When Is It Ok for Baby to Sleep with Pillows, Blanket, or Stuffed Animal?

We did a recieving blanket when they came home from the hospital, a stuffed animal at 6 months, and pillows at 1 yr.

My kids always had blankets either swaddled around them or whatever. My daughter suffered from ear infections the winter when she was around 1 yr. and she'd crawl out of her crib if I slanted the crib to help prop her up, so I started to lay her on a very thin pillow to try to prop her at night. My son had reflux as an infant so I did the same for him at a younger age. It seemed to work and while it was "against the rules" it helped them get a good night's sleep, and me too! But I guess unless it's necessary I'd avoid it until the recommended age. But do what feels right for you no matter what mom says! :)

The general rule is that they shouldn't have anything soft with them until they can roll from back to tummy and tummy to back easily.

I personally dont let my baby have a blanket in bed with him. I let him snuggle with it till he falls asleep and then i take it away. Im afraid of SIDS too. I put my little guy in the sleep sacks. One it keeps him warm and two it cant ride up on him as it is a sack with arm holes. I like the Halo ones. They are kinda speny at about 20 bucks but i say peace of mine has no price. My other two kids i honestly dont remember when i let them have their blankets and all. I think it wasnt till they were around a year that i let them keep them after falling asleep.

My daughter has always had a blanket in her crib. Just one blanket and warm pjs. Once she was a year old we were starting to think of transitioning her to a bed and put a pillow in her crib and warmer blankets. By the time she was 15 months old she wanted a bear in her crib too and we let her. We moved her to a twin bed about 1.5 months ago and now she's 18 months old. She sleeps with a regular comforter and regular pillow and two bears. Only do what you feel you are comfortable with. Just because a Dr on TV says it's okay it doesn't mean you have to do it. If you're ready for your child to have a pillow, blanket, lovie in her crib then do it. If you're not comfortable with it don't do it. Or talk to your own child's Dr about it.

Hi Marla, I have let both of my children, Brandin 5 1/2 and Gabriella 21 months sleep with all of thee above since they turned a year old. But they both had their blankets since they were about 9 months old. they can't fall asleep without their blankets. I think your 9 month old will be just fine.

Sids is a risk until 18 months. The risk reduces as the baby gets older. Ask your pediatricion when it is okay for pillows, I gave my daughter a pillow at 2. She had 1 blanket at about 6-9 months it was not fluffy just a small blanket.

http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sids.html

Everyone has an opinion about when it is okay for blankets and things. I introduced a blanket to my son around a year. No stuffed animals or pillows as of yet however.

After 6 months of age there still is a risk of SIDS, it is not as high of a risk, but it does happen. A family friend lost her 16 month old last year to SIDS. Not to scare you, but it does happen.

SIDS can happen clear up to 18 months of age. I didn't give my kids a pillow until they were 2 and they actually asked for one or put it in there themselves. It's not really necessary. All they need is a crib sheet, some infant toys attached to the walls of the crib, and some warm jammies.
Hope this helps,
J.
Mom to 5

Marla,

I wouldn't let my kids sleep with a blanket until they were old enough to pull it off their face. A couple of my kids went through this phase where if they had a blanket on their face, they would hold their breath and flail around, but not remove the blanket. Not good.

I let them have a stuffed animal when they are old enough to request one. And I make sure that the eyes or other decorations won't pop off as a choking hazard. With pillows, when they started to wad their blanket up and use it like a pillow, I get them a little pillow instead.

FYI on the SIDS - it is a label doctors put on babies when the autopsy shows they died of asphyxiation, not suffocation, and the death is rather unexplainable. Babies too old to die of SIDS can still suffocate if their cribs are full of stuffed animals or pillows. SIDS and suffocation are often lumped together, but really they are separate issues.

Your baby doesn’t need these things and even though it is fun for you to give them to her, she won’t know the difference until she is older. As it gets cold over the winter, she can probably have a blanket, but will most likely just kick it off.

Good luck,
S.

I think the risk is decreased at 6 months but is still very real until age 2. I've always heard kids shouldn't have pillows or blankets until the age of 3 years. Which seems extreme and I don't know anyone who's waited that long.

I think you are supposed to wait until at least a year - SIDS risk does decrease as they get older, but it's still a risk. When you do start putting things in the crib with your child - try to make sure it's safe - small thin blankets, small - not overly plush - stuffed animals... And my son is 2 1/2 and rarely uses a pillow. I don't think young children need pillows like adults do!

