Thursday, April 5, 2018

Baby sleeps face down! Now what?

Hi Tracy,

We FINALLY got rid of the swaddle. Took two nights of lots of tears but it happened and has been very positive since then. But now our new problem is that Sam (5.5 months) will roll back to belly but not belly to Back. When he flips in the night, he hasn’t figured out how to get back to his back. Sometimes he just cries so we flip him over. But if he’s sleepy and not very energetic, he will sleep with his face down into the mattress - yikes!! How can we handle this??

Abby

Hi Abby

Have you heard of the Newton baby mattress? newtonbaby.com It is completely breathable so sleeping face down should be much less of a concern.  It is also completely washable. Chemical free in every respect and firm and comfortable.  This could go a long way to help you worry much less about his development. 

You can also do tummy time together on the floor. Get on the floor with him to encourage him and play rolling games.  You can also put him on his tummy under a play gym so he will have to roll over to play with the toys hanging from the bar. 

When he’s on the mattress, instead of flipping him, assist his rolling with a gentle push on his hips, cross his legs, re-position his arm, etc.  So essentially assisting,  not rescuing. This is a normal process, just like working through the swaddle transition. 

If you need more quick tips than this, go to http://getquietnights.com/schedule-a-consultation/ to arrange a call with me.

Tracy Spackman 602-524-7610
Certified Gentle Sleep Coach

Gentle Sleep Coaching - Teaching you how to get your kids to sleep.

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