8 1/2 Month Old Turning over During the Night

I'd probably just let her sleep on her stomach. If you haven't tried the sleep positioners, you might go ahead and try one - maybe she won't roll over it - maybe she will just lean into it and keep sleeping.

(I'm assuming that her sleep-space is safe and she's not likely to get tangled in a blanket or something.)

I just so firmly believe in that "never wake a sleeping baby" thing....

My mother in law is a midwife and helped us a ton in the beggining. My son always slept better on his stomach and has slept that way since he was a few days old. He has also slept thru the night since about 3-4 months!! I would do what makes you the most comfortable!! Good luck

Hi G.,

I would NOT roll her back over. My daughter started flipping over at 3 months and after that, she was totally done sleeping on her back. I would put her to bed on her back, and she would almost immediately flip over onto her belly. I asked my peditrician about it, and he said to leave her alone. He said once babies start flipping on their own, it's okay to let them sleep on her stomach. He said I would drive myself nuts trying to keep her on her back because she would just continue to flip onto her stomach.

I never flipped my daughter back onto her back because I knew she would wake up and cry and it would be hell getting her back to sleep. I wouldn't buy a sleep positioner, it's a waste of money in my opinion, especially at this age.

Good luck!

I am also am single mother, I am 33 my baby is now 18 months. I had the same problem, my docter said it was ok to let her sleep on her stomach so I did. Every year the professionals seem to change thier mind on which position of sllep a baby should be in. My doctor said there is know exact science to the cause of sids. Baby's have also died of sids sleeping on thier back and side. You will not be much good to your baby or at work if you do not sleep. I know from experience

Our pediatrician told us that once a baby is strong enough to roll over both directions (stomach to back and back to stomach) on a regular basis, she is out of the woods for SIDS, as long as the crib is clear of any suffocation hazzards (bumpers, toys, blankets). So, when our seven month old started rolling onto her tummy to sleep, we let her. We put her in a sleep sack instead of under a blanket (so there wasn't a chance of her getting the blanket up around her mouth/nose) and put her down in her completely empty crib (well, empty except for the sheet!). We always put her down on her back and some nights she would stay that way, but most nights she'd flip over onto her tummy!

You may want to ask your pediatrician about this again. (And, perhaps find out when they recommend letting the baby sleep in whatever position she puts herself in.)

Good luck!

My baby, now 13 months old started turning over at a very early age too. Both my husband and I were concerned about her sleeping on her stomach, until I read and heard others tell me to, that if they can roll over onto their stomachs they can also roll over onto their backs. So we just kept checking on her until we were not as concerned any more. Checking on her to make sure she is breathing, if we felt that she was not in a good position we would touch her slightly and this would get her to move just enought to where we felt comfortable. Now she moves and flips all throught the night! Do what is best for you and what makes you feel the most comfortable.

Hi G.,

Don't take the doctors advice, my daughter as soon as she could turn always turned on her belly and still sleeps on her belly, she is almost 13 now, I always ask myself how i would like to be turned on my back or not so favorite side and be woken up in my sleep, I WOULD HATE IT AND GET REAL MAD also, so my advice, let the child have her peace, good luck!!

Hello G.!

I also had concerns about SIDS when my children were babies. However, under the advice of family, friends, and my kids pediatric I bought the sleep positioner. It worked for both of my children and they never rolled over.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you!

G.-
Any pediatrician that tells you to flip your baby back over has obviously never been the night time care giver of an infant. If your baby is strong enough to get to her tummy, she is at very low risk for SIDS. Tummy sleeping is one of several risk factors for SIDS, all of which decrease dramatically at 4 mos. I had the same problem with my first son. I decided to let him sleep on his tummy at 4 mos. I was so freaked out by my doctor, that I got one of those Angel Care SIDS monitors. He slept great and is still a great tummy sleeper at 3 years old. My second son prefers to sleep on his back, so now I am trying to get rid of my monitor on craigslist. It did help me sleep easier, but I don't think I really needed it. I hope this helps. Good luck and enjoy your sweet baby.

