When Can I Use a Blanket in the Crib?

Try getting a sleep sack to put him in. it is a wearable blanket that you don't have to worry about suffocation. I loved them when my daughter was small.

Have you ever seen a "Sleep Sack"? They are a fleece or cotton "bag" that zip up the front and covers their body, feet and legs, but has holes for the arms like a sleeveless shirt. You can put a long sleeve onesie on to cover his arms and the bag will cover the rest. They are very warm and cozy!

I didn't put a blanket in the crib until well after a year old, and then it was only a thin one. I felt the same way, but the pediatrician was VERY against blankets or anything else in the crib. So, I dressed my son in long sleeve/pants pajamas plus socks. They never stay covered up anyway.

We found that ours would kick the blanket off her no matter what, so we use blanket sleepers and under them on cold nights, a onesie and socks.

onestepahead.com has breathable blankets, bumpers, etc.

I have a 3 month old and we live in a house that has furnaces- no central heat. Needless to say, I know where you're coming from. I've found that if I put her in a sleep sack I have no worries. Also, while sleep on his back, try placing the blanket over him with it tucked under each arm. That way he might not pull the blanket over his face and if it is lightweight, it's easier for him to push it off if it does go over his face. Hope this helps!

I highly recommend a Sleep Sac instead. You can get them online or at Babies R Us and they will keep your son toasty warm but keep everything off his face. The risk of SIDs is still high until 1 year old, so better safe than sorry!

Good luck!
K.

I have 2 and one on the way and have always used blankets. If you feel uncomfortable just use those really warm pajamas they sell. He should be good to go.

I would say wait. I waited until my daughter was 2 yrs old before putting a pillow and blanket in with her. I used the blanket sleepers, those are wonderful. They can be expensive if you get them from toys r us...check wal-mart. And socks help keep them warm in there too. I never had any problems and highly recommened them. You also have to be aware that it is not about the baby suffocating. If their face is too close to an object, pillow, whatever....if they oxygen and carbon dioxide is not cycling properly they can be in harms way just being too close to something. Better safe than sorry. So the sleeper blanket is the way I would go.

Your baby can move now, he should be able to adjust if it bothers him. If you are too worried, look in JC Penneys they have those sacks you zip them into and they will be warm. Good luck! Jen

Our daughter is 17 months and we still don't allow blankets. Target has thermol p.j.s that we purchased and on top of that she wears her zippy onesie (with knee high socks). On extra cold nights she gets a sweatshirt and sweat pants over that. I can tell when she's cold and needs the extra sweat pants because she keeps waking up. Seems once we give her that 3rd layer - she sleeps the rest of the night. GOOD LUCK!

My kids have all (I have 4) always slept with a blanket. They each have their favorite kind. Most like the sweater type. Definitely not the fleece. None of them liked those. Pick one that has an open weave with lots of small holes in it. Even if he does get it over his head, he'll have plenty of space to breathe.
At 7 months he can roll over easily and turn his head and wriggle around. The real threat of suffocation is when they're smaller and unable to free themselves if they get caught between pillows or bumper pad, etc.
You can even start out with one of those really small blankets until you see how he does with it.

My baby is almost 11 months and we use sleep sacks. They are great because they are a blanket (you can get in fleece or cotton) but they are one piece and zip so nothing can get to their face. We put him in that with pants and long sleeve pjs when it's cold. Here's a link to them (they come in Small, medium, large, and extra large) http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2809119

I love this brand. I have tried different ones, but found these to be the best.

I have always used a crocheted blanket in the cribs with my two girls. They are warm yet have holes in them which allows air flow in the event it did get over their face.

You can put a blanket in with him. I did. I also used those fuzzy blanket sleepers, got them a little too big, and layered my boys up. As soon as my boys could move their heads around I put blankets in their beds. I was always afraid they were too cold.

Can you get him the blanket sleepers ..those work great

Hi D.,

You can buy the baby night suits that are a blanket, but attached and safe! That's definitely the best way. My daughters, 3 and 7, still don't keep their blankets on them at night, and get cold!!

By the way, there's a great Moms group in Northlake Park with tons of new mommies!! Write back if you are interested in getting the invitation, you don't have to live in the neighborhood.

D. M

I have never used a blanket with the girs in the crib because it would just get all tangled up with as much as they move around. And the last thing I want is to have them wake up. I have always used a blanket sleeper. the fleece ones with feet. I buy it a little big and layer them with a onesie and pajama bottoms or regular pjs. I ever have put socks on them too if it was going to be very cold. I would stay away from a blanket. My friend would use one for her daughter but still not dress her warm and she still woke up bacause they can't keep a blanket on them and definetly can't pull it back over them if they get cold. go with layering and a sleeper.

D., I think our twins were 10 or 11 months old. I figured that at that age, they could move the blanket off them. I was a first time Mom and anxious about suffocation, too. I LOVED the Cloud B & Gerber sleep sacks and had the kids in those until they grew out of them...they slept so well in them...all kids are different though. Hope this advice helps. Good luck & God bless.

