I have put a post on here before regarding sleeping positions and the fact my LO prefers and sleeps a lot better on his tummy. I have since avoided doing this but recently started settling him again like this. I know its not recommended but the other night, after putting him down for the first time like it in a while, he slept until 6.30am, which is the longest he's ever gone. Im not doing it so i can get a better nights sleep, he just seems better when he's in that position. I check on him reguarly and hes in my room with a monitor on, but im still a bit paranoid about it as its not recommended....does anyone else do this with their lo's....my lo is 13 weeks old. Thanks x

Does your lo have reflux? Only ask this as mine has/had and she would only settle asleep on my chest during the night until she was put on gaviscon 2/3 weeks ago. It said on www.reflux.com that reflux sufferers prefer sleeping on their tummies. She sleeps on her back now and mainly stays in her cot all night now. She's 9 1/2 week.

well i occasionally put evie on her front during the day when she's sleeping on the V shaped pillow on the sofa and im sitting beside her. when she was in her moses basket i always put her on her side (which you arent supposed to do either) because she was loads more comfortable and slept better. now that she's in her cot she is fine on her back. loads has changed since my hubby and i were babies but my MIL said my OH was always put to sleep on his tummy and no other way. and well... he was fine! i do think perhaps its a little over the top to blame cot death on a baby sleeping on its front. the medical term "cot death" wasnt even invented until about 10years back. i suppose you know your baby better than anybody. i always say i really "trust" evie, because i know that when on her tummy she can move her head from side to side so would never not be able to breathe and i also trust that if she was uncomfortable or what have you she would cry out for me or be able to communicate it to me. get what i mean? so dont drive yourself round the bend trying to adhere to every "rule" thats chucked our way, do whatever you are comfy with xxx

Hi, thanks for your reply. Yes he has suffered from relux quite badly and has been taking infant gaviscon for about the past 5 weeks....it has helped a lot and he is hardly ever sick now. I didnt realise they preffered sleeping that way!!! Even though the relux has settled, when i do try and lie him on his back he seems to make a lot of straining noises as though hes in pain. Until I got him into a bedtime routine, my lo was exactly the same and wouldnt sleep unless on my chest.

Thanks Linzi, that makes me feel a lot better....matthew moves his head from side to side all the time when sleeping on his tummy which is good. Thanks for your reply and reassurance!! x

Sam has always slept on his tummy since about 8 weeks old - prior to that we used to have sleepless nights due to having to pace up and down the room with him in our arms, he would just not sleep on his back! Settling him was a complete nightmare, he would feed, take ages to burp, then about an hour to settle, and he used to feed every 2 1/2 - 3 hours! By the time we went through the process it was time to feed him again! I used to have literally 2 hours sleep a night in 10-15 mins intervals - and that's if it was my lucky night! He will be 6 months next saturday and still sleeping on his tummy. He settles himself, falls asleep within 5 mins of being put to bed - complete bliss! He still wakes up once or twice a night for a bottle, but he feeds, burps and back in bed all within 15-20 mins! My mum said both me and my brother were put on our tummies and we are both fine. And i always said happy mummy (because she is not a walking zombie anymore) means a happy baby!

My sister's second baby suffered from reflux and would only sleep on his front.
My mum put my two sisters and I on our fronts and we're fine.
My LO has been put on his back (as we are advised) and now he has a funny shaped head at the back...my mum said that in her day you were taught to shape your babies head by putting them on alternate sides to sleep. Now he is 8 months and moving about in the night he has started to sleep on his side.

Kara lies on her back mostly at night. During the day I tend to put her on her side as she is more comfortable. Also in the morning if she is in bed beside me I would lie her on her tummy and she loves it and goes sound asleep. She moves her head up and down sleeps with her head to the right. I have tried to move her head to the left too but she won't do this. I know she is ok though. If she is not like this she is on her side. I wouldn't worry yourself on all these things that can happen. We lay on her tummy when we were young and nothing happened to us. It gives them something to do changing everything and making them look as if they are doing their jobs.

Matthew is 9mths and my 5th child and has allways slept on his tummy since birth, he loves to sleep this way.x

thanks debbie, matthew slept on his tummy again last night and slept well...great name by the way

My lo is 17 weeks old and has slept on on her tummy pretty much from the day we left hospital. She will only sleep on her tummy unless in the pram. I can't say I really worry about it as lo has fab head control and because she sucks her thumb her head is always to the side. Lo is also very strong and does fabtastic press ups. I always thought that it was more natural for babies to sleep on their tummys. Don't know why, must of heard it somewhere. Also when lo was colicy she was sick and I didn't worry about her choking on it.
Kerry and Freya
X X X

Thanks Kerry, Matthew is pretty much the same, he has great head control and is very strong...he's only 13 weeks yet already getting into the crawling position wanting to crawl! Im not to worried about in now, after reading the replies...will still obviously check on him reguarly but its good too get some reassurance! x