[bittersweet]

I'm at the end of my rope. I've had almost zero sleep (maybe 2-3 hrs broken up into 45 min intervals) over the past few weeks. My poor baby has not been sleeping well at all. I think it may be due to gas, but gripe water and simethicon don't seem to help. Up until yesterday I've always been putting her down for naps/night on her back. She will be calm and deep sleeping in my arms, but as soon as I put her in her crib on her back, she becomes restless. She will contantly grunt and strain and fight her swaddle until she out and flail her limbs. She will 'sleep' like this for maybe 1 hour at most, until she is in a full blown cry.


The only thing that has seemed to help is placing her on her tummy. She has been napping on my chest during the day, tummy down and she seems very happy. Until yesterday, I figured she just hated her crib and wanted to be held.

Yesterday she was really fussy and fighting sleep, so I layed her across my lap and was patting her back. I did that and she fell asleep. So I put her in her crib tummy down to see if maybe that helped. She slept for 3.5 hrs. The longest EVER! It is was quiet sleep. Not a peep out of her. After nursing her later in the afternoon, she was drowsy, but still awake. Normally, I would have walked around and bounced her into a deep sleep, then layed her in her crib (on her back), only for her to grunt and grunt and awake in 30 minutes or so. But this time, I just layed her semi-awake on her tummy in her crib and she fell right asleep and stayed asleep a couple hours. I checked on her about every 5 minutes b/c I was so worried about having her on tummy.

But after those 2 times I stopped and went back to putting her on back b/c I'm so paranoid about SIDS risk. I'm just so torn on what to do. No one, including her, is getting much sleep. I've tried everything: swaddling, wraps, rocking, taking her to bed with me, vibrating chair, swing, nothing works unless she is on her tummy. But of course I don't want anything to happen to her either.

Any suggestions on what I can do or if you allowed your baby to tummy sleep and how you got past the paranoia?

UPDATE:

So I have an Angelcare monitor now! I bought the plain non-delux one, but it seems to be working great. My little girl is sleeping away What sensativity do you keep it on if you have one? I have it on 5 now.

[LisanAndy]

Both of my girls were tummy sleepers. Just try not to have loose things around them and they should be ok

[bittersweet]

Originally Posted by LisanAndy

Both of my girls were tummy sleepers. Just try not to have loose things around them and they should be ok

When did you start to let them tummy sleep? Did your Dr give you flack about this?

[ANGWife]

I too was freaked by SIDS and never let him on his tummy. But SwaddleMes did the trick for us. I'm sorry she's giving you such a hard time.

Do what Shannon did and get the ultra paranoid Angel Care motion monitor! I have one and I love it. Then just put her to bed on her belly with no worries

Amazon.com: Bébésounds Angelcare Deluxe Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor: Baby


They have other ones too, but the above is what we have had since Jack was born

[HopeWishWait]

Conner was a slept on his back until he was 4 months but he couldn't be flat, he was almost always propped up in his boppy pillow all night...we went from waking up every 1-2 hours..to every 3-4 once we started doing that so we just went with it lol And then when he was 4 months he just started turning himself over onto his stomach and that was how he liked to sleep so I just let him do it.

[LisanAndy]

As soon as they were born and I tried them on their backs and they didn't like it they started tummy sleeping. I didn't tell my dr. They don't need to know everything I've just found that when I go, unless there's an issue I need to talk about, I just give them the answers they want to hear because my kids are MY kids, not theirs. Myself and all 3 of my siblings were tummy sleepers and we're all just fine.

[**jessie**]

Jaxon has been a tummy sleeper since he was 4 wks old. He has always been a good sleeper, but he would continuously wake himself by hitting himself in the face with his hands. He went ape s**t whenever we tried a swaddle. Even at that age, he could easily move his head side to side.

Yes, the doctor did and does give us flack. He suggested letting him fall asleep on his tummy and then flipping him over. We tried but it didn't work for us. We just try to make it as safe as possible- he sleeps in his own crib (initially in our room), with a firm mattress, sleep sacks- no blankets, and we keep the room cold.

I have the Angel Care monitor and have mixed reviews. We recently got it on our trip to the states. It does work, but not really at Jaxon's age. He scoots off it. After 7 days straight of the alarm siren going off in his room and waking him after he scooted off the sensor, I no longer use it. The sound monitor on the AngelCare is really bad too. It continuously has static. BUT I do wish I had had it when he was younger (and not moving all over his crib) because it would have provided me with peace of mind.

[Frozendesire]

Curtis was a tummy sleeper early on... I'm thinking around 4 weeks of age. He had great neck control. Dustin not so much. He slept on his side in a sleep positioner, very cozied. I bet he still felt like I was holding him. I also put my shirt in there with him often and it seemed to help. I think around 1.5 to 2 months he became a tummy sleeper. Something like that.

I never told my doctor. Didn't see a need to.

Hmm, mine usually never has static (unless the battery gets very low, and even then I just get 2 static sounds maybe) and it doesn't false alarms even if Jack is clear off the sensor pad in the corner of his bed. Do you have the same one I posted? Is your sensitivity setting up? I was getting that warning beep a couple times a night, and when I checked the sensitivity setting was only at 1 out of 5, so I bumped it to a 2.5 and haven't had any warning beeps since. I wonder if you got a faulty one. Well, if you do get that monitor Erin, maybe keep the packaging and receipt and just try it first to see if you have the same problem.

