I know that belly sleeping is bad because they say it increases the risk of sids and I do not allow my baby to sleep on her belly - with that said I just wondered WHY it increases the risk of Sids - I read all over the internet about it ..it always says DON'T let your baby sleep on their belly but never says why.. is it suffocation? or is it the weight of their bodies and breathing? or something else? I just wondered because I am so paranoid about her rolling onto her belly or falling asleep during her belly time even though I am awake watching her - and everyone asks me why she cannot sleep on her belly and although i said the risk for sids I realized ok well i know that part but I don't know what part of sleeping on their belly is the cause of SIDS? Just wanted to see if anyone else knew...thanks ↓
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Name: bubbasmom | Date: Jul 21st, 2008 5:50 PM
I think it has something to do with the carbon monoxide staying around their heads but I'm not sure. Hopefully we'll get some better answers. ↑
Name: schreck | Date: Jul 21st, 2008 9:47 PM
I'm not sure the reason either. My Mom put all of us on our tummies as it was the way to have your children sleep because then they thought babies sleeping on thier was dangerous. ↑
Name: Malica | Date: Jul 21st, 2008 10:31 PM
SIDS is caused by a baby stopping breathing -- not suffocation. I've heard that babies do sleep more soundly on their bellies, and when they are sleeping more soundly they are more likely to just stop breathing. ↑
Name: J.J. | Date: Jul 22nd, 2008 9:58 AM
sprinkles, I'm not sure there is a definite answer since the many causes of SIDs are still unknown. I think researchers looked at common conditions amongs SIDs babies and years ago, sleeping on the stomach was one of these factors. So they released the "back to sleep" recommendation. My son could never sleep on his back and we used to prop him up on his side. (not recommended by the dr, but we were desperate for him to sleep). My daughter slept on her back but was able to roll over at 5 months. At that point, the days of sleeping on her back were over! ↑
Name: britt_m | Date: Jul 22nd, 2008 10:03 AM
I have also read a few times what Malica said. Babies sleep deeper on their bellies, so chances are higher they'll forget to breath. ↑
Name: Sprinkles | Date: Jul 22nd, 2008 10:59 AM
Well that explains why finding anything more in depth about it is almost impossible. It makes sense about the deep sleeping .. thanks for clearing it up a bit for me I was confused and i couldnt find ANY website that went into any depth with it. ↑
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). I too have heard what Malica said. Babies don't always breathe regularly, but when they're on their backs tend to catch it again better than if they're on the belly. My son did sleep much better on his belly when he was real young (almost 8 months now), but he always went to bed on his back. I'd let him sleep on his belly on my chest while I was up, but I noticed him pausing a little too long for comfort a few times and it convinced me even more of back to sleep! ↑
That's ok Kiersen. You said that you noticed him pausing a few times while sleeping on your chest, what did it look like? I let my son sleep on my chest sometimes and I'm just wondering if there are signs to look for with SIDS. My son is 7 weeks adn I'm one of those first time paranoid mommies, haha Kinda like Sprinkles, Luv ya Dawnie! ↑
Name: Sprinkles | Date: Jul 22nd, 2008 12:29 PM
I love you too gabby! haha but i warn you this is my second child so the paranoia never goes away haha .. you know she sleeps on my chest sometimes I didnt consider that belly sleep but it is i didnt even think about it ... she breathes harder on her belly then her back that is for sure. ↑
Name: Crystal83 | Date: Jul 22nd, 2008 12:55 PM
I agree with the first post from bubbasmom. When you breathe out carbon monoxide and your face is close to a soft surface, not all of it leaves and some of it gets breathed back in. I've found for my lo when she was newborn that she slept so well when she was on her tummy, but I didn't. I would only let her sleep on her tummy when she was in my bed and I would wake up every half hour making sure she didn't turn her face into the bed. Now she is 11 mos. and she sleeps on her tummy almost all the time, with her bum up in the air too, lol. I don't worry now too much because she is old enough to get her face out of the mattress now! ↑
