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to "proudest mama alive": well, yeah, but what's the connection between laying on the tummy and sids? why is there less of a risk when baby lays on the back?

All though it is unknown and no explanation of what casues S.I.D.S, the years of studies found that SIDS is less common in babies who sleep on their back.

babies who sleep on their tummies are more likely to nuzzle down into the bedding and suffocate. i don't know if that is the sids connection or not, but i know someone who has lost a baby because of tummy sleeping. my kids are always on their backs or sides.

my son is 4 months old and has been sleeping on his tummy since he was 2 months. from the time i brought him home from the hospital he slept on his side. I was worried about him spitting up. Graduallyi allowed him to try sleepin on his tummy but only during the day when i was watching him to get him used to it. Finally when he learned how to hold his head up on his own i let him sleep on his tummy at night but only right next to me where i could keep an eye on him...now he knows how to turn his head from side to side and pick it up . so really it is up to the parent and the child as to which way to let them sleep.

Mom of one, with all the increased risks of SIDS with infants who sleep on the tummies I don't see why any good mother would want to take that risk with their child to be honest with you. Although the cause of SIDS is unknown it happens more frequently in babies on their stomachs, if you have fear of vomit the side is the next best thing, but SIDS can happen all the way up to a year of age. You are obviously set in what you are going to do, it may not be the right choice but it's yours. Just for future reference if you plan to have any more children.

this is just to comment on the comment made by Skyes momma and proud to be. I take offence to your comment about "I don't see why any good mother would take the risk to be honest with you" in reference to mom of ones responce to her child sleeping on their tummy. I find your comment rude and I don't see how you have any right to say that someone is not a good mother because they have their child sleep on their tummy. In my opinion, each mother has their own way of doing things and their own comfort level, you need to do what is right for you and what you feel is best for you and your baby. Accept advice, but don't worry about what other people think.

WELL THEY SAY THAT SLEEPING ON THE BACK IS BEST. HOWEVER, ALL THREE OF MINE SLEPT ON THEIR TUMMIES SINCE THEY WERE BORN AND ALL ARE FINE, THEY ARE NOW 6, 4, AND 2. NOONE REALLY KNOWS WHAT SIDS IS CAUSED FROM. I WAS A TUMMY SLEEPER AND I'M FINE.

This is from a pediatric site: Nobody quite knows why it is safer for your baby to sleep on its back rather than its tummy. There are several theories. One theory is that a baby sleeping on its stomach may be lying with its face so close to the sheets that it keeps breathing the same air and does not get enough oxygen. Another possibility is that the baby can suffocate when sleeping on their stomach on a mattress that is too soft and yielding. There have been recorded cases of this happening to babies in water beds. So babies should never sleep on a water bed. A third theory is that it is dangerous for a baby to lie with its face against the mattress, which may contain microbes that can interfere with the baby's breathing. Nobody has yet solved the mystery of cot death. Today, we only know that the cases of cot death have gone down since doctors recommended that babies sleep on their back.

DEFINITLY THE BACK........ side could be goood too though

What I read in "What to Expect the First Year" is that the latest research shows that the reason SIDS is increased with baby's who sleep on thier belly's is because these baby's sleep more soundly, causing them to not wake themselves up if they experience sleep apnea. Therefore they stop breathing all together.

To Mom of Two, I am sorry if I offended you in anyway, I did not realize that my comment came out that way! I just meant to say that I dont know why any mother would take that unnecessary risk with her child! I am glade to see that you and your children are fine, but some are not so lucky! I hope you can forgive me, I did not intensionally write that rude comment and I honestly did not mean that anyone is a bad mother for leaving their child on their backs! I have to say that I believe that Sids is linked to neglect, such as a parent turning off their baby monitor, and not giving the baby love and attention. They say it is really bad to let your child cry for too long, and these babies were healthy before right? Tell me what you think because I don't believe that any healthy baby can just die with no explanation.!

although S.I.D.S is a mystery and researchers are still trying to find answers to the causes studies has shown that BACK TO SLEEP on a firm mattress (no pillows or toys in the crib) does reduce the risk. If you are worried about your babies comfort try a sleep positioner some even come with a slightly elevated headreast. They can be found almost anywhere from Wal-Mart to Babies-R-Us..

Wow is this ever a heated convo... you know what, my daughter has always slept on her tummy, and so did my brothers, my sister, myself and likely alot of the people that are writing this... when you are in the hospital they make it sound like if you let your baby sleep on their tummy they will die... just not true...

I was a tummy sleeper and I'm fine. Do you think,however, that any tummy sleeper who died of SIDS would be able to come here and say, "hey, don't do that, it was dangerous for me!" Of course not! The arguement that "I did it and I was fine, or my babies were fine" really doesn't hold up well against ma__sive studies. Since the "back to sleep" campaign has been pushed in hospitals across America, educating new parents, incidents of SIDS have gone down tremendously. While there are special cases of babies with severe refulx that need to tummy sleep, in most cases it is safest to put baby to sleep on his back. Newborns have very little head control and would not have the neurological maturity in most instances to move their head should they start to suffocate in their sleep.

Back is better, they say. But we all slept on our tummies and we're all here today, right?

Mira, I'll repeat myself, do you think anyone who died of SIDS due to sleeping on their stomachs would be able to come here and represent those who didn't survive it? I don't think so......