hi G., I am a mother of three (6 1\2 yrs., 5 yrs & 11 mos.) all of my babies have preferred to sleep on their bellies. I feel better on my belly aswell. this is probably one of the most common controversies between moms and dr.'s. I say that if your baby is able to roll themselves over they are defineately stronge enough to pick up their head and move it if they are in a position that is uncomfortable for them. By 9 mos. your baby will be soon be starting the move toward crawling, walking and saying words and they are independent enough to let you know if they want up or down, hungry or not, tired and so on... you know your baby. Tune into the maternal instinct that we as mothers have all been blessed with and if your baby is sleeping soundly on their tummy don't wake them to roll them over, that is obviously how they feel best to sleep. Just make sure that you don't have any extra pillows or blankets in the crib that can get around the babies head. I know that this is all just a new experience and there will be soooo many more things that you will question about the babies well being. Just keep up the good work, no one has ever cared to much for their babies safety. They are amazing blessings and very hard work. Take care and remember " a well rested mom is a happy mom "

Hi G. -

I may be a little old school on this - as when I had my son (who is almost 11) the story from pediatricians was to have them sleep on their bellys. Then I had my daughter and the story was put the baby on their side...and now its on their back. My pediatrician asked us early on if my son could lift his head then he would be able to move his face from vomit if he was on his belly. My motto was don't wake a sleeping baby - they will naturally find which position is the most comfortable for them. My son still sleeps on his belly and my daughter sleeps on her back. I'm a 38 year old p/t working mom with an almost 11 year old and an 8 year old. Married for 15 years this summer!

My son is going to be a year this week and as been happily sleeping on his tummy since he was 3 months. You just want to be careful if you still use a bumper pad in the crib. Make sure that it is not lose, but if your child is able to hold their head up (should be at 9 months), then I say let the child sleep on her tummy!

The concern for SIDS is much less as they get older. I am not a physician, just a mom of three. 7 year old twin boys and an 11 month old.

I have always been told by the doctors that once they can roll over by themselves, the risk of SIDS reduces and you don't have to worry about flipping them back over. Both of my sons rolled over at 6 months or earlier and I never flipped them while sleeping.

I have a 4 year old and a 3 year old. They both are tummy sleepers and have been since 2 months old. I worried at first but my Dr. said some kids just like to sleep on their tummies. When I was born thats is what Dr.s said was the only way they should sleep. My 2 month old is taking naps occasionally on his belly and he seems to sleep better! Check on her when you get up through the night, put a monitor in her room so you can hear. Do what is best for you and your daughter!!

I'm from the old school era, when they told us to put babys to sleep on their tummys to keep them from choking if they spit up. So I've seen how ideas have changed over the years. Is she able to turn back over on her own if she wanted to? If so, and she were mine, I wouldn't worry about it. (I raised 4 boys and they all survived) So the doctor expects you to get up and check her throughout the night and risk waking her up by turning her back over? Easy for him to say. When are you supposed to sleep? I for one tried to never wake a sleeping baby! :)

I hadn't heard of sids possibility lasting that long. I have 3 kids 5, 2, and 5 months. I personally let me babies sleep on tummy or sides simply because they sleep more sound that way. I think it is much worse to wake a sleeping baby. There sleep is sooo important for healthy development.
Hope I was helpful.
T.

If your daughter is able to pick her head up and move it side to side I wouldn't worry. If a baby favors a position, even after you turn her, she will continuosly turn herself back if she wants to be that way and will sleep better. My daughter favored her belly early on, and would fight the rolls I would put. She had no problems, I kept the blankets away from her face and didn't stress about it, and she slept better. Make sure her environment is safe, and you should be fine!

G.

Just let her sleep on her belly. My son has slept on his stomach since the day he was born (regardless of what the pedi says) He has always slept better that way and i wasnt going to fight him on it. I tried swaddling, tucking, anything and everything to get him to sleep good on his back and it never worked.

Dont fight it, just let her sleep. The risk of her at 9 months for sids is pretty slim. Remove the items that could possibly prevent her from getting air. make sure she lays flat against the sheet, no blankets near the head. We lay a blanket that folds at the bottom, part goes under his tummy and the other part goes over his back. I have never gotten him up, in the morning, with blankets near his face.

dont worry, she will be fine
R.

