finster

Hiya,

I just signed up for saidit to respond to this. First of all, double congratulations on your newborns. You're fortunate to have them healthy and at home. I'm going to write a few things that may help you to feel better.

One is that many cultures over centuries have been putting children to sleep on their bellies. It is a characteristic position for a human to be in. It is commonly seen that newborns placed on their mother's belly will crawl to the breast and start to suck. During times of alertness, being on their bellies is an important developmental situation in which babies start lifting their head, looking around and reaching toward objects. Later, from the same position, they learn to roll, to crawl, to come up to sit. It is only to be expected they will fall asleep in this position as well.

If you allow the babies to be on their bellies, at times they will fall asleep.

Last time I looked, the CDC guidance was that many SIDS deaths are associated with babies sleeping on soft sofa or other improvised bed with an inebriated parent, and associated with situations where the baby may end up being smothered by sheets or blankets. (For similar reasons, some experts advise against co-sleeping, another practice that has continued throughout human history.) SIDS is also more common when the babies are premature or have medical issues. From what I understand these are your biggest risk factors to consider.

In other words the SIDS risk is not only from being in a particular position, but also the situation in the house and the baby's age and overall health.

Mothers everywhere decide what they feel safe with. Since moms and babies need their rest and since many babies fall asleep easily on their tummies, that can be an influencing factor.

There may be factors from the family history to consider. Did her parents put their babies to sleep on their bellies? Does your wife sleep on her belly? Where did she get the idea to do it, when so many people (not necessarily always rightly) advise against it?

Because of their unusual start to life, twins do deserve extra attention. You didn't write how old they are or at what week they were born. One thing you can watch is whether your babies, when resting on their bellies, are able to turn their head from one side to the other. This is an important milestone. It means if their face is covered by a sheet or blanket, they can turn away from it and probably get access to air. Also, if they get tired from resting their head on one side, they can change position themselves. So you can be more confident as soon as observe that your babies are capable of turning their heads.

Of course it's better to be nearby when they're on their bellies. At night, they might be on their bellies a couple hours between feedings, which could be tolerable if you see they handle the position well during the day.