Back is best???

[boogiemomz]

My DD is 1.5 months and is starting to spit up more, often relatively long after I feed her. She has started coughing and choking at night, making sounds just like when I feed her and she chokes a little. She chokes, then wheezes, then has a few little explosive coughs and then breathes heavy. My husband is concerned that she is going to aspirate her spit up (the very reason that our parents' generation was told to put babies to sleep on their tummies). Last night we were lying awake not knowing what to do, because she doesn't get upset or cry, and she doesn't wake up (we would listen carefully to make sure she was still breathing after each episode). This morning around 8:30 when I was ready to get up she had another episode and I noticed some fresh spit up around her mouth, so I turned her on her side, still mostly in her swaddle. She fell asleep hard and is still sleeping now (she hasn't eaten since 6am and went down last night around 9pm and has slept all night except for one other feeding). I would think she would be waking up again to eat now, but maybe she is just so exhausted from a restless night.

This makes me hesitate to continue putting her down on her back. Sometimes DH and I will pull her into our bed and let her sleep between us (she is on our bed right now). She sleeps really well here and we both feel perfectly safe with her there. I wonder if I should let her sleep there more and if she is having trouble just turn her on her side like this. We are both getting more and more concerned about the choking/aspiration risk. Anyone else have this problem? TIA for any input.

Side note: My friend's DH has a theory that the reason SIDS declined so much when they started recommended babies be put to sleep on their backs is that they don't sleep very well! Not sure I disagree!

[elephantmeg]

would she sleep in a bouncy seat? I would also ask your pedi about reflux. Keeping her propped up for 30 min after each feeding helps with that.

[mommylamb]

I'd also let her sleep int he bouncy seat or even in her car seat.

[rosiegirl1]

My LO had reflux and was a huge spitter. She would wake up screaming because she was covered in spit up and cold. My mom suggested putting her down on her tummy. I started doing that for naps (when I could supervise), but by 3 months, she was sleeping on her tummy at night too. When we went in to the pedi to talk about her reflux, the doctor told us that letting her sleep on her stomach was a good strategy to control the reflux, due to the way the stomach and esophagus fit together.

All that to say - you need to do what your comfortable with. I joked that the SIDS police would be after me - but I decided that since we didn't have any of the other risk factors for SIDS, that I felt okay with the increased risk associated with tummy sleeping. You might want to talk to your pedi. Silent reflux is a killer.

[Melaine]

I'd also let her sleep int he bouncy seat or even in her car seat.

This is what we did. I was just too paranoid to do the tummy thing, although it probably would have helped with the reflux. AFAIK, "side" sleeping is ok too, but might need propping or sleep positioner which could be risky as well.

[sunriseiz]

We propped up the bassinet (and then the crib) AND place a rolled blanket under DS on one side to tilt him slightly. Does that make sense? We did this until we stopped swaddling. We kept him in our room a long time just so we could listen....

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ds1 was able to get himself onto his side by 2-3wo and slept like that. I wasn't worried- and I also couldn't do anything about it unless I wanted to stay up all night moving him back! I do not like sleep positioners because I worry about suffocation even if they do have mesh sides.

Ds2 was a belly sleeper. I was comfortable with it. Dh wasn't really. But, when dh got the flu when ds2 was 4w old and I had to do 24/7 care for him I did the tummy sleeping position for him b/c it worked. I do get the risks but I chose to accept. He was a spitter too, btw, but not as bad as reflux.

Beth

[Claki]

We went through the exact same thing just a couple of weeks ago. Now DS is 9 weeks and we haven't had a bad episode (just mild coughing/spitting up) since before Christmas. I just wanted to let you know that we went through and my little guy seems to have outgrown the worst much faster than I anticpated. I was not comfortable letting him sleep unsupervised on his belly, but we did do it during the day. He wouldn't sleep in a bouncy chair or his swing.

[ThreeofUs]

Sounds like she has reflux. I slept both my sons (one with awful reflux, one with just regular reflux, lol) on their tummies and both slept with us. DS1 would still be sleeping with us, but DS2 decided we're too much bother at about 9 months and likes his crib.

[maestramommy]

I would be concerned about aspirated spitup too. I think if you can make sure she doesn't accidentally roll over onto her tummy while swaddled, I'd put her on her side.

Laurel was like this for the first 2.5 months. Except that she didn't go back to sleep:p We tried everything, side, tummy, propped high, propped low. Eventually we just got used to layering cloth diapers under her head to make cleanup easier. And she did eventually stop spitting up.

[gordo]

Definitely talk to your ped about reflux. Both of my girls had it, but my youngest was severe. Somethings we did to keep her on her back to sleep was use books under the legs of the crib to prop up one side. We also used a pillow under her mattress (between the mattress and the springs to raise the mattress up. Keep upright for at least 30 minutes after feeding.

[MamaMolly]

DD was a reflux baby too. She had to be held up right (or sit upright) for 30 minutes after each feeding. Total PITA. We also propped her crib. I used big cans of crushed tomatoes in the beginning but that seemed wobbily so eventually I put a rolled up blanket under her mattress to angle it. There are a lot of reflux related positioning products like the Tucker Wedge, but we just couldn't afford it when DD was tiny so we made do with a propped mattress.

If it were me and I was comfortable co-sleeping then I'd do that. Co-sleeping freaked DH out completely even thought I loved it. If I had to do it over I'd do tummy sleeping in her crib with the Angel Care monitor for a little more peace of mind. That would work with DH's comfort level and mine. Reflux stinks, hope you get some relief soon.

[okinawama]

I had a little guy that spit up(however he was never diagnosed with reflux)no matter what I did, so I positioned him on his side using a non inclined sleep positioner. I know that they can be controversial, but I feared him choking while sleeping on his back more than I feared any problems from the positioner. Good luck! I hope that things get better for you and your LO!

[Jen841]

Please do it! I had to pipe in. I know someone without any risk factors, and the unthinkable happened. We are all scarred for life.

Talk to your Ped. Use the bouncy if you have to for a bit.

[Melarina]

Thus infant seat by FP is also designed for night sleep and has been wonderful for our DS who has reflux - newborn rock n play sleeper - bought ours at BRU but here is Amazon link

http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Newborn-Rock-Sleeper-Yellow/dp/B002M77N22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1262744994&sr=8-1

If you end up with reflux meds, we found that Zegerid worked for DS when Zantac, prevacid and prilosec did not.

[Tondi G]

Thus infant seat by FP is also designed for night sleep and has been wonderful for our DS who has reflux - newborn rock n play sleeper - bought ours at BRU but here is Amazon link

http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Newborn-Rock-Sleeper-Yellow/dp/B002M77N22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1262744994&sr=8-1

If you end up with reflux meds, we found that Zegerid worked for DS when Zantac, prevacid and prilosec did not.

WOW I have never seen that! COOL! Finally someone made something that was more substantial than a bouncy seat for a baby to sleep in!

There is the Nap Nanny too

http://napnanny.com/