My advice is to leave her. I had the same discussion with my pediatrician regarding my son and her advice was to leave him. The time that you may spend awake with her disrupts healthy sleep patterns.

Your baby, just like you, turns over for comfort. She will turn back over when she is ready. By you turning her over, yes, you are disturbing her sleep and of course she's going to wake up. Let nature take its' course. Society puts too much fear into young mothers. God knows when that baby needs to turn over and she will naturally turn over. Relax. You are a good mother and your instincts will kick in when there is any real danger. I know, I would wake up in the middle of the night for what I thought was no reason at all and my daughter was sleeping on her arm, blocking her circulation. Moving the arm a tiny bit did the trick and I went back to sleep. I have other examples but use your common sense. It's your greatest advisor.

Hello G.,

When my daughter was a baby, now 8 years old she would only sleep on her tummy.
I tried her on her back and she would only cry. After 2 months of her sleeping on me
I finally put her in her crib on her tummy and prayed to god every night to keep her safe.
He did. I made sure there was not a blanket or pillow or toys in there with her. I would
put her in sleepers in the winter to keep her warm. Usually once they start rolling over
there's nothing you can really do. Just my opinion, you have to do what feels right to you.

Good Luck,

T.

Dear G.:

Despite the Doctor being the expert I would go with your own instincts. If your little one is sleeping I would not disturb her. If you are really concerned about safety if you have bumpers on her crib take them out and have her sleep in a sleeper blanket. Then there is in the crib that could keep her from breathing.

Also, by eight months our son was all over the crib and he is fine. Sometimes as a precaution Doctors can be overly careful but I am sure if she is rolling over and sleeping fine you should not worry and leave well enough alone and of course GET SOME SLEEP! :)

N.

G.,

Let her sleep on her tummy. The SIDS scare started in Europe when they used thick down bedding and the bedding would puff around the babies faces and therefore suffocate them. This was told to me by a pediatric nurse who then told me it was fine if our son slept on his tummy, especially since he slept better in that position. She turns over because she is more confortable that way and we used to get up and check on our son so many times per night when he first started sleeping on his tummy and he was always fine. He is 3 and still sleeps flat on his tummy. Good luck to you, I know it is scary to hear all the bad things. You will check on her each night for a while and that is okay too! :)

We've been putting our daughter to sleep on her stomach since she was 2 weeks old. I know they say that's "bad," but she somehow figured out how to unswaddle herself at 2 weeks and then would wake up screaming. She sleeps like a champ on her tummy. Her longest stretch so far was 14 hours in a row! With that said, we do follow all the other SIDS suggestions. She sleeps only with a fitted sheet - no loose blankets. We put her in a sleepsack over her pjs. And I keep her room very warm (she sleeps better) but with a fan on for plenty of air circulation.

Hope that helps. Good luck :)

Gisellle, my children turned when they were younger than five months, my first by five weeks old. Sometimes they do that. I spoke to my midwife and MD, they both said if they can lift their heads and turn while on their stomach, it's fine. You need sleep more than you need to be flipping this tierd baby over and making things harder on yourself. I would let it go, I know the fears of SIDS, but you cannot let your life be controled by fear! Please just let it go and get some rest! Being a mom is hard enough without the worry and guilt taking over.

Our pediatrician told us that if our son was strong enough to roll himself onto his belly, he was probably strong enough to roll himself back over if he had a problem breathing. But there's still all the other tight fitting sheet, no blankets, no stuffed animals, no bumpers advice thath went along with that. He's healthy now, but SIDS is so scary and unpredictable, it's hard to say. Oh and the positioner didn't work with him, either. Sorry I'm not much help! Ugh.

Our girls started this at 4-5 mos & our doctor said to turn them over too. I had many sleepless nights worrying about them & SIDS (I'm a bit of a worrier) but then when I'd get them up & see they were on their stomachs sleeping happily after having put them on their backs before I went to bed, I realized I could only do so much.

