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SIDS and sleeping

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wicklc
wicklc Posts: 70 Member
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So of course I am doing the paranoid new mom thing and reading up on everything so I can keep my LO safe and healthy, one thing that keeps coming up is SIDS and how babies should be sleeping at night. Our LO is actually sleeping in her crib and will will sleep about 3 and a half hours at a time wake up to eat and be changed then go back to sleep- it's been great but of course I check on her constantly and constantly worry. I know that to help prevent SIDS babies are supposed to sleep on their backs with nothing in the crib no blankets ect. However Maria will not sleep on her back- she makes it about 10 minutes and she's crying, but I have discovered she loves to sleep on her side. We put her back up to the side of the crib and place a small rolled up blanket in front of her so she can't roll on her face, we also put a blanket over her (away from her face) because her room gets really cold at night even with the heat cranked up. She sleeps great and seems comfy I just worry about SIDS- anyone else have a baby who won't sleep on their back?

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  • ourmaybebe
    ourmaybebe Posts: 28 Member
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    my Ella has been a side sleeper since birth lol! I just make sure she has on her snuza and check her often...
  • jamie31
    jamie31 Posts: 568 Member
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    I havent had my baby yet ( due in 6 days) but i have been reading alot about SIDS ( as i am also very paranoid). From what I have read letting the baby sleep on her side is fine. I would worry about covering her with a blanket though. Do you happen to have one of those sleepsacks? You could put her in that to help keep her warm?
  • blink1021
    blink1021 Posts: 1,118 Member
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    Mine wants to sleep on her stomach, but I cannot allow it. As long as you check on your baby side sleeping should be fine. You can purchase a product to help aid in side sleeping my sister used it with her son and he was fine he is now a healthy 3 year old. Unfortunately SIDS is a reality and its scary especially in boys just continue checking and I am sure all will be fine.
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
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    A friend of mine had a daughter who wouldn't sleep well on her back. They put pieces of plywood under one side of the crib so the crib was on a bit of a slant. Baby slept fine from then on. They figured she had a bit of reflux.

    If your baby has the ability to push her arms up and move her head, I wouldn't worry as much about side sleeping. Babies will make sure they have enough air if they can properly maneuver their bodies. You could get a baby monitor that watches for breathing and movement if you are super paranoid like me :)

    I also second Jamie's recommendation for one of those sleep sacks! Keeps baby warm with no chance of her pulling the material over her face!
  • wicklc
    wicklc Posts: 70 Member
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    I do have sleep sacks but her hands always seem cold so I figured she was also cold? I have a video monitor I usually fall asleep watching her on it lol yes I know paranoid new mom I'm glad side sleeping isn't as bad as tummy sleeping ill be able to relax a little more when she can move around better on her own
  • jls8209
    jls8209 Posts: 450 Member
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    I do have sleep sacks but her hands always seem cold so I figured she was also cold? I have a video monitor I usually fall asleep watching her on it lol yes I know paranoid new mom I'm glad side sleeping isn't as bad as tummy sleeping ill be able to relax a little more when she can move around better on her own

    I put thick socks on my 7 week old daughter's hands when she sleeps. Scratch mitts are too easy for her to wiggle off, so we gave up on them. Not only do the socks keep her hands warm, but they also keep her hands out of her mouth (she's trying to become a thumb sucker).

    DD sleeps in her own room down the hall from us, on her back, and we have a regular sound monitor in her room. We currently don't cover her with any blankets, she seems warm enough if she's wearing a fleecy sleeper. One tip my mom taught me (which she learned from a nurse years ago) is to slide your hands under baby's body while she's sleeping and feel the mattress. If the mattress is warm, her body temperature is likely just fine.

    I can't remember where I read it, but I did read once that having the room too hot can contribute to SIDS. We keep our house at 20 C / 68 F and it's comfortable.
  • rexy3033
    rexy3033 Posts: 20 Member
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    My baby is a belly sleeper. Third time around I am a lot less paranoid. When I was a baby we all slept on our tummies!! He is almost 4 months now and can roll over, but he has been on his belly since about 8 weeks.
  • Valtishia
    Valtishia Posts: 811 Member
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    They used to say baby should be on the tummy, then it was on the side, then most recently it is on the back. There are always new studies and while they say they have found less cases of SIDS while babies sleep on their back... they still don't actually know what causes SIDS. While SIDS is very serious, the research on it is all guess work. I just read on wikipedia that having a fan going in the room lowers the risk of SIDS by 72%.... why? Because "only" 3% of the children reported that died had a fan in the room while the remainder reported survived.
  • desertcrafty
    desertcrafty Posts: 50 Member
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    You are not alone in the fear of SIDS. I just had my second baby three months ago. Both kids were/are fine on their back, so I didn't have to worry about that. I did have a lot of anxiety with my first one however. ...A LOT of anxiety.

    What I suggest if the fear is getting to you is to buy an Arms Rest Co-sleeper. You can check on the baby at any time during the night and he/she is right next to you. You may find the baby sleeps better next to you. My kids have some sort of Spidey sense and know when I'm in bed. You also don't have to stumble down the hallway to feed the baby either!
  • ajnlee25
    ajnlee25 Posts: 56 Member
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    I do have sleep sacks but her hands always seem cold so I figured she was also cold? I have a video monitor I usually fall asleep watching her on it lol yes I know paranoid new mom I'm glad side sleeping isn't as bad as tummy sleeping ill be able to relax a little more when she can move around better on her own

    My Ped says for my baby... as long as the room is warm enough, he isn't complaining, and the rest of him is warm its okay if his hands are cold. His circulation is not fully developed yet, but it won't hurt him. Mine will suck on anything you put on him so mitts or socks make it worse, and then his hands are wet and cold. You should check with your Ped. They also make sleepers with folds at the end of the sleeves for mittens you may be able to stuff her hands in.

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