My daughter will be 6 months old next week. She has started this new "thing" where while she's falling asleep she will pull the blanket up to her face, most of the time covering her nose and mouth. It seems like a new comfort thing for her. Not only this, but she thrashes around a lot as well. In doing this, she's pulling the blanket up to her face, and for some reason feels the need to roll over and bury her face in the bed, or whatever she is laying on. I think to myself that she will roll over, but she doesn't. At first I would just roll her over, but then I decided to watch to see if she would roll herself over, because I can't stand watch over her 24 hours a day. She doesn't. Today she was napping while I was cleaning. I popped in to check on her, and the blanket was covering her face. I was so scared, I removed it and she was fine, but I don't know how long she was like that or what would have happened if I waited longer to pop in to check on her. So, my initial thought was to just take her blanket away, but I feel bad for her. I know she will get cold. Also, she won't fall asleep unless I have a blanket around her, and she won't stay asleep without a blanket.
I don't know what to do. Any advice?
Sounds like you need to take the blanket away. Get her a sleep sack that she can wear and/or footed pajamas so she stays covered and warm. Better safe than sorry.
Maybe get a smaller blankie, so she'll still have the comfort of cuddling with a blanket for bed time but ... get a really thin one, or knitted one that has little holes in it... and I know some of my friends kids have "blankies" that are just the size of a hand towel or wash cloth.
My second baby is now 13 months old and she has done this since around 6 or 7 months old. At first I was terrified that she would forget to breathe with the blanket over her face or near her nose so I chose to wrap or cover her in a lighter blanket and dressed her in PJs with long sleeves and long pants. This eased my fears of suffocation because it was a thinner blanket. She could cuddle with her blanket any way she pleased and I could relax knowing she was warm and safe. I hope this helps!
I will echo what Marda said, and was even told this by our doctor. My son rolled over at what I thought was an early age and from that time on would only sleep on his stomach. She told me that when they are able to roll over at all, they will do so if they can't breathe while sleeping. It's still scary and frustrating, and I still check on him a lot, but you have to trust her body and know that if she can't breathe well, she will switch positions so that she can.
My son did this at 6 months, and still does at 15 months. He is very attached to his blankie, so we can't think of taking it away. Unless she is chewing on the blanket, or it somehow gets it stuck inside her nostrils she will not suffocate. She can still breath even though her face is covered. Does she sleep with a pacifier? If so, it helps regulate her breathing, and the blanket has no chance of getting stuck in her mouth
if you have an extra $130 go to babies are us and get the Angelcare monitor. It monitors baby's breathing and if there is a lapse of 10 sec an alarm goes off.
my daughter is 27mo and I still use that monitor feature because she can't get out of her crib without me knowing about it. The alarm goes off when it detects no movement.
I used a blanket too with my DD. She was swaddled with a good sized swaddle blanket and she got very attached to the 3 that we have so I let her continue using it after I quit swaddling her around 9mo or so.
My daughter has always been a blankie baby. I picked a blanket when she was 4 months old (because she was the same as your daughter). The blanket was croched (sp?) and had lots of little holes in it. It has been her blankie ever since. She treats it like a person and wakes it up from naps, it watches her brush her teeth, she talks to it, etc.
She cannot suffocate herself as long as she's able to roll over and move around. Our bodies, including those of babies, instinctively move to get air. It is a scientific fact that a baby that is able to roll over and move around will not suffocate.
And a blanket is porous which allows air to pass thru it. Air is also trapped in the folds and spaces.
It is best to keep pillows and large puffy stuffed animals out of the crib until she is older but she cannot suffocate with a blanket or by sleeping on her tummy. Assuming she has a firm mattress.
For those mothers who are frightened by their baby covering their face while sleeping, I suggest you cover your face and see how well you can breathe.
put her in a blanket sleeper if the house is cold from the ac and buy her a blankie. they have tiny squares with animal heads on them with rattles inside of the head. my son loves them. and she won't have a need to wrap up in a real blanket no more. I don't blame you I would be scared of her suffocating herself too.
Infants shouldn't have anything in their cribs with which they can suffocate themselves. That includes blankets. Once she can roll to her stomach, she can sleep like that, but take everything else out.
Target has sleepsacks, as does Babies R Us though more expensive. Don't get an oversized one; I found if they are too big the fabric bunches up near their face. Also, both stores carry a $12 wedge which can keep them from rolling over.
2 of my kids did this too and yes, it is very scary! I went and bought them the crochet blankets...all the little holes gave me piece of mind and them their "comfy"!
My 7 month old son does the same exact thing. I would try dressing her in warmer p.j.'s then normal and then just using a sheet or very, very thin blanket to cover her with. This way she won't get cold and she still has the security of a blanket next to her. I would also just ask her dr about it too...that's what i did cause I get so worried about sids.
Hi J.,
Please do not use a blanket. While living in England I became familiar with Grobag Baby Sleep Bag and they are great. Just google it to read more and to find similar products. My little boy loved his and now his baby sister has her own. Nice and snuggly for them and reassuring for you!
How about one of the wedge or double wedge things to keep them from rolling so much?
also how about as one of those blanket sleepers so she is warm but not putting it to her face?
good luck
Sounds to me like she wants to sleep on her tummy. Maybe try doing an experiment - lay her down for her nap on her tummy and tuck her blanket in around her and see what she does.
Blessings,
J.