Does the baby turn over on both sides? That was when I completely stopped worrying. If they can roll from back to stomach & stomach to back, they will right themselves if uncomfortable.

you know people have been putting their babies on their tummies forever. while i agree it is best for them to be put down on their backs, what can you do if she rolls over? certainly its not worth the drama with the wake-up. let her be, check on her when you feel the need, and trust that she is sleeping well. i just talked with my mother-in-law who said when she had babies she said they would choke if put down on their backs... ever-changing advice that keeps us worried.

Hi,

I'm a second time mom and have dealt with this before. Yes, buy a sleep positioner. It will work for a time until your baby girl is a little older and is capable of rolling back. I used the sleep positioner for both of our kids. While they did eventually move out of the position you put them in, my kids scootched mostly, and didn't really role over it as much. But by that time, they are lifting up, and are capable of not being as much at risk for SIDS. Hope that helps, and good luck.

My son was swaddled until he was four months old. He went straight from being swaddled to sleeping on his belly, and still sleeps on his belly at 14 months old. I asked his doctor about it when he was still little, and he told me that it is the recommendation of the pediatrics association for them to sleep on their back...but ultimately it is a family choice. This family chose to have peaceful nights, and naps for that matter. My son falls asleep on his belly, and moves very little throughout the night (and during daytime naps). I have several friends with small children that think it's too risky...but they also seem to be facing the same problem you have. I have also talked with highly experienced daycare providers/nannies, they all agree that a baby that sleeps on their belly will get the best sleep. I definitely found that to be true with my son, and I honestly couldn't imagine putting him to bed on his back.

Your infant is old enough to turn herself over and back again with no issues, she is old enough to leave asleep. The "turn them over" thing is for when babies first start to learn to turn over between 4 adn 6 mos. At 8 mos old your daughter is past the "I'm stuck on my stomach" problem. Let her sleep.

C.

I would stop turning her over. My baby started rolling over and sleeping on her tummy at 3 months old. I asked her pedi if that was okay and she said that it was. SIDS risks dramatically drop after 3 months and there is almost no risk at all after 6 months. She'll be fine if you leave her on her tummy, I promise! :-) I am kind of surprised that your pedi would tell you to so that. He doesn't seem very well informed and that just sounds rude to wake a sleeping baby.

I think your pediatrician just gave you the standard line instead of practical advice. Yes, there is a tiny risk of SIDS, but she's 8 1/2 months old and can flip herself over. My son started doing the same thing at *3* months and I ended up just letting him sleep that way -- he was fine, and we all slept better after that. Babies sleeping on their tummies is only one of the risk factors for SIDS, and at 8 1/2 months, your daughter is old enough to be starting to figure out what is comfortable for her. And you need your sleep too.

most pediatricians will tell you that by this time (and when they are clearly strong enough to move their head side to side and roll over), SIDS is not such a risk. It IS still worth considering, of course, but most Drs will tell you that once they are at this phase, it is ok to leave them on their belly. For every pediatrician that says it is not a good idea, you can find one that says it's fine..... I find SO many of us get conflicting advice! one thought... we have the angel care monitor that goes off if there is a stop in breathing and it is fantastic!! It helps me sleep So much better knowing that I will know if our baby has a breathing issue.

I wouldn't worry about going in and turning her over: If she's old enough to roll over on her stomach, she's also old enough to roll back to her back! Just be sure the crib contains no stuffed animals, fluffy comforters, pillows or anything else that may become positioned against her face/nose when she rolls over/moves around. You may even consider removing the bumper (if you have one). She's too old for the sleep positioner, so I wouldn't invest in one of those. I work at a local hospital with newborns, and the general advice the pediatricians there give mothers is that once the infants begin rolling over while they sleep, you don't need to go to put them back on their backs. You just want to start them off on their backs.

My 6 month old daughter has been sleeping on her belly since she was 3 months old. I talked to the peditrician about it and she agreed that some babies sleep more soundly on their belly. She said make sure the bedding is tight on crib mattress and there are no stuffed toys in the crib when she sleeps. So for my peace of mind, I would let her nap on her belly until I felt comfortable enough for her to sleep during the night on her belly.

