Sleeping on stomach - When is it ok?

My2Beauties wrote: OK as most of you know, the girls are in Alabama for the week with my dad. When I talked to him last night he asked me why I have never let Aubrey sleep on her stomach? I said because of SIDS you're not supposed to let them sleep on their stomach until they can roll over on their own and all that, I said I always lay her on her back to sleep. He said well during her nap today we laid her on her back and she wouldn't get comfortable she kept waking up, she kept fussing and crying, he said so I turned her over on her belly and she took the longest nap she has in the past 3 days. He said she slept so sound. Now I have heard that babies sleep better on their stomachs but I'm so leary of this. I told him I didn't mind naps because their awake and can keep an eye on her, it still makes me leary, but I asked him to please not put her on her stomach at night. She is 6 months old, she can hold herself up almost to a position of getting on her knees (like she's about to crawl), she can also roll herself over from back to belly, but not from belly to back. She is very strong, she can scoot herself while on her back too, lift her mid-section up and scott around using her legs. So she's very agile and strong, should I still be worried about her sleeping on her stomach? Dad said he knows SIDS is only an issue from usually 2-6 months of age, he said LeaAnn she is strong enough to even throw a cover off her face at this point in time, she weighs almost 16 pounds. I'm a worry wart, so it just bothers me but should it bother me? I had a really good friend whose daughter was a tad bit over 6 months old, she died of suffocation (basically SIDS) in the bed with her dad. He was laying beside her and she rolled over on her belly in their bed while he was napping with her and she suffocated to death because she couldn't roll back over. To me a baby would cry at this age if they were trying to get back over and couldn't, maybe she got into a pocket between him and the mattress and he didn't hear her, I don't know the whole story, I just know he was in the bed with her sleeping, evidently very soundly so this case was a bit different, but she was still over 6 months old! What do you guys think? I could research it, but I'm going to get 50 different answers from the internet, I want to hear from you guys, I trust your opinions.

Insanemomof3 replied: Around that age I started letting my kids sleep on their tummys. They were so much more comfortable that way. I checked on them a lot until I went to bed, and I had the monitor next to my head so I could hear them breathing LOL. I was paranoid at first but there was no problem. That is when they started sleeping through the nights for me. I would say she will be fine...but I am no expert

moped replied: I think she is going to roll over eventually on her stomach anyways - if that seems to be her way of sleeping. I understand being a owryr wart, because I am one too, but I think you are safe - heck take the extra sleep out of her - LOL

My2Beauties replied: That's what I thought, one of my really good friends said she always let her daughter sleep on her tummy starting at 6 months and that's when she started sleeping all night as well. It helps with gas and stuff too I've heard. Back in the day, when I was a baby, mom said this is what they were always told to do before they found out more research about SIDS and she said I slept all night like that from the time I was a day old, she said I was the best sleeper. Dad said that she took about a 2 1/2 hour nap, she never ever naps that long and in the middle of the night, she kicks her legs up in the air and startles herself awake, being on her tummy she wouldn't do this.

When she gets back home after Saturday she's going in her crib too, I've been putting her in her bassinette up through now, because of SIDS (I know I'm really a worry wort) but I promised DH I'd put her in her crib so we can have our room back and he can actually watch TV in his own bedroom at night so putting her on her belly in her crib will really bother me. I've also been keeping her in a wedge every night while she's in her bassinette. Her bassinette is really closed quarters know what I mean when she moves there's no where to go especially with the wedge in there. They have had her in a pack and play (no changing table might I add...thank goodness) and they said she scotts off the wedge and they haven't really been using it a lot because she is moving around in her sleep so much, in her bassinette I don't notice this because she can't move around KWIM. So maybe in her crib she will end up on her belly nomatter what. See lately I've been laying her on her left side in the wedge and she rolls over to her back most of the time, she loves sleeping on her side too. But I'd be even leary of this without the wedge. Oh I have issues

moped replied: I used a wedge too but layed him on his back in it - I can't remeber the age that he finally was able to get out of that too - trust me I get the worry thing. So I guess it doesn't get better the more kids you have then -

It is hard to put them in their crib for the first time - i think Jack was 8 weeks old and it killed me!!!!

My2Beauties replied:
OMG Hanna was like 7 months old I believe, maybe even 8 months old before she no longer slept in the bedroom with me, now Aubrey will be over 6 months old! I'm really bad girl! Plus it's just easier because when they wake up in the middle of the night I can just reach over and there she is. I'm really bad, DH is too he wanted both of them in there uintil 6 months too but it's like right at that mark he's like ok it's time to get them outta here, I want my bedroom back!

