How were babies put to bed in the 70s?

on their fronts,especially my prems who it was said conserved more heat /energy if put down that way .Once they could move about a bit it was on their side

I was told to lie them on their side so that if they vomit, they won't choke.

On their tummy. This was considered safest.

Nowadays..... it's a different story.

One of mine was put to bed on her back (the first in '68) Four years later, they had changed the "correct way" so second baby slept on her front. Eight years later things had changed again and son was put down on his side.

All seemed perfectly happy with there lot.

On their tummy which caused much comment from older ladies who were convinced it was really bad for the baby and always told you so and warned you that he might suffocate.

their!!! Not there. Must not come across as uneducated.

Yes trisher I had the same when out with the pram.

Mine were put to sleep on their fronts, but I noticed that within a very few weeks they learnt to roll onto their backs and slept very happily.

On their front or on side with a blanket rolled behind them to stop them rolling onto their backs. I reared 3 like this and didn't lose any of them! My GS lay on his back with his head to one side and
his skull developed a very odd shape. Luckily he has lots of thick hair. I suggested a helmet which was recommended, but DD wasn't having any of it ?

HaHaHa! Gonegirl. Just laughed out loud. I read the 'uneducated' post this afternoon. lol
In answer to the op, I had my first baby 1975 and he slept on his tummy. I can't remember for my other two but was probably the same.
Still laughing.

Sharon

I think back in 50s, babies slept on their sides. I remember my mother telling me she used to put a comb under the pillow (yes, pillows were used for babies then) on the side she had me on, to remind her, so she could put me back on the other side next time.

Gonegirl can you imagine if any of us dared to comment on a stranger's baby these days? There'd be no end of comments on Mumsnet!

DS1 was born with bilateral talipes, a note was left on his cot in hospital "Do not put me on my tummy".

Either their back or their side. None of mine slept on their fronts. When I had my first baby I had a old-fashioned midwife who'd seen it all before. She didn't approve of the new fashion for front-sleeping and told me side/back was preferable.

She was sadly proven correct. The fad for front sleeping came about because people observed that premature babies did better when nursed on their fronts. That was extrapolated to mean all babies would do better on their front. As we now know, it tragically led to the unnecessary deaths of many babies, some of whom were known to me.

Mine were born ‘73, ‘75 and ‘77. The advice for all three was to sleep them on their tummy’s. The reasoning being that if they were on their backs and were sick they’d choke on it. Our mums were both disgusted as they were convinced they would drown in their own vomit or suffocate as they were too young to lift their heads away. As No1 DD was a sicky baby I put her on her side with her knees curled up. Roughly alternating sides. No problems with her so I did the same with the next two. I always was a bit of a rebel.

1982 baby was recommended to be put on belly on a mattress with holes pre-drilled in it. Fortunately baby was biggish and could raise head from birth.

DD1 was born February 1980. The advice was to put her to sleep on her side, and alternate sides (how to remember?). If she rolled onto her back they said to put a rolled up cot sheet behind her back, and never to let her sleep on her front. I had a cot bumper to stop draughts which are now forbidden. As an older child, and still as an adult she prefers to sleep on her tummy, a problem when she herself was pregnant.

DS was also born Feb 1980. I think the general advice I received was to put him on his front - OK if he vomited, but not if he plonked his nose down on the mattress and couldn't breathe. So I always put him on his side so that he could breathe but not choke.
He also used to come to bed with us when he was restless and that way we all got some sleep.

1977 and 1979 Both were happiest on their fronts to start with. It seemed to give them a feeling of security. When placed on their backs they would give a startled reaction and cry.

With my 1st in 1970, on the side was the advice then, she hated it and kept wriggling onto her back (the current recommended position!), I got told off by the health visitor! 2nd 1973, recommended position was on their tummies, he loved it so no telling off needed! Still the same in 1978 but changed again by 1982 by which time I’d long since realised just do whatever works to help a baby to settle to sleep!

In 1979 the advice was front (he wouldn't settle) or side, never back. 1981, the same. By 1986 and 89 it was definitely side sleeping - but they wouldn't, of course. I felt so guilty when they wriggled/rolled and slept on their backs! They wobbled about in the pram, propped on their sides with a rolled blanket behind them - ridiculous.

DS was born in 1971. He was always laid on his front. I think the thinking was that if the baby vomited it could not ingest the vomit. In the mornings he slept in his pram in the garden. I always knew when he was awake as a little bottom would rise above the side of the pram. I don't know if it was the fresh air but he slept for hours .

My eldest were tummy babies and were very strong and able to lift their heads from an early age and look over the top of the carrycot.
The reasoning was they wouldn't choke on their own vomit. They were thus a bit late to sit up alone although they all crawled early.
How did you manage to keep them on their sides?
When DD was born in the 80s she was side or back because of the cot death research.
Pictures of babies in prams throughout this time showed them on the backs or sitting up.