Hello there,
I would just let her sleep on her belly. I have a 8month old girl and our pediatrician said it was fine now. We don't have any of the "risk" factors for SIDS. We were worried too at 6 months when she started flipping on her tummy. So we tried to put her on the sleep positioner again and she hated it. she was able to turn off of it and then would be stuck between the positioner and the wall of the crib. So if she wanted to turn over again she couldn't. And that I think is worse.. HOpe this helps!

Hi, I am a mom of 4 kids, 13,10, 7 and 4. Three of the 4 slept entirely on their stomachs from newborns and slept better for it. The last one actually was comfortable on her back so there she stayed. Even if you turn your daughter over successfully before you go to bed, she may turn over again in the night. As it is you are not sleeping well and neither is she. She might actually flip herself back onto her back by herself. You need to do what is best for you and your child, whatever that is. Good luck.

Let her sleep how she wants to. My son has been sleeping on his stomach since he was born and he's 16 mo. old now, and still loves to sleep on his tummy.

I know that it's important to follow the directions of the pediatrician. But in the end, you are the mom. Go with your gut. If you feel your baby will be okay, then let her sleep on her belly. I let both of my kids choose their positions and they have done fine. If it is going to wake her, for quite some time, it's probably best to let her get a full night's sleep.

I wouldn't worry about it. Let your daughter sleep on her stomach if she moves into that position on her own, especially if she is sleeping soundly. I would make sure there are no blankets, crib bumpers, etc that she could get her face covered with. Drs tend to be overly cautious at times.

honestly i think the chance of SIDs decreased by the time they are old enough to roll over by themselves. She can probably roll back over as well, and it not she will be able to really soon.

I know it seems scary letting your baby sleep on her tummy, but if she is capable of rolling herself back over onto her back, then she should be just fine. Both of my daughters slept on their tummies. The thing with letting them do it when they are too little is that they can't push themselves up or over when they get to a point where they can't breathe. I would say that if she can easily roll from tummy to back and back to tummy, then she's fine. Just relax. Good luck!

Against pediatrician advice, I let both my babies sleep on their stomachs. They slept better and I slept better. My reasoning was that they were not from high risk (i.e., smoking, cold weather, low income)homes so it was worth if for me to have them comfortable. In the end, it turned out they both had acid reflux and their instincts were telling them to turn over. The doctor ended up telling me I was right because their risk of choking from reflux was worse than their risk of SIDS. My only point is that each situation is individual and you should consider all options. BTW, they are both healthy with nice round heads...no flat heads from sleeping on backs. Good luck.

My daughter started rolling over from back to front around 4-5 months old. My doctor said once they can roll over the risk of SIDS goes way down. I was a little nervous about it at first, but I realized that the sleep position was a lot more comfortable for her. I wouldn't get a sleep positioner with her being more mobile now. We used one for the 1st 3 months and then it seemed to be more dangerous than useful. Any day she will probably pull herself up to standing in the crib and then the real fun begins

Good Luck

My baby outgrew the sleep positioner at 4 months. She likes to sleep on her side. I have a video monitor that I constantly check (since I put my baby on her side)... Remember, our parents were taught to put us on our bellies... so I'm not sure how bad it can be as long as their face isn't in the mattress.

My six month old is the same. She started doing this a few weeks ago and at first I was really concerned. I would hear her crashing around her crib in the middle of the night and would go and try to reposition her, but then she'd wake up and I'd have to put her back to sleep. I talked to my sister about it (she has two kids) and she told me it was normal. I've now learned to relax and leave her, as long as she doesn't cry out. One thing that does comfort me is that I have an Angelcare monitor - an alarm will ring if it detects no movement. It's just peace of mind.

One last thing, I actually do have a sleep positioner. It's great at getting her off to sleep but she ends up pushing up out of it in the middle of the night (she can't roll over it yet).

G.,
What my pediatrician told me was once a child/baby could turn over by themselves then to leave them. One concern with SIDS is when a infant who cannot turn is placed face down they cannot physically move themselves over and could tire out of trying to move their head and suffocate. Yes I do know SIDS is still a mysterious problem and that every case is unique. Unless you have had a child die from SIDS you don't have that genetic link. Some doctors do think SIDS is genetic. I would ask your ped if is okay for your daughter to sleep on her tummy if she turns herself over. My son never slept through the night until he was 2 years old. He was standing at 6 months and never wanted to lay down. As you can guess he was turning over by 4 months. I hope this helps.
I have a 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter.

