Things in cribs with babies while sleeping

When can you start putting things in the cribs with the babies when they sleep?

Here is the reason for my question:

My thought is giving them something to cuddle with when they wake up as a comfort item. They sometimes wake in the middle of the night and just need soothed back to sleep. What if they had something like a small cuddle bear in the crib with them to help.

Please share your thoughts and experiences! I appreciate it!

April

 

I don't think we had anything in their cribs in the first year. After that, occasionally they would want to take something to bed with them & I would let them.

 

We started putting loveys in their cribs (not blankets, but little stuffed animals) at about 6 months. Sarah latched on to hers right away and it was really a comfort to her. Amy didn't seem to care much about hers until after 12 months, but then became attached.

Sarah was already a good sleeper (just by nature -- she started sleeping 12 hours at 3.5 months, but it wasn't because of anything we did!), so I don't know if the lovey would have helped with night wakings that much, but she certainly loves the thing. :wub:

 

Our babies have slept with loveys (the blanket stuffed animal things) since 5 months. DS loves his and sleeps 11-12 hours a night without waking. DD doesn't care too much for hers. I don't think there's anything wrong with using baby blankets either, but I will probably hold off on those until they are 1 year old. I don't think I'd put a large stuffed animal in the crib, though.

 

The official answer is nothing until a year. That said, we did give them little blankies (like 5 inches square) around 9 months, and we gave them little stuffed animals around 10/11 months.

 

We have given our boys the "lovey's" since about 6mths and it really has helped. they also get a rattle type toy as well. When they wake up they play with it, otherwise they wake up screaming.

I'm not sure if it's right/wrong/or indifferent...but it helped us!
good luck!
reb

 

My boys like the cloth diapers I use as burp cloths. I didn't feel it was safe, so I cut one in half and knotted the corners, so it's about 8 inches square now. It doesn't help with comforting them when they wake up, but they like to cuddle with it as they fall asleep. I started this a few weeks ago, when they were 4.5 months.

 

Thanks everyone. I was trying to think of the name of the thing and it is a "lovie". I couldn't think of that when I originally posted at all. I am so funny.

The have Bengals "lovies" that I thought about introducing. I might try it now that I have heard what everyone else has done.

Thank you!