Pillow in Crib | Imamother

amother

Mon, Nov 24 2008, 6:31 pm

Is 8 months too young?

Without jumping on me. DD has had a cold and seems to like to sleep on a pillow. I found this out after the babysitter gave her a pillow during nap time. DD is super active, can stand and walk along furniture (and crib rail), crawls and overall is a bit ahead of the game physically. Last night she wouldn't go to sleep for anything. At my wits end, I gave her a pillow, she happily curled up and fell asleep! I on the other hand was up ever 10 minutes checking on her!

pecan

Mon, Nov 24 2008, 6:35 pm

I wouldn't do it. Try putting up one side of the mattress by putting pillow or towel under the mattress.

red sea

Mon, Nov 24 2008, 6:46 pm

I agree, put the pillow under the mattress if you want, 8 mo is too young to use a pillow

yOungM0mmy

Mon, Nov 24 2008, 7:45 pm

I'd also worry about a pillow - didn;t give one to DS1 until he was almost 2, and that was only cuz we were at cousins for pesach and he slept in a bed with a pillow there. DS2 is a year, and still sleeps without. Can you put something else soft in there? DS2 sleeps with one of my nightgowns in his crib, it's soft, he likes the smell, etc..

toni

Mon, Nov 24 2008, 8:38 pm

Whenever my dd has a cold I find that if I put a rolled up towel under the mattress to raise her head, it helps tremendously.

gold21

Mon, Nov 24 2008, 8:45 pm

I think its probably fine. She's already 8 mnths old....

I don't know that your pediatrician would agree with me necessarily, but I personally really doubt that its an issue to give a baby that age a pillow.

YALT

Mon, Nov 24 2008, 9:09 pm

I know everyone will jump at me, but... my kids sleep with pillows at that age.
They have reflux and we tried raising end of mattress from underneath. It DIDN'T help so much! But when we gave them pillows, they slept much better. DD is 8½ months, and sleeps with a pillow.

justanothermother

Mon, Nov 24 2008, 9:17 pm

It's great to keep her head elevated but I would be wary of a pillow at that age. I was planning to get this when DS had an ear infection, but I ended up keeping him in his car seat at night.
http://www.target.com/Folding-.....age=1

flowerpower

Mon, Nov 24 2008, 9:52 pm

I am a proud pillow user. My infants sleep better and breathe better that way. Of course I am very careful.

justanothermother

Mon, Nov 24 2008, 10:02 pm

flowerpower wrote:

Of course I am very careful.

How?

ChanahLeah

Tue, Nov 25 2008, 1:10 am

My DS has always loved his pillow and we haven't had a problem. He is 16 months old now, and instead of being attached to a blanky, he drags his pillow around, chewing on the edges. He loves to hold the edge of it while he goes to sleep. I didn't put it in his crinb until he could get up and dow on his on in the crib and was active enough for it not to be a hazard. He loves it.

BeershevaBubby

Tue, Nov 25 2008, 1:14 am

I've been thinking about getting a pillow for my 18 month old.

Maybe instead of putting it under the mattress, you can put it under the crib sheet so it' still secure but gives the baby a softer spot on the mattress.

Zus

Tue, Nov 25 2008, 2:37 am

pillows IN the crib are a big suffocation hazard for kids under the age of 2.

Last edited by Zus on Tue, Nov 25 2008, 2:49 am; edited 1 time in total

HindaRochel

Tue, Nov 25 2008, 2:43 am

No no no no no no.
We did co-sleeping and all pillows were off the bed.
Really it is a suffocation hazard. And of course not every child will suffocate, but it really isn't safe.

cubbie

Tue, Nov 25 2008, 2:46 am

I didn't give dd1 a pillow until she was able to VERBALLY ask for it (somewhere between 1 1/2 and 2, I don't remember) and then I would let her fall asleep on it and take it out once she was asleep, when she got to the point that she would wake up and realize it wasn't there, and ask for it in the night I left it in, that was at around 2. Dd 2 is 20 months and is starting to steal a pillow from my bed, but she's still not asked for it in her crib so I don't give her one. There is no benefit in giving a pillow early, it is just a danger.

cubbie

Tue, Nov 25 2008, 2:47 am

And to add, it is not just a suffocation risk, it can also be used as an aid to climb out of a crib.