Name: clindholm | Date: Jul 22nd, 2008 1:13 PM
SIDS is still somewhat of a mystery, so all the posters are right, there is apnea, rebreathing Carbon Monoxide and just being in a very deep sleep (babies w/ acid reflux are at a higher risk). I was completely obsessed with SIDS during my dd's 1st year. (just gave her a blanket at 13 months). Anyway, I bought a motion monitor that goes under the mattress and will go off if there is no movement for 20 seconds. This monitor picks up the movement from breathing and sure did help me sleep. I recommend it for anyone who is like me and having a really hard time with the SIDS issue. ↑
Name: Sprinkles | Date: Jul 22nd, 2008 1:36 PM
clindholm i think i am obsessed too my mom tells me i am getting carried away - with that monitor do you let the baby sleep on their belly then? I have nightmares and wake up scared to death ... ↑
Name: Kiersten | Date: Jul 22nd, 2008 2:48 PM
GABBY, it didn't really LOOK like anything. I'd be sitting there reading while he was sleeping and then he'd just kind of be still for a few seconds, still peacefully sleeping, and then start breathing again. There wasn't any gasping or anything-so quiet. It wasn't that often, mostly just right in the beginning with him, but it made me realize how quickly things could happen. And don't worry, I'm a first time mom too (well, actually recently found out we're expecting #2) and still get nervous about things. Motherhood is a life-time of worry I think. :) I just mask it so I don't get on dh's nerves, but I'm always playing out different scenarios and making sure he's ok. That concern for your child makes you a great momma so don't be afraid of your caution. SPRINKLES, when he'd sleep on my chest I was usually reclined on the couch or something, so maybe that makes a difference with the belly sleep? ↑
Name: amanda17 | Date: Jul 22nd, 2008 4:47 PM
No one is really sure what sids is. I think it's because its restricted by law to do studies on infants. The child is found with no signs of struggle or pain. They say to put them on their backs because statistically speaking, children who sleep on their backs have a lesser chance of getting sids. The theory is that when a baby sleeps on their stomach, side, or has something over their face, they breathe in carbon monoxide and die from being poisoned. Sids actually peeks at 6 months to a year because the child learns to roll over on their stomach. However, after one year the risk of sids practically vanishes. ↑
Name: amanda17 | Date: Jul 22nd, 2008 4:53 PM
Oh, and there aren't any signs that your child would be at risk for sids. Not to scare anyone but every child is at risk, even perfectly healthy ones. As long as you make sure they have room to breathe they'll be fine. And when they learn to roll over it's probably wise to prop them into place. I was scared of SIDs too and sought after every website, book, and doctor I could find. ↑
Name: Sprinkles | Date: Jul 22nd, 2008 5:19 PM
omg amanda I thought you had to worry about sids til the baby was 6 months ... now its a YEAR?! great ... my agony will never end! I think I need to invest in that monitor that watches their every movement ↑
lol I guess it is better that i know ... but yeah I def need to save up and buy that monitor so i can sleep more then a half hour without waking up in a panic ↑
Name: clindholm | Date: Jul 23rd, 2008 11:00 AM
Sprinkles- Maybe you should pick up one of those monitors, mine was a bout $100 and worth a million. I did not let me lo sleep on her tummy even with the monitor. Even when she started to roll over in her sleep, I would get up and roll her back, lol. I was really obsessed. They even sell mattresses with fans inside them to circulate the air for the rebreathing theory. There is also alot of controversy about a SIDS and Vaccine link. Preemies are more at risk, boys, acid reflux, babies of smokers, babies that are exposed to smoke and it all peaks between 2-4 months and mostly happens between 12-8 a.m (this varies a bit, some say 10 p.m- 8 a.m). Never give loose blankets to sleep with, use blanket sleepers in the winter, no toys, pillows or bumper guards. I think that's most of it. ↑
