A question for those of you with kids who also had trouble with startling when asleep on their backs as newborns - do you know if they have a retained MORO reflex? My worst sleeper did, and working to integrate it has helped her appreciably.
I work with newborns and even at around 10 days old it is rare for me to see a newborn with a moro reflex as strong as my own kids had even months later. Many of the babies I see have little to no moro reflex at all, and they are much more settled babies.
Umm, well, I have an awful story about that. DD had horrible colic around a few weeks old. DH was walking her around in seated position facing outward because that was all she could stand. She wouldn't stop screaming and fussing, so at one point, he just went around in a circle a few times. I guess in desperation, I dunno. When he stopped, her arms were straight out, stuck there. She was dizzy. It was funny and didn't seem to do any damage, but I felt bad, anyway. She did stop crying for a bit. I don't know if that was out of the ordinary, though.
Also, DD never slept on her back. Oops. She always ended up on her side, cuddled up next to me. I'd be on my side, too. She used to nurse and fall asleep like that. I liked that I could hear her breathing and know the second she stirred. She sleeps on her back now sometimes, although I think she might end up on her front, too, but shes 9 months almost.
