My 4 month old is learning how to get herself to sleep and has grown quite attached to a small (washcloth size ) blankie with a little bunny on it. It gets her to fall asleep quickly but problem is she ends up with it over her face sometimes. She just got done being swaddled and I was tired of replacing the paci 10 times a night- with this lovie she grabs it herself when she wakes and gets herself back to sleep. I have no other blankets in the crib and understand the SIDS risks and what the "experts" say about having things in the crib- but this lovie just seems small to pose a risk- Has anyone else had this issue?
If the lovey is small I personally don't worry about it. Both my kids sleep with loveys too (they're about a 14x14-inch piece of fleece with a little lamb head), and both of them frequently have it right over their face.
My youngest daughter has had hers since day 1. She really loves it! I never had any problems.
My son always used a lovie.
I agree with the other moms, it should be small enough that she can remove it herself. Word of advice though: buy several of the same lovie so you have spares. It's also important to rotate them so one doesn't seem newer than the others. My nephew had a favorite stuffed animal. During one of their vacations, housekeeping accidently whisked it away when they changed the sheets. Luckily it was found, but not until after a very difficult night. Remembering this after I had kids and they became attached to their blankets, I bought extras, rotated them and washed them all at the same time. We never had to go through the difficulty of not having the lovie. Eventually, they wean themselves off.
I know what you are talking about my oldest had one that had a lavender scent as well as a little tune that it would play.
Can she move her head well? I'm assuming if she grabs it herself that she can move her head from side to side....I personally don't think it's dangerous, but maybe you should do an internet search on it to be sure. Trying googling "lovies in the crib", "tiny toys for my infant in the crib"....things like that.
At 4 months, your daughter should be able to wake up and move the "lovie" off of her face if it's affecting her breathing. I don't think you should worry about it. :)
Andrea,
Yes! We had the same issue. We swaddled my youngest child for almost 6 months and as we began weaning him from the swaddling, we introduced him to his lovey. We found that no matter where the lovey started out, it would always end up on his face. I was a little concerned, but like your daughter, my son was able to self soothe with it....on his face.
He's 2 1/2 now and still sleeps with his lovey and its no longer on his face (but it IS next to his face) every night. The putting it on his face stage did not last that long (it was 2 years ago, but I don't remember it being more than a month).
As a parent, I realize what the experts say, but as the previous mom said, she is old enough to move something off of her face if it is obstructing her breathing.
B.
Just wanted to add to the reassurances already here. My daughter loves her blankies (full sized ones) and usually sleeps with them over her face or right next to her face. She has done this since she was 3 or 4 months old. As long as your daughter is able to pull it away from her face she should be fine.
my advice... get atleast two more, and use them all regularly! she is getting used to the texture and smell of it, and if it gets lost... look out! these will help you tremendously when you need her to comfort and get herself to sleep, so stock up and use them all, so that they all "wear" the same over the months to come.
I do not have experience with a child needing a blankie, so my advice may be totally off. But you could break the habit and remove the blankie and replace it with a stuffed animal, or have the blankie sewn on to a stuffed animal.