I would ask your daughter's doctor. In addition to the SIDs issue pillows and stuffed animals can harbor dust mites, which can affect breathing and can be an allergen. My boys had allergy issues so we kept stuffed animals out of their beds and put special allergy covers on their pillows for years. Maybe her doctor would know if that could be an issue for her? Good luck.

I'll keep this short since there seems to be a lot of responses already. I'm no expert, but as soon as the kids can flop around in their crib both ways efficiently you should be able to use a blanket and stuffed animals. I would keep the animals smaller. My daughter "used" a blanket, but not for warmth. It was a comfort thing and part of her routine before she went down for the night. My oldest daughter is 3+ and has a pillow, but still tends to scoot down and not use it when she sleeps.

Hope this helps:)

I wouldn't do it til atleast 12mos of age!

I clearly remember one night I was at my sis-inlaws and her 8mo.old got himself caught in his blanket it was so tightly wrapped around his head and he couldn't get it off, we heard him coughing that's the only reason we knew and he almost had suffocated himself.

SIDS risk lowers at 3, 6, then 12 months, but the AAP suggests nothing soft or fluffy in the bed until a year. Around 9 months my son could already pull up to stand in the bed so we let him have a little lovy in there. Now at 15 months, he has a small blanky and 3 animals. I think a lot depends on how mobile your child is...if they can get out from under a blanket or roll away from an animal the risk isn't as high, but I never wanted to rush it b/c I new I'd feel absolutely horrible if I put something in his bed and then something did happen.

I think 6 months is too young for soft toys, blankets or pillow.

I'd wait 10 months to start a blanket. I'd wait on stuffed animals and pillow until a year. I put hard toys in the crib when they could entertain themselves.

Ok, so I am not like most mom's here-after losing a baby once- I firmly believe it doesn't matter how many of the "rules" you follow, if it that child's time to die, then it is. I had blankets with my son from day one-he was born in November and we had a drafty house AND I let him sleep on his tummy with in 3 weeks, because that was the only way I could get a full nights sleep. He survived and so did we when we were kids. I am no doctor, I only know what worked for me.

Maybe you should have a talk with you pediatrician, especially with dealing with a child that has cystic fibrosis. You wouldn't want to impede a child's already compromised airway especially during a flairup. There are sleep-sacks out there which are recommended by the sids candle foundation. Stuffed animals just hold lots of dust - mites which may make cystic fibrosis a little worse at times. Good luck, but always talk with you physician first.

my son did not want a pillow until he was like 20 months old.
so it would be safe to say that they dont need them until then.
sids is a risk through a year, though it is less common after baby is able to roll over, move their head back and forth away from something blocking their face, etc.

dont let anyone tell you how to raise your baby! you definatly have your hands full with the cystic fibrosis.... you do what YOUR instincts tell you is right. you might have a special circumstance that would make any extra things in the crib much more dangerous than the typical baby.

i wish you luck and i hope that your daughter can grow up to be all that she wants to be.... theres so much hope these days!
remember, God works miracles, even today! :D

Marla I've talked to several professionals and they all state that a child is in danger of SIDS until they are one. I would recommend that you not put anything the baby does not need in the crib until at least a year and a half. Go with your instincts too as they are usually always the right choice. Good Luck

My boys liked to cuddle with blankets at an early age...6-8 months old. So a friend knitted blankets for them. I felt like they would be safer since they had holes in them & if they got stuck on thier face they could still breath.

Pillows & dollies just become "stairs" that helped my daughter climb out of her crib, so she didn't get either until she was in a "real" bed at age 2. Blankets & sheets still do not stay on her at age 6 (she flops around a lot).

If you are worried about it, don't put them in the crib esp if she is sleeping fine without them.

I have always heard that the SIDS risk drops to almost nothing at a year, but I am still nervous about it. I use a blanket for naps only, and a sleep sack at night. I wouldn't risk it at 6 months (or 9 months) myself, it's just not worth it. =)

Both of my boys slept with a blanket from birth. Logan started sleeping with a stuffed animal and his blanket around 18 months and Evan was around 14 months when he picked his lovey to sleep with. Do what you're comfortable with and what works for your family. Evan was also a tummy sleeper from birth which is a big "no-no" but it worked for us because of his reflux.

I'd wait for a year to add a pillow or blankets. SIDS is still a risk until a child is a year old, albeit less of a risk after 6 months because most babies can roll over. I believe the statistic is that 80% of SIDS cases happen by 6 months and 90% before 9 months. I'm sure your risk is very low, but why add pillows?. A 9-month old does not need a pillow and you can buy warm blanket jammies. I know lots of people including my friends used blankets early on but my experience is babies never stay covered anyway. My child is 13 months and still kicks off every blanket we try to cover her with.

