Can my Baby Sleep on her Tummy?

Over the holiday weekend my husband's parents were in town, and offered to watch our kids while we went out for a date. I know, what a couple of sweeties! Well, when we came home, they started giving us the low down on how the littles did while we were gone, and my husband's dad hesitantly asked, "Is it okay if Sienna is sleeping on her stomach?"

As a mama, you kind of forget that everyone in the world hasn't furiously googled everything their child has ever done to make sure it's "okay" and when it comes to sleeping babes everyone gets a little bit nervous.

So the question is: Can my baby sleep on her tummy?

The only reason this is a common question, is that our littles hit often find it more comfortable to lie on their tummies, and a lot of mamas find that it helps babes with reflux or upset tummies to sleep face down, and we all just want to make sure we're doing what's safest for our littles.

So what do the experts say? Pretty much any doc or expert will tell you that back is best-- and that means that when you lay your little one down to sleep at night, you should make sure you're lying them on her back. This has been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS which is highest in the first 3-4 months.

There's a couple things that are just as important as the way your baby sleeps that will definitely help you (and your baby!) sleep better at night-- a firm, flat mattress, properly fitted sheets, no pillows, blankets, or toys in the crib, well-fitted pajamas, and swaddling are all ways to reduce the risk to your littles while they sleep.

Once your babe can easily roll over from her tummy to her back and her back to her tummy all on her own, there's really no stopping her from rolling when she's sleeping. Once babies are able to roll, you're going to want to stop swaddling, because their arms being out plays a huge part in them being able to lift their little heads from side to side so they can sleep safely.

So to answer my babes' grandpa, no worries! Since my little babe is almost 2 *sob*, she's truly out of that high risk range for SIDS, and since she can stand, walk, crawl, climb, and roll all on her own, she is more than capable of turning over from back to tummy without trouble. It is recommended that you still lay your babes to sleep on their backs till they turn 1, but you don't need to worry about them staying that way!

For extra sanity, invest in the Owlet sock or bundle! That little sock will keep you sane all night long!

Being worried about your littles while they sleep is totally normal, and if you're new to the parenting game (or been out of it for a while like our fave babysitters), then you'll want a little peace of mind about the babes in their beds. But when it comes to whether or not a baby can sleep safely on his tummy, the answer is YES, as long as he can turn over on his own, and the crib is kept safe!