I used a sleep positioner when my son was very young in case he turned over on accident and/or couldn't push things away from his face on his own. Once he started turning over at night on his own my pediatrician said it was ok - you can't be there every moment of every night. After a year to a year ahd a half old it won't be as much of an issue as she will be able to push away from things that are in her face. Just be sure that there is NOTHING her crib - no cute bumpers, blankets, pillows or stuffed animals. I use a "sleep sack" (available at Babies R Us and I'm sure other places)over my sons jammies at night to keep him warm. It's basically a way to wear a blanket since he can't use a loose one (not that a loose one would ever stay on anyway - he rustles around too much). They come in light cotton for summer and fleece for winter. My son is 18 mo. old now and sometimes brings me the sleep sack when he's tired. It's his way of telling me he wants to go to bed, even before his bedtime! And he sleeps great on his tummy - he hardly sleeps any other way.

I had the same concern with my firs-born!! The answer is... leave her alone! SIDS is an extremely rare event and to be so responsive will only create sleep problems where there are none!!!! The newest research on SIDS points towards old mattresses. SIDS is more common in 2nd 3rd etc children down the line who are exposed to mildew in the mattress. I would just make sure that you have a new mattress and let the poor thing sleep!

Our pediatrician told us if the child is old enough to turn over by themselves it's okay. Just make sure there aren't lots of blankets and toys in the bed.

If she turns herself over she is strong enough to push herself up. Don't worry to much let her sleep on her belly.

Check your child's mattress, make sure it is firm and SIDS safe (lots about this on the internet). My second child (boy) ALWAYS turned over and slept on his front, with his feet tucked up. He still does. I say, don't force the issue. If you are really worried you can get the "ANGELBABY" mattress alarm to warn you if they become dangerously still. From everything I have researched, the increase in SIDS is likey from the MATTRESS materials, not just simply the position.

My daughter would do the same thing and my dr. said to leave her BUT I would have to say to follow your dr.s advice just in case. If you turn her over she'll probably roll back again into her comfortable position.

My opinion, if your baby can roll over in her sleep than she could probably roll back over or move if she feels uncomfortable. Younger babies or babies that can't roll yet probably having a higher change of something bad happening just for the fact that they are helpless. Just my opinion.

Good Luck!

I would leave her sleep the way she is comfy... My 17 1/2 year old is still alive - you see when she was a baby the rule was "Sleep on Stomach" - that was suppossed to reduce the risk of SIDS.... When my now 13yo was a baby the rule was "Sleep on Side" that was suppossed to reduce the risk of SIDS... Now of course I put my now 6month old to bed on his back like they say, but my mother refuses to when she watches him because she is still old school....

My point is - she knows where she is comfy - I would never disturb a sleeping baby - just make sure there are no pillow or stuffed animals in the bed - if she is strong enough to roll herself over - she is strong enough to raise her head... Besides new research is now saying SIDS is related to babies not being HELD enough....

A mom could go crazy - - -

My son started doing the same thing when he was around 6 months. I was concerned about SIDS, but his pediatrician said there was no problem. If he was strong enough to roll onto his stomach, he was strong enough to move his head if his breathing go blocked. I must say, he slept sooo much better on his stomach. That was when he started sleeping 8-11 hours a night straight.

HI G.,
Let the baby be. She is obviously strong enough to turn herself over, I'm sure she is holding her head up very well at 8 mos old. Your baby will be FINE! Just make sure she doesn't have blankets or pillows around her. I would NOT worry at all. I think that the sleep positioner might cause more harm then just letting her roll when she pleases. I can't believe your doctor told you to flip her. To calm your nerves, play lots of rolling games on the floor during the day to watch how strong she is at turning over-she will be just fine. Good Luck with your decision.

Oh pooh! If she can roll herself over, let her sleep! I started PUTTING my son to bed on his tummy when he was about 4 months old.

