Babies and Pillows-WWYD

[lucylou]

I know it is not best practice, but does anyone let their LO sleep with a pillow? I'm pretty sure this could be the answer to get DS to sleep in his crib but I've been too nervous to try. Last night he stayed in his crib for quite awhile with one until I was ready to go to bed and chickened out and took it away= immediate wake up and sleeping in my bed.
I was doing some online research and saw that some doctors recommend babies as young as 4 months sleeping with a pillow if they have a cold, so maybe it's not that terrible?? I thought maybe putting one under his sheet so he couldn't bring it on top of himself.
I don't want to do anything to jeopardize his safety obviously but he has good neck strength and is also very vocal if he's uncomfortable.
Does anyone do this? Any STMs with insight?
Thanks in advance

[russiandea12]

I would not. Seems unnecessarily dangerous. We didn't give our son anything in his crib until he was 1 and didn't have a pillow untill he was 2 and in a big boy bed.

[sosayweall]

I wouldn't risk it personally. I think the recommendation for colds is that the pillow goes under the mattress so that it's an incline. I did try this at one point and DS just ended up at the bottom of the crib.

[Deleted]

I wouldn't risk a pillow, but LO does sleep with a lovie. That seems to help him a lot. I used to take it out before I went to bed, but for the last couple weeks I have left it with him.

[gahorseygal]

I leave a lovey with LO in her crib and she often sleeps with it over her face. maybe a very small pillow?

[Chrisse]

Probably flame worthy, but LO naps on her Boppy. You know, the exact thing all the tags on the damn thing say not to do, but that's the only way she'll get any quality naps in, short of sleeping in her car seat.

No pillows in the crib, though I do keep one end slightly inclined with a blanket under the mattress.

[rbl]

I wouldn't put a pillow in the crib yet. DD had a cold and we put her bouncy seat in the crib and let her sleep in that so she was more upright.

[lucylou]

Consensus is no. Thanks everybody. I think my exhaustion might be clouding my judgement

[mandapanda1382]

Feb 14, 2015 17:16:01 GMT -5 lucylou said:

Consensus is no. Thanks everybody. I think my exhaustion might be clouding my judgement

I know, it's so tempting when you just want to sleep. Hope you find a magic way to help LO sleep soon.

[Deleted]

Have you thought about putting a pillow under the mattress making an incline? It will prop up the "head" of the mattress but still leave it flat and firm where the baby sleeps.

[lucylou]

Thank you mandapanda1382!

[lucylou]

Feb 14, 2015 20:27:25 GMT -5 @lizziebennett said:

Have you thought about putting a pillow under the mattress making an incline? It will prop up the "head" of the mattress but still leave it flat and firm where the baby sleeps.

We do have a crib wedge under the sheet right now but it hasn't made much difference. I think it's more of the softness or possibly the smell (it was my pillow) that he likes so much. I tell DH that he reminds me of princess and the pea!

[Aaemommy]

I give LO a lovey. It's designed so he can breathe through the material so even if it covers his face he'll be okay. But it's soft and he loves to rub it all over his head as he falls asleep. Maybe try sleeping with it before you give it to LO so it smells like you.
Just a thought- it's probably safer than putting a whole pillow in there with him. I hope you find something soon!

[annbuhdan]

I know this goes against everybody, but I don't think it would be terrible to put a pillow under the sheet like you suggested. We've had LO in the crib for 1.5 months with two pillows wedged under the sheet on either side of her. She likes to be snuggled while she sleeps, and it has been working out for us.

[redhorizon343]

Feb 14, 2015 20:49:29 GMT -5 lucylou said:

Feb 14, 2015 20:27:25 GMT -5 @lizziebennett said:

Have you thought about putting a pillow under the mattress making an incline? It will prop up the "head" of the mattress but still leave it flat and firm where the baby sleeps.

We do have a crib wedge under the sheet right now but it hasn't made much difference. I think it's more of the softness or possibly the smell (it was my pillow) that he likes so much. I tell DH that he reminds me of princess and the pea!

If you think that it's just the smell that he likes,  maybe you can try taking the pillow case out and tying it in a knot and putting it in the crib with him?

[Deleted]

Feb 14, 2015 21:12:37 GMT -5 redhorizon343 said:

Feb 14, 2015 20:49:29 GMT -5 lucylou said:

We do have a crib wedge under the sheet right now but it hasn't made much difference. I think it's more of the softness or possibly the smell (it was my pillow) that he likes so much. I tell DH that he reminds me of princess and the pea!

If you think that it's just the smell that he likes,  maybe you can try taking the pillow case out and tying it in a knot and putting it in the crib with him?

That's a great idea!

