Anonymous
Hi there My 7.5 month old has started rolling back to front but still struggles with front to back and gets stuck. She has also started doing this in her sleep. Sometimes she cries out as she gets stuck but at others it seems like she would comfortably stay asleep on her tummy but I have been rolling her back anyway. Is this necessary or is it safe for her to sleep on her tummy now if she wants to?
Red Nose Education
Most babies will be rolling by 4-6mths & many prefer to sleep on their tummy.
Are you still wrapping her? - if so, then please cease wrapping.
Is your baby in a bassinet or cot? - she needs the extra room of a cot now to roll safely.
Ensure that the cot mattress is firm & flat & there is nothing soft or loose in the cot.
Always place baby on back to sleep.
Increasing tummy time when awake…... this will cotinue to help her to roll both ways.
if you want to turn her back it is ok, but most babies do resist being turned back from their tummy, especially if they are not awake. Mostly they will roll straight back onto tummy.
It is now important to continue to make her sleep environment as safe as possible.
Red Nose has the following information now that your baby is starting to roll.
If you are using a bassinette, it is time to transfer baby into a cot as soon as they first show signs of being able to roll.
Give baby extra tummy time to play when awake and supervised as this helps baby to develop stronger neck and upper body muscles which in turn enables them to roll back over.
Make sure that baby is on a firm and well-fitting mattress that is flat (not tilted or elevated).
Make sure that baby’s face and head remains uncovered (do not use lambswool, doonas, pillows, cot bumpers or soft toys)
As babies grow and develop they become very active and learn to roll around the cot.
At this time, continue to put them on the back at the start of sleep time, but let them find their own position of comfort.
By this stage it is not necessary to wake during the night to turn baby over to the back position
Do not use any devices designed to keep baby in a particular sleep position.
https://rednose.org.au/article/what-do-we-do-now-that-a-baby-has-started-to-roll-over