It can all be very confusing. Put the baby on her tummy, no her side, no her back. Over the years, weve been told many different things about sleeping positions for babies. Heres the scoop, from my perspective, anyway.
Years ago, it was common practice for babies to sleep on their stomachs. And, there was good reason babies sleep more soundly on their tummies than in any other position. Most of us were put to sleep on our stomachs, and we turned out fine, right?
But, now we have a little more information. Putting your baby to sleep on her back or side can reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by as much as 50 percent. Therefore, most pediatricians will recommend that you put the baby to sleep on her back from the beginning. There were a few years there where doctors recommended that babies sleep on their sides, as this not only reduces the risk of SIDS, but also reduces the risk that the child might choke on her vomit if she spits up (which, by the way, is rare). But, today most doctors say the back or side is fine its really hard to keep a newborn on her side.
If your baby fusses a lot when sleeping on her back, try swaddling her, or try...