Not sure what you dress your little one in on cold nights, but I have always used the blanket one piece sleepers with feet in them. That way they stay warm. And I've always heard that for infants the best temperature is between 68-72 degrees, which is usually colder than us adults are used to. And babies and toddlers body temperature is a bit warmer than ours. Not sure when it is a good time to start a blanket. My son is almost 2 years old and he doesn't use a blanket or a pillow as yet. We've tried a blanket with him, but it usually is off when we look at him later on or get him up. So I'm in no rush for a pillow either. But that's just us. I would think i'd be okay for a blanket at 1 year old.

My daughter is also 7 months, I have been putting one on her as soon as she started rolling over and lifting her head well. Use your motherly instinct, start with naptime if you are nervous about it. Good Luck
N.

My daughter is a 3 year old ex-preemie and trust me I panicked about everything! However, she always got a blanket, even when she was in the NICU. I guess we have always broken the rules even from the beginning with stuffed animals in her crib. You just have to go with what you feel comfortable with and let the rest go. Good luck!

D.,
I'm far from an expert, but what we did was swaddle our newborns (wrap them up like little burritos :), and when they were too big to stay bundled up like that we figured it was ok for them to use a blanket. I find that it's harder to keep the blanket on them than anything else-- if you think about how the baby would need to move to get it over his head, it's pretty unlikely... kicking usually pulls the blanket off.
Good luck!

Hi D.:

I understand your concern. I was the same way too with my daughter, Angelina (who is now 17 months). So that I could get a good night's sleep, I invested in a number of Swaddlers. The baby will wear this like an outfit. See http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4858288. They sell them at other places besides Walmart, so shop around.

They were a God-send because I had the same fear as you do and they work great and keep the baby warm. Since your son is alreay 7 months, I would not invest in too many. I went overboard and bought large and extra large ones. What I failed to consider was that once they are standing up in the crib, this will hinder from standing or walking around since it is like a sack. So at 7 months, invest in about 2 or 3 warm ones and that should last you.

I hope this help.

P.S. - I have decided to open the bottoms of the larger ones and she can wear them like a dress sleeper. LOL!

Hi D.,
We always use a soft blanket in our babies cribs. We would cover them up with it. One day my young baby boy 4-5 mnths?, was crying and kinda reaching for the crib and I was like oh he wants his blanket and til this day has to take it everywhere he goes. He has four of the same soft blankets from sears. My 3 yr old is a binky baby and we tie a bandana aaround it to help us and him find it easier. He is growing out of it and becoming a big boy, but we are not pushing him to give up something that comforts him. We also have always used a oil space heater (they are very safe) in each room in winter, since they cannot keep their blankets on them, it helps them stay warm and sleep all night because they don't wake up chilly. and you also don't have to crank the heat up in the whole house. We also use it in the summer if their room is a chilly room (some just are), but on a low setting. We go into the room about an hour or so and check the temperature to make sure t is right for the season. So go ahead and give him the blanket it won't hurt him, providing it is a baby size. Good luck and God Bless, L.

stay warm amd sleep through the night.

my baby will be 23 in september. Instead of blankets, get warmer PJs

I cant recall when i started putting a blanket in my sons crib, but I can sugest the sleeper gowns that compleately cover everythin from the neck over the toes. I feel its the safest way and you wont loose sleep over it.

Hi D.: By this age they are well aware if something's over their head. That is a natural instinct that begins early on as an infant even. Try playing the peek a boo game with a small blanket and put it over his head and see how long it takes him to react and pull it off. Not only would a blanket provide warmth but comfort. Seems very cold to me to be in a space without anything to snuggle with. However, i did buy a specific blanket because I wanted something light in weight (not some big bulky thing) yet something warm. I buy goose down comforters in a light to medium weight for the winter and they work wonders!!! I found that the kids were sleeping better (sounder sleep and sleeping longer) because they were comfortable and warm. I hope this helps and have a blessed day.

I'm a mom in my 40's and having 4 kids of my own ages 12, 10, 5 and 2 and am a business owner here in Jacksonville.

If you decide to use a blanket, have your baby lay down on the bottom half of the crib, put the blanket on the baby so the top of the blanket is under his chin, then tuck the blanket under the mattress so it does not move up. Do not tuck the sides, just the bottom so when the baby sleeps, there blanket should not move up over his head but he can still move the blanket if it gets in his way. Also, make sure that the crib is low enough that if he does scrunch up the blanket on the bottom, he can't use it to get out.

I have an 11 year old son and a 4 year old daughter. When they were babies, I would do one of two things. I would either use a stiffer, smaller blanket, one that can't bunch up around or on them; or, I would take a blanket (a crib sized or a throw) and instead of using it the correct way in their crib, I would turn it long ways to the width of the crib so there would be more to tuck in and it would not come un-tucked during the night.

In my opinion, blankets are pretty useless at that age... they move around so much in the crib, that more that likely it's not going to help keep them warm. I've been putting socks on my son, under his sleeper, and then sometimes putting light weight pants over his sleeper. So far, this has helped in keeping him warm on those cold nights.
Good luck with finding "mommy friends." It's always good to have friends to go through all the new "mommy" experiences with... keep looking, you'll find someone good for you!