Name: Sprinkles | Date: Jul 24th, 2008 9:56 AM
Yeah I efinatly have to look into it cause i dont get good sleep at all - I am up every 15-30 mins to stare at her belly and make sure its going up and down- I have her in a bassinet right now the sheet for it is a little loose although i tuck it under tight but that makes me paranoid then she is a real mover this one and she moves all over the place so i am worried about when she does roll over - I just moved up to my moms house and i was unloading a truck and i asked my mom to watch her while i made the trip and unloaded etc so i come in and here is violet on her BELLY i had to compose myself and say in the nicest way possible cause my mom is very emotional that she is NOT to sleep on her belly - as soon as i seen that i ran to her and grabbed her by the arm to make sure she moved and flipped her over with my heart pounding - my mom is old school though she was telling me that was the way they did it back in the day and then she said she wouldnt sleep so she laid her on her belly and she fell asleep instantly and she was like i laid right next to her and watched her the whole time - but still .. i dont like at all cause if she stops breathing what if you cant get her to start again - so now i have 2nd thoughts on leaving her with my mom ! ugg!! ↑
Name: clindholm | Date: Jul 24th, 2008 12:06 PM
Sprinkles- I would have freaked out too!!! Another big risk is "unaccustomed tummy sleeping" meaning they are normally on their back and someone puts them on their tummy. I'm sure your mom will be ok now that she know that back sleeping has been found to cut the SIDS risk. Google "Back to Sleep" they used to put out a sheet of 10 things you can do to reduce the risk of SIDS (I got mine at the hospital). If you can't find it, I will type mine out for you. I got my motion monitor from Walmart, I think they still carry them. ↑
Name: Sprinkles | Date: Jul 24th, 2008 4:46 PM
Omg she says to me ' I dont believe in all that stuff" i said ' this isnt like religon you dont have to believe in it ..its still there! its a fact! " lol she was like OK OK OK OK I wont ever do it again! ...im still leary of her lol .. so today I left my dad to watch her and took my mom to the store with me lol he knows better then to not do what i say haha. I am going to look into walmart and I am going to google that list .. If i know what to do i can feel like I am doing more to prevent it. ↑
Name: Sprinkles | Date: Jul 24th, 2008 4:54 PM
I am looking at the ANGELCARE Bebe sounds BABY Movement sound monitor AC201... its on ebay NEW for 59 dollars? ↑
Name: Astra | Date: Jul 24th, 2008 5:41 PM
Sprinkles, I have the angle care. It works very well. The only problem is that if you forget to shut it off when you take the baby out of the bassinett it goes off really loudly. The first month my hubbie, me and my mom were Always forgetting which was so annoying. Then he slept in the bed with us in a snuggle nest so we didn't use the angel care anymore. Now he is back in his cradle but since it's right next to us we feel ok. Once we move him to his own room we'll probably hook up the monitor again. ↑
Name: Sprinkles | Date: Jul 24th, 2008 5:48 PM
Ok cause i had bought a heart monitor thing when i was pregnant from them and it didnt work at all so I was leary about the movement monitor - Thanks ! I think I will bid on that then .. make me feel better ... i can only use that in a crib? or can i use it in a bassinet ↑
Name: Sprinkles | Date: Jul 24th, 2008 10:01 PM
Ok now tonight violet fell asleep in her swing - So if i let her sleep there (its in the same room as I sleep) and I layed down .. is that a bad thing? She looks so comfy I hate to move her cause she was really fussy tonight and that is the only thing that soothed her ↑
Name: Malica | Date: Jul 24th, 2008 11:44 PM
Carbon MONoxide is produced by engines and improperly ventilated burning. Carbon DIoxide is what you breathe out with ever breath. Carbon dioxide is not dangerous per se, but it does reduce the amount of oxygen in the air, so it's not great. Carbon monoxide on the other hand is a dangerous, silent killer. With respect to SIDS, the theory is about the carbon DIoxide that you're thinking about. ↑
