Did anyone else exclusively tummy sleep??
I know the Back To Sleep campaign has doctors (well, aside from my pediatrician) and hospitals pushing the back sleeping as a "must do" for mommies, but I just didn't buy it.
Taylor has slept on her tummy from Day 1, even in the hospital (unless she was back in the nursery). She always seemed more comfortable that way, and would scream if we tried to get her to sleep on her back. To me, the tummy seemed more natural - if that makes sense.
She's also doing things pretty early. She was turning over at three months, sitting up on her own at four, and has been crawling for almost two weeks (she's five months now). She's already trying to pull up on things, in an attempt to stand. I'm convinced her love for being on her tummy has caused her to do all of this at these ages.
I know since the Back To Sleep campaign started there has been a decrease in SIDS, but in all honesty, I think there are too many factors to just attribute it to back sleeping. One great thing the BTS campaign did was tell mothers not to overdress (and therefore overheat) their infants.. not to use blankets.. not to put toys or stuffed animals in the crib/bassinet with the baby. I think all of those have had more to do with the success than the actual back sleeping (or perhaps, I am just reading studies wrong).
Also, there has been a huge increase in positional plagiocephaly (and the like) since this huge push for back sleeping. I think often, new mothers are scared to do anything other than back sleep, back sleep, back sleep.. and don't vary the positioning. It's very concerning to me.
Bah.. this is just something I wanted to get out there.. I see tummy sleeping demonized all the time, but it just seemed like the perfect thing for Taylor.
I don't have my baby yet ..still cookin', but I always thought that it seemed more comfy to lay babies on their tummies also. My aunt, who has three small children showed me to lay them on their tummies when I put them to bed (when i babysat) because that's the only way they'd sleep without being fussy. So I always figured that my kid would be a tummy sleeper too. But then all that SIDS crap makes me so paranoid, I don't know what to do, everyone says different things. So I guess for me, I'm just going to wait and let my baby choose the better way for him or herself.
The fact that the death rate for SIDS cases have dropped dramatically since the Back To Sleep campaign shouldn't be taken lightly. No one knows what causes SIDS, and for me I feel much safer putting my baby on her back to sleep. It scares the poop out of me when I find out that she's turned over onto her tummy in the middle of the night (although I've always heard that once they're able to roll over its okay).
During the day, I give her plenty of tummy time. That's her favorite way of playing with her toys.
I do know how it feels to have a baby not want to sleep on his back though. When Jacob was itty bitty, he'd scream bloody murder if I tried to lay him on his back. Since none of my babies ever hardly slept in a crib unless its naptime (or more recently, I just want to have the bed to myself for the first time in nearly six years), I did sometimes let them take naps on their tummies, but I was always in the same room.
But the one thing everyone needs to realize is that they're the mother, not the doctors, psychologists, forum members. If you're comfortable about putting your baby on his tummy to sleep, and you've read everything there is to read about it, then its your decision.
(I'm really trying not to be a buzzkill here, but a cousin lost her baby to SIDS before the Back To Sleep program and my family still talks about it to this day)
I had a baby that would NOT sleep on his back but I was scared to put him on his tummy. I then found Dr. Sears' website or book where he said it is ok for a baby to sleep on their tummy chest to chest with a parent. So that's what I did. I slept in the middle of my bed with M on my chest. I had the blanket tucked around his middle and under me to keep him from accidently falling onto the bed. (The blanket was snug and never higher than the middle of his back.)
Eric slept on his side when he was a tiny imfink because i cosleep and he would cuddle up next to me so he could nurse in the night. Now he rolls around and he randomly sleeps on his back stomach side, but usually stomach with his butt in the air :)
Taylor is like that now. She'll tuck her legs and arms underneath her and stick her butt in the air. :)
Heh, I think I love you? *huge positional plagio advocate here*. However, just because the rate of positional plagio has risen since the back to sleep campaign, doesn't mean the back to sleep campaign is bad. It means the knowledge of tummy time, repositioning, limiting time in carseats/strollers/swings, etc is just not getting out there well enough. Instead of encouraging something that may cause SIDS (because yes, since the BTS campaign started the rates have dropped dramatically. However, it's a risk that every mother must decide, some babies simply won't do it, and that's understandable) we should work harder to get the information about positional plagiocephaly out there. I have resources about it stickied all over the website, but I don't even know if people look at those. If anyone wants to help me spread the word, I have printable pamphlets (just in word, no fuss, no muss) that can be given to expecting or new mothers.
There are definitely great aspects about the BTS campaign.. I just get worried when I see mothers who refuse to do anything but back sleep. No turning them around or side sleeping.. changing head position.. nothing, all because they've been too scared because they think their child will die.
There needs to be more information out there on all of those things you mentioned - and I see you have great info up about positional plagio. I think it's awesome that all of these mommies here will (hopefully) see this information and put it into practice.