And they all rolled over…..

Had a bit of a panic last night as I got home from a night out (no booze, just a workshop at a local writing group) to find Jamie asleep on his side. Over the last few nights he has been waking us up by rolling onto his front and sucking the covers. What nutritional value his Winnie the Pooh mattress cover is I really can’t say, but so far we have been able to feed him and he has gone back to sleep. But to find him actually sleeping on his side was a bit of a worry. No one had told me whether or not it was safe and all the information about cot death just mentions making sure your baby sleeps on their back.

So, at 11pm last night I was searching on the Internet for something to calm me down. (us new mums – always worrying about something!!) Recent research has shown that there is a connection between the sleeping positions of babies and cot death. The risk of cot death is greatly reduced if the baby sleeps on their back. To let your baby sleep on its side is safer than letting it sleep on its stomach, but the most recent studies show that the position is not as safe for your baby as sleeping on its back.

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.

When the baby has grown old enough to begin turning over by itself in the bed, just tuck it in on its back, but don't worry if they turn over later. There is no need to turn your baby back over during the night. www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/babysleep.htm

A few of the forums mentioned breastfeeding mothers whose babies often fall asleep after they have fed them lying on their side. One even said that at one point babies were "meant" to sleep on their side then it changed again

Sent a text to Dales sister-in-law and apparently cousin Lucy sleeps on her side. She also ends up with her feet facing the other end of the bed. Jamie has certainly got a lot more boisterous – not just at night but also in the day – and he kicks and throws his arms about all the time. We are still trying to include ‘tummy time’ every day but he seems to like it less than before. You can almost hear the frustration in his voice as he tries to lift himself up. He is not quite reaching for things but he can certainly grab something when he feels like it – usually mine or dad’s hair - and he has got a lethal pinch!