Sleeping-How and Where?

Ok when ODS was a baby they were just starting to really tell people to have baby sleep on their backs, but nobody screamed if they slept on their bellies...ODS would only sleep in his crib on his belly.No matter what we tried he wouldn't sleep on his back...You know how babies sleep with their hands up by their heads, well when he'd relax and drift off his hands would drop and wake him up.With my second DS, I swore that he would sleep on his back.Well that lasted about 2 weeks when lack of sleep prompted me to try it.I was nervous though of course and kept checking on him all the time to make sure he ws breathing...Lucas sleeps great at night on his back but the last few weeks would not nap during the day...So by the time DH would get home everyday, I'd be pulling my hair out because he Luc was sooo overtired and wound up from that, that he thought he was hungry and would be glued to my chest all day...Yesterday, I put him on his belly(for the first time because again, he was miserable and you could see how tired he was.He sighed deeply once and then drifted off to sleep.He slept for about 2 1/2 3 hours and woke up in such a pleasant mood(for the rest of the evening) that I did it again today...I know, I know.It's dangerous and I keep checking on him but he's actually sleeping...At night he sleeps on the bed with us(there's no pillows or blankets anywhere close to him)...He won't sleep in that bassinet for anything...So please don't scream at me, I beat myself up over how he sleeps during the night and now for a nap on his belly, but am just wondering what works for everyone else's LO's.Never had sleep issues with either of my other boys.They were really regular with naps(could set clocks by them almost) but they were on formula, and Luc is breastfed and I have no clue how to set him on a schedule like they were on( I let them set it then worked our life to fit them better)....Ideas, how does everyone's LO's sleep and where?

Shannon

Landree like belly time but sleeps on her back. McKenna hated belly time. Both of my girls don't really seem to have a problem with sleeping. Landree is a little noisier and restless so I do bring her into bed to snuggle more than I did with McKenna. Both girls started out in bassinetts in our room. We moved McKenna around 3 months and are thinking the same for Landree.

ODS did not like the bassinet at all so he was into his crib before he was 1 month. DD loved the bassinet so she was there until 3 months and then into her crib. Logan does not like the bassinet, so we got a snuggle nest for him which sometimes he sleeps in and sometimes not. If he's not in the snuggle nest, he's snuggled with one of us. I'm guessing he'll be in his own room by 3 months.

ODS was okay on his back, DD was okay on her back -- but we used an inclined sleep positioner with her and Logan is fine on his back -- in the pack n play he tends to end up more on his side, but with the snuggle nest there are "sides" to help hold him on his back. The couple of times I've put him on his tummy he hasn't liked it, but he loves lying on his back on the activity gym we got for him.

I know that the only reason they have a problem with babies sleeping on their tummies is SIDS. But do you know how many people were put on their tummies to sleep as babies and survived? I am still here today and my mom put me on my belly when I was tiny. They used to tell her to put us on our tummies so that if we spit up in our sleep(my LO LOVES to do this), we wouldn't choke on it. So here's my thinking: Whatever makes your baby sleep, go ahead and do it. I mean how many of those cases were babies in cribs with no stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, etc? I don't know, but seriously, I think it's the lesser of two evils, if you run the risk of your baby spitting up and choking on it... I have laid joseph on his back before after a feeding, when apparently he was not burped well, and he started coughing while DF and I attempted to sleep in the room next door. I swear to god, I shot up like a bullet and ran into the room to sit him up and get it out. So, I have had a choking scare or too. I think if you are proactive about making sure there's nothing in the room to hinder his breathing, then its okay to lay your baby on their stomach. Joseph has been the same way lately about not wanting to sleep on his back, so I put him on his belly so I can get 10 minutes of peace and quiet. I think also if you can make them sleep on their side, then that's good too. It is a nice in-between lol. He won't choke on his spit up, or suffocate on a blanket. Anyways, Joey pretty much sleeps on his back if I swaddle him REALLY well, and if he falls asleep on his belly, he's fine too. also, I heard children who suck on pacifiers are at less risk of SIDS and if you have a fan(oscillating, I think), in the baby's room, it gives them more fresh air to breath so they don't suffocate by breathing in too much carbon dioxide. Anyways, there's my two cents. Do with it what you will.

P.S. Shannon, nobody will scream at you or reprimand you, and if they do, I'll get 'em!