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: I hate to say it's fine and then something happen, but I really think by this age she is fine to sleep on her tummy. JMO. The fact that she can turn her head from side to side, lift herself to almost kneeling, sit without support - all leads me to believe she would be fine on her tummy. If it still worries you, just don't put any pillows or blankets in. I can't see how she would suffocate on just the mattress alone. Sad story about your friend's DD, but she was in the bed with an adult, with probably a lot of blankets. I coslept with Wesley, so I don't think there is anything wrong with it, but these things do happen if people are not cautious. Maybe the DH was drunk and slept too hard? Anyhow, don't worry LeaAnn, I think she will be fine.

My2Beauties replied:
I think he just slept too hard and she got caught in a pocket between him and the mattress maybe he rolled over and she rolled over into him and he didn't notice. I know he wasn't drinking, because he doesn't drink at all, doesn't smoke, one of those very religious anti drinking and smoking guys, so I know it wasn't that. It was really really sad. She was a lot smaller than Aubrey too and I know small babies can be just as agile but I just don't think she was as strong, Aubrey can be laying down in her carseat and if she isn't strapped in like if I'm getting her out, she can pull herself up to a sitting position from a semi sitting position, now laying completely down on her back she can pull herself halfway up by grabbing onto things very easily, it'll be no time. She is also sitting up on her own for a few seconds without assistance. She topples over after 5-10 seconds but it's getting better each time we try. It's so cute when they start doing this stuff

Calimama replied:
I agree 100%

luvmykids replied: I agree with Rae, especially about not using blankets or pillows until you get more comfortable with it.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: Allie's been sleeping on her tummy since she could roll onto it, so since she was about 3 or 4 months. Even if Aubrey can't quite roll off of her tummy yet, I'd say she'd be fine at 6 months - I can't remember if Allie could roll from her tummy to back when she started sleeping on her tummy or not. To me -and please don't take this the wrong way - sleeping in a bassinet where it's more crowded and there might be less air would be more of a risk than sleeping in a crib on her tummy as long as there's nothing else in there with her. I'm sure it will be fine!

grapfruit replied: I actually heard (maybe the Today Show??) that there's a genetic link to SIDs. I'll look for it...

3xsthefun replied: Ryan has been sleeping on his tummy for well over a month now. I can understand you being worried though. I'm sure she will be fine.

Boo&BugsMom replied: I think at her age she will be ok. A friend of mine has slept her daughter on her stomach since day 1 (not that I'd do THAT, but that was her perogative), and she just watches her closely and hasn't had an issue, she's the same age as Aiden. At 6 months it's really not a issue. If she sleeps better that way, then she's obviously more comfortable. I wish Aiden would just sleep!!!

grapfruit replied:
Ok, what I saw was a link w/vaccinations (wonderful right?). there's actually a blurb in that news story Calebsmom just posted. I'll try and find a better link though...

But for what it's worth, I think she's fine. Especially w/you saying how strong she is.

grapfruit replied: Ok, just read the entire page. I need to put a warning on here:

*WARNING* VERY VERY SAD STORIES TOWARD THE END OF THE ARTICLE. But it's pretty compelling stuff...

Ok found this: Vaccines and SIDS...think Twice Honestly I can't say how true or accurate, but it was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and it SOUNDS logical.

lovemy2 replied: I gotta be honest - I am a fan of tummy sleeping - Olivia started at 12 weeks and Dylan at 10 weeks - both under very watchful eyes at naps for awhile before I left them in their crib on their tummies - both my kids had bad reflux too though so it was almost necessary - I really think at 6 months old she will be fine - maybe try to put her on her back like you normally do when you put her in her crib and see if she rolls that way on her own - like you said since she is in the bassinette she can't move too much - the worry never goes away - I just started putting a blanket on Dylan at nite and I get up at least 4 times to check on him to be sure he isn't all wound up in it - and its a small lite blanket

A&A'smommy replied: I don't really remember when alyssa started to sleep stomach but i was like you and VERY weary about letting her.. i think she was about 7 or 8 months old before I let her

My2Beauties replied: See I never let Hanna do it until she started rolling around on her own in bed, I mean she was probably 9 months old before she started to move around a lot, by then she slept with a pillow and everything, but she was walking at 10 months, so at 9 m onths she was pulling herself up in her crib to a standing position. I'm sure Aubrey will follow suit, she can already sit up by herself, I tell ya she is very strong. I'm going to try it, I'm going to put her in her crib for sure first thing when they get back from Alabama, I'm gonna do her back first the first night to see if she sleeps ok, if she wakes up like she normally does once, the next night I'm going to try her belly, but I guarantee I'll be up more that night I may see if she just will sleep on her back in her crib being that she'll have more room to stretch out and stuff, she always seems to sleep so sound in the bed with me when I lay her next to me, I wonder if that's why because she is cramped in the bassinette and with that wedge. Dad has her on a great schedule now he said she has been sleeping like a charm. She slept completely through the night 2 nights she was down there and only woke up one time every other ngiht, even with the time change, I was shocked. I thought with the time change she'd be all off whack, being that the day she left we went back one hour and Alabama is an hour behind us so really she lost 2 hours.