[ShannonMVT]

Originally Posted by MomToJack

Do what Shannon did and get the ultra paranoid Angel Care motion monitor! I have one and I love it. Then just put her to bed on her belly with no worries

Amazon.com: Bébésounds Angelcare Deluxe Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor: Baby


They have other ones too, but the above is what we have had since Jack was born

Yup yup yup! Angel care monitor saved my sanity in the early days and we are still using it just b/c my Dh is too paranoid to turn it off. I could get decent sleep because he was on his tummy and the monitor assured me that he was still breathing.

If you are getting warning beeps b/c baby has moved further away, you need to adjust the sensitivity on it. I've only had a couple times the alarm has sounded a "false alarm" and bumping the sensitivity up solved that problem.

I don't know about the sound quality on it b/c we don't use the sound. We use our video monitor for that. We have issues with static that drive me nuts but that is b/c we have a neighbor with the same monitor.

[**jessie**]

Michelle, I just went and checked what sensitivity it is on- and it is on 1 so I turned it up to 2.5. It would be AWESOME if that solves the problem because that sucker is way too expensive not to use it. Not sure about the static. It is pretty bad. Like bad enough to not be able to have the volume up at all while we watch TV. Have tried the A and B channels. We are using rechargeable batteries though, so maybe I will try regular ones to see if it makes a difference.

We have a really nice sound monitor that never gets static... I just don't want to be carrying around 2 monitors, kwim?

[bittersweet]

Originally Posted by **jessie**

Michelle, I just went and checked what sensitivity it is on- and it is on 1 so I turned it up to 2.5. It would be AWESOME if that solves the problem because that sucker is way too expensive not to use it. Not sure about the static. It is pretty bad. Like bad enough to not be able to have the volume up at all while we watch TV. Have tried the A and B channels. We are using rechargeable batteries though, so maybe I will try regular ones to see if it makes a difference.

We have a really nice sound monitor that never gets static... I just don't want to be carrying around 2 monitors, kwim?

I have a really good sound monitor now. Too good maybe. I stay up at least 30 minutes every time she goes to bed b/c i can hear every grunt and whimper she makes Can I turn off the sound monitor function on the Angel monitor so it will only alarm for movement? It is a bummer to have 2 monitors, but anything for some sleep. I'll take 5 if need be.

Yeah, I only notice the static with a low battery. When we go to sleep, we have the monitor on its charger plugged into the wall and never notice static then.

Erin, yes you can turn off the sound or the motion on that monitor. I usually have the sound on a 3 out of 5 setting while asleep. But I am not that sensitive to little grunts and sounds - my dh is.

[Oriyan]

J.J always was a tummy sleeper. We tried the back thing, but he was much happier on his belly. Our doc told us whatever makes him happier is what is best for him. We made sure that we have a fan blowing in the room (to circulate the air) and NOTHING in the crib. No blankets, swaddles, etc.

Once he was a rolling pro around 3 months, he became a side sleeper. Now hes just all over the place at night. I did have a breathable bumper at once point but he kept pulling it down or getting his foot stuck in the bars of the crib. So we switched to a regular bumper.

[**jessie**]

Erin, we have one of those 'too good' monitors too. I could even hear his fingernails against the sheets! I was getting no sleep while he was snoozing away. Since he moved to his own room, I turn off the sound monitor at night completely. He is in the next room over, and I have absolutely no problem hearing him when he wants me but I can't hear every little grunt. It was my pedi who suggested turning off the monitor.

[niknok]

I would totally get the monitor, and then just let her sleep on her stomach. You've got to maintain sanity somehow. If that works, then I say go for it.

If she has good neck control, ditto the others. Can she lift her head up when laying on her tummy? If she's not all that great, tummy time throgh the day will improve n that. Have you tried tilting the cot up a little? A towel under the head area of her mattress? She may sleep better on her back if her head is higher than her tummy. With the gas, she might be a little reflux-y as well and laying flat will aggrivate that as the acid is able to move up her osophegus (sp!), like heartburn.

Have you tried infacol drops?

[Mod-LadyCoconut]

I think there are a billion things that may increase the risk of SIDS and that the sleeping on the back is the only one that gets shoved down our throats. Dr.s don't insist we have the room at an e xact temperature or ensure we have a fan on, etc. andd while in the hospital and at the pedi I heard 'back is best' a billion times - - no one even pointed out not to have pillows/blankets etc in there. (which may be b/ its common sense but my MIL INSISTS that Lily needs a pillow and a quilt )

Anyway, my point is is that if she's getting sleep on her tummy then that will make for a healthier baby and healthier mom and you should do it. Especially if she's doing lots of tummy time in the day and can lift/rotate her head. Don't sweat it!

And if that really expensive monitor thing helps and you can afford it - might as well get that too!

[ShannonMVT]

here's what we do, we put the Angel Care to where it doesn't sound on the Angel Care monitor BUT it will go off in his room. So if I use my video monitor and the Angel Care goes off I will hear it on my video monitor since I'll hear the sounds in his room, kwim? So that way I only carry around one monitor. I don't even know where the Angel Care parent unit monitors are.

Oh and I turn the sound down enough on my regular monitor when I am sleeping so that I don't hear every little grunt or movement. It takes some fiddling to figure out which setting is best but you definitely need to do that if you are a light sleeper. That is acutally one of the reasons we don't cosleep is that I am sensitive to noise and and my little guy thrashes around in his crib.