Think about it -- do YOU like sleeping flat out on your back? or would you rather sleep more cozy?

The risk for SIDS is highest or at its peak at about 2 months, and other risk factors are -- fluffy bedding (as those fluff up around a baby's face and blocks his breathing, esp when young enough to not be able to move their head while sleeping), smoking in the house, too warm a room during the night or sleeping, having pets? and I don't remember all of them now, but I remember thinking that all of those other risks for SIDS weren't a concern in our house so I decided a good night's sleep was worth it!

I had already watch to make sure that my son could already lift his head and turn it from side to side when he was on his tummy during the day and the other SIDS risk factors were not a concern in my house so I felt ok in letting him sleep on his tummy. No regrets!

Hi G.-
My 11 mo old has slept on her belly for almost her entire life. She got used to falling asleep on my chest and as soon as she could roll over onto her belly in her crib- she did. I have never seen any issue with it because she controls her head and turns if she doesn't like the position. If it keeps her asleep...hey, you know the old saying,"don't fix it if it isn't broken". As long as she is on a firm mattress with fitted sheets and nothing can bunch up in front of her airway, it is always my daughter's position of choice and she'd roll to it no matter how many times I flipped her over. I say, choose your battles.
Good luck!

Hi G.,
I am a mother of 3 (32,22,17) and a grandmother of 2 (11,8). I have been doing child care for 17 years and consider these my children also. I do not consider myself an expert but I feel that I have experienced alot concerning children. Babies, just like adults, turn over in their sleep. This is a natural action and I feel is done to find a comfortable position to ease the reflex actions of the muscles. I have known people to prop the child in the car seat, strapped in, to stop this natural turn over reflex. This to me is not normal or natural. I feel the doctor's advise of "back to sleep" is overrated. How do you feel about putting off your sleep time if you disturb your daughter and she reacts normally as if it is time to play. Babies do not have a time clock, and cannot tell the difference between night and day if they are awakened at different times of the day/night.
This may sound harsh but I consider worrying about SIDS like winning the lottery. How many people actually win? Or in the case of SIDS, lose? SIDS is serious but don't look for trouble. Let her decide what's confortable and don't worry unnecesarrily, enjoy your time now that she's small, they grow too fast as it is. Babies don't come with a book of instructions, just remember that you have common sense and that is your best bet! Have confidence in yourself and your decisions.
S.

Hi G.,
Talk to your pediatrician about important she feels it is for your daughter to sleep on her back. My feeling would be if she can turn over onto her stomach she can turn herself back onto her back if she can do it. Maybe ask her to do it when she is awake, during the day, to see if she can do it. If your pediatrician is a Mom she may be able to give you some examples of what she did. My son is 34 years old and I don't remember making sure he slept one way or the other.
D. Bohr
retired elementary teacher and early childhood professional
CranioSacral Therapist
Mom and Grandma

Your daughter is just fine. Put her to bed and let her sleep
in any position she wants to. She will not allow herself
to not breathe. The human will to live is stronger than
you give it credit. Sometimes I think these Doctors come
up with to much crap to make mothers so nervous.
You are doing a great Job and your baby will be fine.

I am a 51 year old mother of 3 boys, now 2 grand children.

G.,

I belong to a wonderfully supportive twins group and asked this same question regarding my (at the time) 5-month old son. The resounding response from the group was that if he was strong enough to roll himself over...then he would be strong enough to pick up his head and move it if he was in a position uncomfortable for him.

As most have mentioned previously, you do want to make sure that there is nothing in the crib that can become a hazard...but, there is no need to wake up a child to roll them back over.

Best of luck!!

Hi!
I am no pediatrician, just a mother of two. People from different cultures and countries all put their babies to sleep in a different way. My mom used to put me down to sleep on my tummy with my face turned to the side, so that if I ever vomited during the night, I wouldn't land up choking on it. Or she would lay me down on my side. And to this day, sleeping on my tummy is the most comfortable way for me. I also like sleeping on my side. I do not like sleeping on my back at all. In Japan, the moms let their kids sleep on their backs, and I always wondered if that was the reason why they have flat heads at the back. But coming back to your story, since your child is able to turn over, I wouldn't really be too worried about SID that much. She seems to prefer to sleep that way, and when you try to turn her over she wakes up. It is just like having her fall asleep you your tummy or daddy's tummy. Try it. You can see her breath just fine.