[mrsnorris]

Feb 14, 2015 21:12:37 GMT -5 redhorizon343 said:

Feb 14, 2015 20:49:29 GMT -5 lucylou said:

We do have a crib wedge under the sheet right now but it hasn't made much difference. I think it's more of the softness or possibly the smell (it was my pillow) that he likes so much. I tell DH that he reminds me of princess and the pea!

If you think that it's just the smell that he likes,  maybe you can try taking the pillow case out and tying it in a knot and putting it in the crib with him?

This.  Or I've slept with LOs sheet wrapped around my pillow. It didn't help in my case, but if you think it's a smell thing it might be worth a try.

ETA: I slept with it for two nights then put it on her PnP mattress.

[lucylou]

Feb 14, 2015 21:16:38 GMT -5 mrsnorris said:

Feb 14, 2015 21:12:37 GMT -5 redhorizon343 said:

If you think that it's just the smell that he likes,  maybe you can try taking the pillow case out and tying it in a knot and putting it in the crib with him?

This.  Or I've slept with LOs sheet wrapped around my pillow. It didn't help in my case, but if you think it's a smell thing it might be worth a try.

ETA: I slept with it for two nights then put it on her PnP mattress.

I did sleep with his sheet for a couple nights before I put it on the mattress and didn't see any result but I'm sure my pillow case has a much stronger scent. It's worth a try. Thanks redhorizon343!

[redhorizon343]

Feb 14, 2015 21:39:22 GMT -5 lucylou said:

Feb 14, 2015 21:16:38 GMT -5 mrsnorris said:

This.  Or I've slept with LOs sheet wrapped around my pillow. It didn't help in my case, but if you think it's a smell thing it might be worth a try.

ETA: I slept with it for two nights then put it on her PnP mattress.

I did sleep with his sheet for a couple nights before I put it on the mattress and didn't see any result but I'm sure my pillow case has a much stronger scent. It's worth a try. Thanks redhorizon343!

At least if it doesn't work, you'll know it's not the scent he was attracted to.

[lucylou]

Feb 14, 2015 21:06:52 GMT -5 annbuhdan said:

I know this goes against everybody, but I don't think it would be terrible to put a pillow under the sheet like you suggested. We've had LO in the crib for 1.5 months with two pillows wedged under the sheet on either side of her. She likes to be snuggled while she sleeps, and it has been working out for us.

This! I know he loves to feel snuggled. I hold him for naps and at night he's been sleeping like in the crook of my arm. Once I was sick and desperate and I let him sleep next to me laying on the U part of my snoogle (pregnancy pillow). He slept so well in it but I've been too scared to let him do it in his crib (and DH didn't appreciate being banished to the guest room that night lol). But if I could rig up something like you're talking about....are they really flat pillows? I'm scared he will sink his face into it. He loves to snuggle against stuff. I mean, I know he can turn his head away easily but I don't know how it works, like if he would wake up to know to turn.

[lucylou]

Omg ^^ I'm making no sense. Stick a fork in me, I'm done. Im gonna try to get some sleep and revisit. Please don't judge me lol

[annbuhdan]

lucylou She started out in the RnP and always turned her head right into the side of it. She also will bury her face in my arms when I hold her. She likes to be burrowed in! When we got to the crib she couldn't handle the open space and just rolled all over the place. I grabbed the pillows from the guest room and stuffed them under the sheet. They're actually very fat pillows, so the sheet is pretty tight over them. That way I know it's not really fluffy for her face to sink in. They create a well for her to sleep in just like the RnP. I check on her frequently while I'm awake but when I go to bed I don't even worry about her. She seems so comfortable! Wish I could explain it better though...

[Burnntoashes6402]

When I transitioned DD from the RNP to her crib, I put a small travel sized pillow under the mattress to incline it some and then I rolled up a beach towel length wise and put it under her crib sheet in a U Shape and she has slept in there every night since. I'll probably remove it when it's no longer cold out, as I'm sure it helps snuggle her and keep her warm.

[lucylou]

Feb 15, 2015 8:31:13 GMT -5 Burnntoashes6402 said:

When I transitioned DD from the RNP to her crib, I put a small travel sized pillow under the mattress to incline it some and then I rolled up a beach towel length wise and put it under her crib sheet in a U Shape and she has slept in there every night since. I'll probably remove it when it's no longer cold out, as I'm sure it helps snuggle her and keep her warm.

I like the sound of this.. I think I'm going to try it

[3magicbeans]

I was also going to suggest the pillow under the mattress to keep baby inclined like Burnntoashes6402 and @lizziebennett said(we do that when they get congested). only thing is the baby migrates to the bottom of the incline. I'm going to invent a velcro sheet and sleeper combo to keep baby in place.