Baby Safe Sleeping

Since your baby spends most of the time sleeping in a day, it is natural for you to wonder which is the best baby safe sleeping position.

Your baby may find sleeping on her stomach the most comfortable position. But this is not a safe sleeping position as she may not be able to turn her face to the side when she sleeps. This results in her nose getting pressed on the mattress which might result in suffocation. Also, there are chances of her inhaling germs present in the seemingly clean mattress. The best and safe baby sleeping position is to lay her on her back. Studies have revealed that this reduces chances of cot death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). If your baby shows resistance lying down this way, swaddling her might help to achieve it.

It is a common worry among mothers if their baby will choke due to spitting up or vomiting when they are asleep. This need not cause concern because babies usually swallow or cough up fluids in such cases.

When your baby is nearly a year old and can roll on her own, you can allow her to choose the position she is comfortable in.

Should I always lay my little one on her back? Is it never safe to put her down on her stomach?

You may consider allowing your baby to lie on her stomach when she is awake. However, you must keep an eye on your baby whenever you lay her on her stomach. Laying her on her stomach when she is awake strengthens your baby's neck and shoulder muscles. This also enhances her motoring skills. If your baby rolls over on to her stomach during her sleep, gently lift her and lay her on her back.

It is a good idea to associate lying on the back for sleeping and lying on the stomach for playing. This is often termed as "back to sleep, tummy to play".