Sleeping baby on side

[jennyh]

Hi all

So I know the advice re SIDS and baby's position but I wanted to get some opinion. My son (12 weeks) currently sleeps on his side and finds it really hard to sleep on his back. After delivery he was placed on his side by the midwives as he was vomiting lots of swallowed fluids. He is very strong and I am worried he already has the capacity to roll into his tummy although he's not done it yet. My question is whether anyone has experience of this and whether anyone has used cot positionerd to support baby in the side position?

Thanks

[CocoC]

Hi Jenny

My daughter (now 4 months) definitely found it easier to settle when placed on her side. She was a terrible sleeper so I had some help from two excellent maternity nurses/ night nannies who had both cared for numerous babies in their long careers and they both supported settling a baby on his/her side as many prefer it. The SIDS risk is slightly higher when they are on their sides as I understand it, but not as high as when they are on their front. I do however understand your fears about your son rolling onto his front - although again the SIDS risk is very small, but I, like you, would want to minimise it as much as possible! Do you have a video baby monitor? Could you keep an eye on the situation and/or see what he does for naps first?

[Saffron]

My daughter was a tummy sleeper from day 1. She could also lift and turn her head pretty much from birth, so the midwives just shrugged. I mean, my daughter would absolutely HOWL if put on her back. Since her head control was so strong, the midwives suggested that this probably mitigated some of the risk of tummy sleeping, although I don't think there is any actual data on head control/tummy sleeping.

Also, I do remember reading about some baby positioners being recalled because they were associated with an increased risk of suffocation or SIDS (it was not clear which, due to the small number of fatalities, I think). I think these may have been specifically positioners for co-sleeping, so other risk factors would apply. I will try to find the article.

When co-sleeping, my daughter naturally positioned herself on her tummy in the middle of my chest, which seemed natural for both of us. When she was a little older (~3 months), I bought an Amby baby hammock and finally got her to sleep on her back. Maybe a baby hammock would be better than a plain positioner?

[jennyh]

Thanks very much, great to hear your experiences. He has an underlying breathing issue and has also picked up a load of colds so if he ends up on his back he just splutters and gasps. He actually sleeps in a bednest next to me and I'm a vey light sleeper, he also wakes frequently in the night due to his breathing issues so to be honest we're awake more than we're asleep! He also sleeps on me in the bed quite a bit. I'd say no more than an hour passes without us having some sort of contact. He sleeps in his Moses during the day or on me/in the sling. He has a teddy which props him up a bit and a rolled up towel behind him for some warmth and comfort. I guess I'm half thinking about putting him into his room at some point when I won't be right there to check on him which makes me anxious.

[jennyh]

Thanks saffron, will have a look for the article too. Many I should try a hammock, what are the selling points? Clearly I can find out for myself but experience is always better in my opinion!

[dildals]

You could also look in to wedges that are used to position reflux babies, to stop her rolling over. If you google them you will find them.

[Audrey]

I don't think its possible for babies to sleep on their sides on a hammock? Might work as a comfy alternative to a flat bed, for the reluctant baby, but if he is just going to splutter I don't know if it will work.

I have one I stopped using last summer if you would like to borrow it for a trial? I have the positioner as well.(I used it from birth to about 16 weeks, then the weather got crazy hot I figured it might be more comfortable in a cot.)

[midivydale]

My reflux baby slept on the side from almost day one. We used a sleep positioner for refluxers as mentioned above for the first few months to make sure he would not roll over.

X

[patt1980]

Your son sounds like my now 5 1/2 month old was Jenny as he only liked sleeping on his side too. I also had a bednest and he could only sleep; on his side in that/ on his side in the bed next to me or on his tummy on me and i really worried too about when the time came to move him to a cot as I wouldn't be able to see him but actually its been ok (only been 2 weeks though i guess). He kind of rolls a bit on his side in the cot but not fully and only flips to his tummy in the morning when practising his rolling when he's awake. I actually notice that if i have him in the bednest if we're having an unsettled night he goes back to full side sleeping and I think it is slightly because of the angle of it and also he smells me and wants to get closer. I do have the angelcare monitor pad under the cot mattress though which provides me with a bit reassurance so that might be an idea if you are worried.

[Yak]

Jennyh we used side sleep positioners, from reflux.co.uk I think. Kept lo on his side and happily asleep without worrying about him going on to his tummy. Good luck getting something sorted.

[emza78]

Hi Jenny, I've just started putting our 3 week old down on his side as he's really colicky and grunty and seems much more comfortable like this. I looked into the sleep positioners but found a few articles saying they were dangerous, apparently mothercare/tesco etc stopped selling them a few years ago due to suffocation risks, don't know how accurate it all is. I use 2 rolled up blankets to support him- one on front, one on back and starting from waist downwards, seems to work- he's still v noisy though!

[Saffron]

Audrey Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I don't think its possible for babies to sleep on

> their sides on a hammock? Might work as a comfy

> alternative to a flat bed, for the reluctant baby,

> but if he is just going to splutter I don't know

> if it will work.

>

I don't know what type you had/have so couldn't comment. The Amby hammock is made for babies to sleep on their backs with the upper body slightly elevated, which makes it good for colds/reflux. Although of course every baby is different. xx

[Audrey]

Yes, of course the elevation would alleviate that - not a huge amount of logic going on in my head these days.....