Introducing a Baby Pillow In a Big Bed

04/02/09

I am a new parent and I tend to be worried about everything new I introduce to my child. During my early first trimester, I agonized over what I may have eaten before I knew I was pregnant or whether I worked out too hard and raised my temperature too much for the baby. The best thing I ever did during my first trimester was to finally put away that "What to Expect When You are Expecting" book and stop driving myself crazy. Doing so made me a much happier person. I still get quoted from one zinger I told my husband during those first couple months. "Once this baby is born, I will not worry about anything again." He found it quite humorous and told me I would most definitely find some causes for worry in parenthood. He was right. And here my latest worry is the topic of the baby pillow.

A little baby pillow is often sold in crib sets. This is quite confusing. Pillows are not recommended for children under the age of 2. There is a danger that a child that young may not be able to breathe when surrounded by a pillow. It is the same rationale for not using heavy blankets and comforters. Babies should be placed on their backs to sleep, in addition to not having any soft bedding or stuffed toys that may cover their faces while sleeping. Sleep sacks are suggested, rather than blankets, when babies are young. Some experts say that even giving a child over the age of 2 a pillow may not make them any more comfortable than they would be without one. The advice from experts is that a pillow should not be given until the child is no longer sleeping in a crib and is in a bed.

A baby pillow, like what you get on an airline flight, is the right size to introduce to a first time pillow user. It is recommended that you avoid down and feathers at first, to minimize allergic irritation and because those type of pillows are often too fluffy and big for a child. We recently introduced our a daughter (she is 2 and a half) to a bed and moved her out of her crib. We started with a baby pillow in the bed, per the recommendations. We would put her to sleep with her head on the baby pillow, but whenever we would check on her, the pillow would be somewhere else in the bed. The tiny pillow would often get lost too. After a couple weeks, we ditched the baby pillow and got her a normal sized pillow. She actually sleeps with her head on it and seems to enjoy the fact that her bed is now just like that of Mommy and Daddy.