Q&A Forum

14/4/25

Dayna

My baby is only 4 weeks old. As soon as she was born she started rolling onto her side to sleep. If you place her on her back she will roll to her left side almost immediately. At the hospital the midwife commented that they often have a preferred side from the womb, but I’m concerned. She is sleeping in a bassinet in a sleep suit and we have a monitor which detects when she rolls as well as temperature, humidity and her breathing rate. I roll her on to her back when she rolls to her side but it is constant. I have also purchased a “hug me” blanket from Ergo baby in the hope that will help her stay still. At the moment we are really nervous so we have been sleeping in shifts holding her when she sleeps a lot to avoid an incident but she is sleeping longer stretches now through the night in the bassinet so I want to ensure she is kept safe. I have read your other posts on rolling her to her tummy. I think she is a little bit too young still to move her to a cot or stop her being swaddled. Would it be better if we put her in sleeping bags with the arms out opposed to in? Any other advice would be really appreciated.

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Posted a response on 15/4/25

Red Nose Education

Many babies do wriggle & squirm & can be quite active & will move or roll around the bassinet.
Some babies do not respond well to swaddling/wrapping.
Sometimes it is because they like hands free to touch their face or suck on fingers.

Still always place her on her back for sleep.
Does she always roll to the same side?
Is the sleep suit you are using like a swaddle? ie arms are not free?
Some babies like arms free & will wriggle & roll especially to side in an attempt to get arms free.
You could try sleeping her in a sleeping bag (arms free) or you could use a muslin type wrap with arms out as per below for 3-6mth old baby.

Taking shifts to hold baby while sleeping is not sustainable & can lead to “unsafer” sleeping eg if on a lounge &/or if you go to sleep. It is also not providing a safe sleep surface - ie baby on back & flat.

Red Nose does not recommend the use of any product that “restrains” a baby in a specific position.
Babies can be placed for sleep in a cot from birth.
Have you started tummy time when awake yet? How does she go?

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