By 8 1/2 months she is old enough and strong enough to turn herself over if she gets in a position that's hard for her to breathe. Not to mention, how good do you feel if you sleep in the same position all night - your body hurts. Why force your daughter to do something that isn't comfortable. She's typical developing, healthy little girl that is exerpiencing life for the first time. Rejoice in it instead of being afraid.

My 8 mo will ONLY sleep on her tummy and has since I brought her home. My pediatrician says that she is very strong and as long as she can pick her head up and turn it side to side she is fine. Its not preferable...for todays advice...even though it was advised years back. My other daughter who is 3 has always flipped herself to her tummy and stuck her bottom in the air with her legs tucked in...many kids are more comfy this way. I just am very cautious not to place anything in the crib with my little one. She falls asleep on her tummy and then I cover her with a blanket up to her middle back only. She has nothing in her crib to suffocate on. My grandmother taught us this way and we have NEVER had any sids deaths in our family. My mother has been a voluteer firewoman for almost 30 years and has been out on these calls and none of them linked to tummy sleeping. Docs are also now saying that we should give pacifiers because that will also decrease the risk of sids....hmmm. I think if a baby is strong enough to roll over and put themselves in a good sleep position than that is how they should sleep.

My babe starting rolling over at 13 weeks and at 14 weeks, rolled both ways. He was kicking out of his swaddle and rolling onto his tummy to sleep. My pediatrician said you really can't prevent the rolling, so we did the same thing the previous poster did. We cleared out the crib and let him be. At 8 1/2 months, your daughter probably is strong enough and has enough head control to move her head to the side to breathe. It's the blankets and bumpers that are a bigger issue.

If your daughter can roll over, there's no point in purchasing a positioner; she'll just roll over that or become frustrated with it being in the way. My pediatrician told me that once my babies started rolling over, they are past the highest risks for SIDS and are strong enough to move their heads if they have trouble breathing. My 2nd son, who had severe reflux, actually had to sleep on his tummy starting at 4 months b/c he would choke on his vomit if he was on his back.

By the time my children rolled over, I just made sure that their crib had no bumpers, blankets or stuffed animals (though both my boys bonded with breathable tiny silky blankies).

Hope this helps!

I don't think you have anything to worry about. My nine month old son does the same thing. He just prefers to be on his tummy. He can flip back over to his back if he wants to so it's not a problem. I was worried about the same thing with my daughter was a baby. Our then pediatrician told "Always put them to bed on their back and what he/she do in his/hersleep is the baby's business."

Given that your daughter can turn over by herself repeatedly, one can assume she is safe to roll over if she needs to at night. At her age SIDS is still possible, but unusual. I don't believe they have made a direct connection between sleeping on the belly and SIDS. They just don't know what causes SIDS.

Consult another pediatrician if it makes you feel better, you and your daughter deserve peaceful, uninterrupted sleep.

I also asked my dr. when my daughter started doing this (around 5 or 6 months I think) and she said it was fine. I kept going into her room to turn her over, and my dr. told me there was no need for that. As long as she can turn herself over, she can turn herself back. You could spend your whole night turning your daughter over. I know my daughter would usually turn herself back over to her stomach once I left. I would think as long as there aren't any blankets and other things in her crib that could block her airway, it should be fine for an 8 1/2 month old to sleep on her stomach. I will be interested to see what others say. I know I always hated to go against what my dr. says, but by 8 1/2 months I think most babies are turning over in their sleep......

HI G.,

My son started rolling over onto his belly at 4 months, When I asked our pediatrician he said, if he can roll over on his own then it's ok to leave him like that. My son loves to sleep on his belly. I admit I was nervous the first few nights, but I just watched him on the video monitor and saw that he was just fine and sleeping great. He's now 11 months and still sleeps on his belly. I think your son is fine sleeping on his belly. Just my thoughts. Good luck with it!

A.