply not true.

But there are preventions one should take to decrease the risks, I listed some of them.
And, even though it's rare, I think we shouldn't forget it.
And, the amount of babies dying of SIDS decreased a lot when they introduced back-sleeping for babies instead of tummy-sleeping.


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## SandraS (Jan 18, 2007)

I will kindly disagree. Infant mortality HASN'T decreased, as a matter of fact there was an increase in 2002 (I think it was 2002 - it may have been 2005, not sure, but regardless, there was one). Autopsies are simply re-classified deaths.


> Before BTS, 10 babies died. No autopsies performed. All called "SIDS". Today, 10 babies die. Autopsies performed. 3 have heart problems, one suffocated, one has a brain defect. 5 are "mysteries". Viola. A 50% reduction in SIDS. False statistic. The same amount of babies have died.


And no scientist anywhere in the world says back sleeping PREVENTS sudden death. There is NO _prevention_. If you are lured into thinking that because a baby sleeps on his back it is PREVENTING sudden death, you are incorrect. What *I* said was absolutely correct. Thank you.


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## pixiekisses (Oct 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SandraS* 
I will kindly disagree. Infant mortality HASN'T decreased, as a matter of fact there was an increase in 2002 (I think it was 2002 - it may have been 2005, not sure, but regardless, there was one). Autopsies are simply re-classified deaths.


> Before BTS, 10 babies died. No autopsies performed. All called "SIDS". Today, 10 babies die. Autopsies performed. 3 have heart problems, one suffocated, one has a brain defect. 5 are "mysteries". Viola. A 50% reduction in SIDS. False statistic. The same amount of babies have died.


And no scientist anywhere in the world says back sleeping PREVENTS sudden death. There is NO _prevention_. If you are lured into thinking that because a baby sleeps on his back it is PREVENTING sudden death, you are incorrect. What *I* said was absolutely correct. Thank you.

We have to agree to disagree then. I still say you are wrong.
What firstly struck me is that we are talking about two different countrys, not to mention continents. So, here, SIDS have decreased with babies sleeping on their backs.
And yes, that is a prevention, if x% more dies sleeping on their tummys, and if that same % sleeps on their backs, they will not die. Prevention. It does not happen to 10 (random number) of those babies sleeping on their backs instead of their tummys. But it would happen if they slept on their tummys instead of their backs. So, good for them sleeping on their backs.
I am not lured into anything, those are facts.


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## SandraS (Jan 18, 2007)

LOL... okay. But please don't give false hope to a reader here. Putting baby on his back (or not smoking, or not having an organic crib mattress, or whatever else scientists have said this week that will change next week) does not mean baby cannot succomb to sudden infant death. Period. It absolutely does not PREVENT it.

I'm outta here. My decision for my family is 100% correct, and yours for your family is too. And frankly, SIDS has never ever for a millisecond been a concern, because it's too rare for me to let it have any space in my mind, so my babes were all able to sleep safe and sound on their tummies.







:


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## pixiekisses (Oct 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SandraS* 
(..)does not mean baby cannot succomb to sudden infant death.

We're not disagreeing on this, however.
Anyone can. But there are steps you can take to have the least risk, thereby preventing it as much as you can.

And I think the "it can't happen to us" thing is more dangerous than not.


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## UhOhWhatNow (Jul 21, 2008)

My son HATES SLEEPING ON HIS BACK! I made him do it for naps (non co sleeping day time naps) and for the first month it worked. But at night he always slept on his side, nursing. We switched sides, of course, every time we switched boobies







After he was good and asleep, I'd roll him into his back and go to sleep myself. Sometimes, though, he'd stay on his side, against my chest.

Now that he sleeps in the bassinet until morning (then we bed share a couple hours after his morning nursing session) he sleeps on his tummy. There is no way in heck he'd sleep eight hours on his back in that bassinet, and this way he does, happily. I worry, but I'd worry anyway!


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