I knew of a child of 18 mos that died of SIDS so I wouldn't push the issue too soon.

How does your child sleep for most of the night? Both my girls sleep on their stomachs with their butts up in the air (mine are 2.5 and 10mo old) sot hey really don't need one. My older daughter started using a pillow when I moved her to a big girl bed (around 22 mo) and she still hardly uses it. She'll usually scoot herself down the bed throughout the night so she's not on it.
I wouldn't even think about giving a pillow to the 10 mo old! For 1 it doesn't seem comfortable considering how she sleeps but also she could easily get smothered since she is a stomach sleeper. Mine have both slept with blankets since they were in their crib.

I didn't allow blankets, stuffed animals until my daughter was 10 months. She was walking and I knew she was strong enough to lift herself out of a jumbled mess in the crib!

We didn't put a pillow in until she turned 2, it was her request!

SIDS is still a risk factor up until the age of 2. I'm an EMT and Deputy Medical Examiner for Washington County. Their has over the years been MANY changes in sleep positions for babies. "BACK" to sleep is the new recommended position for babies. NOTHING should be a crib with a baby except for a light blanket, nothing bulky. NO stuffed animals, NO bumper pads, very snug fitting sheets & mattress. NO NO NO pillows! Children as a rule of thumb don't need a pillow until 3 years old or so, in my personal opinion, not professional opinion.

I let me kids have 1 crocheted afghan and a pillow when they were able to stand up and move around in the crib themselves. I would throw the afghan on them first to see if they could get out of it on their own. If they could, I would let them have it. Until then, I used the HALO sleep sacks.

My daughter did sleep with a blanket before 1, but she never pulled on it. My nephew on the other hand can't sleep with a blanket (only 8 months) because he will pull it over his head. I'm not sure who exactly your mom saw on TV, but SIDS is still very much a risk. I would refrain from at least the pillow and stuffed animal. She's too young to really care about the stuffed animal and the pillow is more for our comfort than theirs, I think!

I gave my youngest a blanket to cuddle with at about 12 months, and she started sleeping with a small stuffed bear at about 18 months. She's sleeping in a toddler bed now (she'll be 2 in December) but we haven't given her a pillow yet.

Marla;i am a mom with 3 boys, who are all teens now, sids was more prevalent then than now, and it was not understood, every one of them i worried about it till they were a year old, and every night even if they slept through the night, i still got up and checked on them, but also everyone of them also had bumber pads, blankets and a pillow, in their crib, however i would take out toys and other things in the crib that i would not like to sleep on, like stuffed animals, bottles etc, once the kid went to sleep, and some of my kids selpt on their tummies, and some on their back, they are human, and part of you , whatever makes you comfy at night, is what will make them comfy too. drs change the rules, every so often, do the best you can and whats best for your kids, today they have found that sids is mostly caused from what they eat, not what they sleep in, studies have shown it comes from honey given to small children , as one of its major issues, either way , enjoy life , and do what is best for you and your child, D. s

I'm not an expert on this topic at all, but here's what we decided to do for our daughter. She's 9 months old too and cuddles up with a few soft stuffed animals in her crib, and we have one blanket that I handknitted (lots of holes in it, so I've never worried about suffocation). She's had the blanket since 2 months and we added the stuffed animals at 6 months.

My 2 year old LOVES his pillow, but we didn't start him with it until he was about 17 months old, when I noticed he always balled up his blanket in his crib and was sleeping on top of it. Then I started him on homemade pillow that didn't have a whole lot of stuffing in it. It was rectangular with a ruffle edge, but small enough that it doesn't really "cover" his head if he had it on top of his face. Now that he is 2, he has a regular adult size pillow. I have heard SIDS is an issue until 1 and I personally would wait until she was 1.

P.S. - we did a loose crocheted afghan starting around 8 months for him. He could have it over his face but still breath thru it. Of course, after he fell asleep at night & before I went to bed, I would always go check and move it off his face if it was over his face.

Hi Marla,
Well, my 8 m. old son sleeps with us and he often has a pillow. I try not to put our blankets on him but even when he does get them he knows how to get it off.. I think that once a baby can roll over and pick up their head they are able to get blankets, pillows, stuffed animals off of them if they need to.. So, as long as your daughter can roll, pick up her head and use her hands to move things she should be fine with a small blanky or a pillow:-) However, if it makes you uncomfortable just wait until you feel ready...

Melissa