Shannon...you thought you were bad? I put an old flat pillow under the flannel sheet in the pack n play to prop Brenden up. Yes, I said pillow. ODS had the same reflux and a pillow just like Brenden and he is now 8. I do tend to lay him on his back at night but when he was first born and waking every 1 1/2 - 2 hours to eat I rotated left side, back, right side, back and so on. When he goes upstairs in his crib he will most likely lay on his tummy because I just won't use a pillow if he's not in the room with me and I can't imagine laying him on his back so he can choke. Most naps are in the bouncy at this point because he just falls asleep while I am doing stuff usually but when the naps are set he'll be on his tummy for sure. That's a great way to get all of the "air" out while they don't even know it!!

Thanks Bekah!Nice to know someone's got my back!

When Brady(#2)was maybe a week old he was on his back in the bassinet.I went in to get something and found him choking on spit up formula and unab le to turn his head enough to get it out.I thought I was the worst parent ever.Had I not gone in there,well I dont even want to think that way.I've noticed that both yesterday and today it was nice to have a bit of a break, so when he woke up I was so happy to see his sweet little face...And he wakes up in such a happy mood and is much happier for the rest of the night...

Shannon

I put Daniel on his tummy for naps and when he has bad gas, I watch him though. I also put him on the boppy on his tummy or on his back since he has to be elevated after his bottles. He loves his tummy. I can't wait until he can life his head good so I can put him on his tummy more often.
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Nate sleeps during the day in his bouncy chair on our coffee table. So that is on his back but elevated in a semi seated position. At night he sleeps in the pack n play bassinet on his back. We had to put a sleep positioner in the pack n play so that it elevates him a little. It helps him with spitting up. When he is elevated he doesnt spit up like he does laying flat. He doesnt seem to like being on his tummy too much. He whines and grunts and moans when on his tummy. I think it hurts because of all of the gas. He doesnt even like it when you hold him with his head on your shoulder to burp because of the tummy pressure.

I think I have done all of the above..LOL

When DD was little she really prefered to sleep on here tummy as well. It made me really nervous but it worked. Dominic has taken a nap on his tummy one time and I pretty much stayed close, however where ever he falls alseep I pretty much leave him. Swing, sometimes boppy.. not much though. He does sleep in his crib and night and the bassinett is down stairs so he sleeps in there durring the day. And the bad mommy award goes to me when I leave him sleeping in his car seat so a) I don't wake him taking him out.. and b) I can go up and down stairs with him and not wake him up. bad, bad, bad.. but what if we were on a long car ride.. how would that be different??

Don't feel bad - I leave Logan in his car seat on the dining room table if he's asleep when we get home. In fact, he's there right now!

Dominic too!! LOL

lol I leave Joseph in his little seat. although, I do put it on the floor, but that's because we only have a cat, and she's only slightly interested in the baby. She wouldn't DARE go near the car seat, it's too scary and complex and such. lol

Landree stays in her car seat too....and usually we set it on top of a small chest freezer we have

Luc sits in his carseat on my dining room table in the middle of it(less chance he can get drooled on by my dane).I too leave Lucas wherever he falls asleep.The bouncy/vibrating chair worked wonders for a few weeks.So we're on Day 3 of nap on belly and so far so good!He slept for 2 1/2 hours this morning.I got to take a shower, throw dinner in the crock pot, make lunch and read a chapter of a book I started before he was born(never takes me that long to read a book usually)...Very nice!

Shannon

i also put my babies on their tummy. they seem to sleep longer and when i put them on their backs they keep waking up. i also use a flat pillow to prop them. sometimes i laythem on their side. they also like to be wrapped with a thick blanket. since they are staying up more during the day i put one in the bouncer and the other i just sit her up on my lap. i get scared of sids but i also think about how in the past that was what docs use to say to moms. i sit keep a good eye on them when sleeping.

Lexi will only sleep in her bouncys - we have a daytime one and a nightime one lol. When she gets older because of her reflux I will have to elevate the crib mattress and use a sling to keep her in place. We had to create all kinds of crazy "nests" and positions for our son too because of his reflux.

Jeremiah sleeps in his bassinet on his side or back usually but sometimes he just doesn't like it at all so I lay him on my chest in my bed and we sleep that way. Actually he sleeps alot better and a little bit longer when on my chest. Probably because it is what he is most used to from being in the womb.