Baby is Rolling Over in Her Sleep, What Now?

Wed, 5 Jul 17

You spend the first months of your baby’s life carefully following the AAP’s guidelines on safe sleep, always conscientiously putting her to sleep on her back, and suddenly baby is rolling over to her tummy! What now? Our favorite sleep expert Kim West LCSW-C, The Sleep Lady® has some good advice for parents experiencing the pride – and anxiety – that comes with this big milestone.

You don’t need to turn baby back over…

Parenting experts are in good agreement on this point: if your baby isn’t distressed about the back-to-front switch, you don’t need to be either. According to the Canadian Joint Statement on Safe Sleep, developed in collaboration with North American experts on sudden infant deaths, “Once infants are able to roll from their backs to their stomachs or sides it is not necessary to reposition them onto their backs.”

…but some patience might be required

But if he finds himself rolling over to his tummy and can’t roll back, he might wake and need your help flipping over and getting back to sleep. In this case you should help, of course! But with a minimum of fuss – keep the lights low, and let him fall back asleep on his own.

During waking hours, give baby plenty of floor and tummy time to practice her new skill.

During this and other developmental milestones, baby’s sleep, eating, and behavior are more likely than usual to be disrupted. She may seem distracted, or fussy, or just need more attention than usual. Be patient – with her, but also with yourself! Do your best to make sure you both get enough sleep, and don’t hesitate to ask for help. Maybe that nice elderly neighbor would love to have some play time with baby while you take a nap??

This baby is rolling over …

With the Evoz WiFi Baby Monitor, you can check on your baby from anywhere, right on your phone. In this and other difficult transition periods, it’s so helpful to be able to peek in without opening the door and flipping the lights on – because sometimes, it’s not the baby who needs comforting, it’s the parents! You can even use the monitor to snap cute pictures of this big milestone!

For more great sleep advice, check out Kim’s support programs for parents here.

Sweet dreams,

Evoz

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