Q&A Forum

11/3/20

Catherine

Poppy is 19 weeks old and is excellent at turning from back to front. She has very strong head control whilst on her tummy, moving it left to right and pushing up confidently. She sleeps in a sleeping bag and we always place her on her back at bed time however In the middle of the night, we are finding her on her tummy sleeping with her head to the side. We have previously corrected her sleeping position, placing her on her back. What do we do moving forward as we can’t sleep with our eyes open... do we let her sleep on her tummy or do we continue to correct the sleeping position?

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Posted a response on 12/3/20

Red Nose Education

What you are describing is normal development.
Most babies will be rolling over by 4 - 6 months…. some earlier
This is very normal as babies grow & become stronger many babies then prefer to sleep on their tummy, & often don’t change from that position.

This is not something that needs to be stopped, but it is important to make the environment as safe as possible for this to occur.

Always place baby on their back to sleep.
Transfer to cot if not already.
Ensure cot mattress is firm, well-fitting & flat.
Ensure there is nothing loose or soft in the cot.
Use a sleeping bag now that has appropriate size neck & arm holes if appropriate….. ie with arms out.

It is essential to discontinue wrapping as soon as baby starts showing signs that they can begin to roll..
https://rednose.org.au/article/what-do-we-do-now-that-a-baby-has-started-to-roll-over


Red Nose has the following information now that your baby is starting 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 lamb’s wool, 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
https://rednose.com.au/article/what-do-we-do-now-that-a-baby-has-started-to-roll-over

Do not use any devices designed to keep baby in a particular sleep position.
https://rednose.org.au/article/is-it-safe-to-use-products-designed-to-keep-baby-in-a-particular-position

If you are concerned about her rolling back, it may be helpful to increase her tummy time while awake.

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