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Have a question for Dr. Bill or Martha?
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Dr. Bill and Martha Answer:
After reading your article on safe co-sleeping, I have just one question. Is it all right for baby to sleep on his stomach when he's sleeping on top of me? I sleep on my back and my newborn likes to sleep on my chest. Is this safe until he's too heavy for me? I understand why he would need to be on his back when sleeping next to me, but I wondered if this was an exception to that rule. Answer: Yes, it is safe for your newborn to sleep on top of you with the following precautions. Falling asleep on a parent's chest, skin-to-skin, tummy-to-tummy is one of the oldest and most nurturing ways to get a baby to sleep. Babies love to nestle. I have spent many wonderful hours nestling with our babies on my chest in the warm fuzzy position. The rise and fall of your chest, the warm air from your nose on baby's scalp, and baby's ear over your heartbeat is a high-touch way of getting your baby to peacefully drift off to sleep. In some circumstances, it may not be safe for you to fall asleep with your baby on your chest. It is certainly not safe if you are under the influence of alcohol or any medications that alter your awareness of your infant, if you are extremely obese, or if you don't awaken easily from sleep. The worry is rolling over onto your baby. Yet, most mothers have such an acute nighttime sensitivity of their infant that they would immediately awaken if they started to roll over. Enjoy these precious tummy-to-tummy times in the first few months, since infants around four months of age are usually too squirmy to stay put in this sleeping position for very long. |
