WWYD? babies and belly sleeping...

[mtemm]

the twins are 12 weeks old today! amazing to me...they are getting so big.

Here is my dilemma. they started out in their cribs when we first brougth them home, but slowly ended up in our beds. I think because I was nursing and they were up so much...so much more than my now 2 year old...that eventually I would just bring them into bed so I could lay down for a minute even. Katie did better about being in her crib until her 2 month shots. Anyway, long story short Andrew has been sleeping with me in my bed, and Katie has been in the guest bed with my dh (we have queen size and it got too crowded). This isn't the only problem (we are not co-sleepers at heart). The other problem is that for naps they will only sleep on me. Yep. both, that and I have a 2 year old. Has not been working out to say the least.

Well, the last couple of days we've noticed that Katie sleeps better on her belly. I could set her on a quilt in the family room and she would sleep for a while. Shocking. Well, yesterday Andrew was having a hard time napping at all, even on me, something that has been happening more and more as they become more aware. I finally got him to sleep and decided to try to put him on his belly in his crib...he slept for 2 hours!!! So last night I fed them both at 7:30, they fell asleep at 8 and at 9pm I decided to put Katie in her crib on her belly. She slept. At 10 I did the same with Andrew. He slept. They slept until 12:30pm!!!!! Oh my god!!!

My dilemma is that I know you are not supposed to put babies on their bellys. My problem is which is better...sleeping on their bellys or sleeping in our beds? I KNOW which is better for dh and I, but I want what's best for them, ya know?

Any thoughts???

TIA!

 

[Pop Daddy]

long post

 

[Jenn Lynn]

I would choose co-sleeping, but we co-slept with DD until she was 1 1/2. Mothers are so in tune to their babies. I would always wake up a few seconds before DD did and I STILL do it even though she is in another room. And there have been studies done that show Mothers help regulate the breathing of their baby when they co-sleep. I, personally, would be nervous with just DH sleeping with the baby. Men do not wake up like women do. JMHO.

Plus, Co-sleeping is great for breastfeeding. Roll over, latch on, go back to sleep.

I would choose co-sleeping at night and belly sleeping during the day. But if you and DH are miserable with the arrangement that won't help either. During this time with DD, DH and I just tried to remember that overall, this was such a short time in her life. And it was so worth it.

Again, JMHO.

 

[RNMOM]

The moral of this story is...they will be old enough to roll over soon and will end up sleeping in the position they want to sleep in anyway. JMHO. I would suggest you speak with your pediatrician by phone about this. My generation put ours to sleep on their tummies as we were told.

Are they sleeping in their own room? We found out we were keeping DS#2 awake with out night time noises. The first night in his own room, he slept for 7 hours. I thought he had died and flew out of the bed when I woke up. He was sound asleep and doing fine.

Talk to their doctor and make a decision based on his advice. You have to do what is right for your family.

 

[Kristi1357]

We started putting DS (11mo.) on his belly to sleep aournd 3 months. He could roll over, so it wasn't such a concern for us by then. He was sleeping great once he was on his tummy!

 

[onecoolmama]

Once my kids could roll onto their bellies they were free to sleep how they wanted. I wont wake a sleeping baby to move them and if they are sleeping through the night in their own crib I certainly wouldnt start the routine of putting them in my bed!

Once they can pick their head up and roll, I think you and they are safe!

 

[coliebird]

If it makes you feel better, you can buy the Angel Care Monitor for them. It is a board that goes under their mattress and it detects their breathing. If there is no movement "breathing" for 20 seconds it sounds an alarm. It can give you more peace of mind. My daughter is almost 2 and I still use it.

 

[oogieboogie]

I put both DSs on their tummy from the time we took them home from the hospital. They've slept better and less fussy.

For DS #1 it was essential for him to sleep on his tummy since he had colic and it was the only way for him to feel better and actually get some sleep. He was also a co-sleeper. He wouldn't sleep in his crib and he had to have my thumb to rub on to fall asleep.

For DS #2, he was easy. Give him his blankie, his thumb and put him on his belly, zonk... he was out.

When they sleep on their tummies, they tend to turn their heads sideways, and their tummies really never touch the bed, cause their legs were curled up under their tummies.

I know what the pediatrician says, but I also know my kids better, and if that's the way they want to sleep, that's the way I'll let them sleep.

 

[snoopy]

I figured pretty early on that both of my boys would only sleep on their tummies, so I let them. They were always good sleepers as a result.

The co-sleeping, not a chance. I nursed, but was always afraid of me or DH falling asleep on top of one of them so I always got up and nursed them in the rocking chair and put them back to their cribs afterwards. Besides that, DH was always adamant that we not share our bed with kids, so our kids have always slept in their own beds (if they have a nightmare or need comforting, one of us will sleep in their bed, but they are never in ours. )

 

[Beth76]

My son was about 12 weeks old when he started rolling over. From then on he only slept on his stomach. I would put him on his back and he would roll over onto his stomach. After he fell asleep, I would roll him to his back. He would still roll himself onto his stomach. There was nothing I could do. He wanted to sleep on his stomach.

I would just let them sleep on their stomachs if that's the way they like to sleep. Just make sure they're on a firm surface with no blankets or pillows around.

Not trying to freak anyone out BUT....there's nothing you can do to prevent SIDS. These things like back sleeping, no blankets etc are only precautions. They still will not prevent it. I know that's a scary thought. But, you shouldn't be losing sleep over this. You have to do what's best for your babies. If they prefer sleeping on their backs, then you should let them sleep like that.