stomach sleepers? (WWYD?)

DS is 6 weeks and LOVES sleeping on his belly. nothing calms him like his belly. during the day he's with me so i am next to him watching him. what scares me is his night sleeping when i lay him on his back for nightly sleeping he may sleep for a bit but he will wake up startled arms stretched out in the air frequently. the startles are very rare when he sleeps on his stomach and much more mild...we used to bundle but he hated it and decided to houdini his little arm out of every swaddle or kick and scream and wiggle to try and get out.

I have started to let him sleep on his belly ( he sleeps in bed next to me) at night but find i don't get very much sleep bc i'm constantly using the light from my cell phone to check on him. I'm still so afraid though because i know everything i have read tells me NOT to do this...but sometimes i think me, DH and all out fam were stomach sleepers and we're ok. I dunno...i don't want to put him in jeopardy...but he sleeps sooooo peacefully and really seems like a happier baby when i let him sleep on his stomach. WWYD?? any experience?

Re: stomach sleepers? (WWYD?)

My kids were belly sleepers from day 1. I worried at first, but they were fine. One thing I will say is that if he is sleeping in bed with you, it's not a good idea to let him belly sleep, as the sheets can bunch up around his face. If he's in a co-sleeper next to the bed and it's solid, not soft and cushy, then I'd be more comfortable with it. My kids always slept in their cribs with firm mattresses and extremely tight-fitting sheets so I didn't worry about extra fabric around their faces.

Re: stomach sleepers? (WWYD?)

DS has been a belly sleeper since 8 weeks old. He would always break out of his swaddle or spend the whole night TRYING to break out of it. He hates sleeping on his back!

I was so nervous at first and did the same thing as you, check him every hour or so (he also slept in our room). I started to feel more comfortable after watching him during naps and seeing how he would move his head if he ended up face down. My ped also recommended getting a small fan (or using a ceiling fan) so it circulates the air.

I also agree with PP about not having any loose fitting sheets or blankets.

Re: stomach sleepers? (WWYD?)

ok good...this makes me feel better. I def will fix the loose sheet thing i wasn't going to buy that co-sleeper bc i was HOPING to have him in his crib by now...but that hasn't happened so i need to either get him to finally use his bassinet or bite the bullet and get that co-sleeper even if we won't use it long.

i do feel confident in his ability to turn his head should he wind up face down as i watch him do it all the time so thats good. I'm lucky he's had great neck strength and control from way early on.

Re: stomach sleepers? (WWYD?)

my baby boy is a stomach sleeper as well-- he was born in march and it seemed like he never slept soundly on his back-- finally between 6 and 8 weeks my mom just put him on his belly and voila-- slept like a 'baby" lol-- i know this goes against EVERYTHING we have been taught but if he can hold his head up pretty well he will naturally correct any face in the mattress situations--- i CONSTANTLY checked on him-- this urge will subside--- good sleep is more important for babies to grow-- we have to remember they are little people and people have preferences--- good luck!

Re: stomach sleepers? (WWYD?)

My DD is a belly sleeper. Our ped told us to let her sleep like that at 10 weeks. She sleeps 11-12 hours every night.
We have a video monitor.
We returned the angel care monitor bc she moves around too much.

Re: stomach sleepers? (WWYD?)

DD is 6 weeks and while she sleeps in the RNP for now in our room, during the day she sleeps best on her belly. When we transition her to her crib soon, I will probably let her sleep on her belly. As long as your DS has good neck control, I don't see the issue. DD is able to turn her head from side to side so I feel comfortable with it.

Re: stomach sleepers? (WWYD?)

My kids were also belly sleepers from Day 1. If I tried to put them on their back they would always get startled and cry. I just kept a close eye on them.