Blog » Baby-Tested “Lovies” for Self-Calming
Baby-Tested “Lovies” for Self-Calming
Posted April 3, 2010
I'm remembering a question that was raised at a recent Sleep from the Start prenatal seminar: "When I lay my baby in her crib - awake - and trust her to get herself to sleep without rocking her or feeding her to sleep, is there anything I can safely put into the crib to help her with self-calming?"
My answer was "Yes", and I want to share some ideas with you. Several companies have released carefully designed, suck-able, non-toxic and organic items which are easy for babies to grab ahold of (accidentally or on purpose) and bring to the mouth to suck on or to simply hold onto tightly... as they put themselves to sleep. You may need to ignore the marketing blurbs that promise eye/hand coordination or better brain development. We are just looking for safe, attractive items to become your child's "lovey." Handy to take on planes and makes it easier for your baby to maintain their self-calming strategies in new beds, new places.
Sophie the Giraffe is made by this company. BPA-free, suck-able and easy to grasp neck. ( I wish Sophie didn't squeak)
Nature Babies at Calgary Farmer's Market. I bought a Teething Carrot (100% organic cotton) to send to a friend. Clutchable, inexpensive.
A favorite swaddling blanket 100% muslin, prewashed, large and stretchy so it won't come loose in the night. Breathable fabric to prevent over-heating.
This is not an exhaustive list, by far, but I don't think you'll be disappointed with any of these choices. And if you do not want to make a purchase, consider using one of your soft, cloth dinner napkins, tied with a knot in the middle. Highly breathable, small enough to be safe in the crib and very clutchable by your baby.
Does your baby have a favorite item he/she uses for self-calming? Drop us a comment!
Filed under: Sleep
Comments
Hi Kitty,
My son, almost 6 has had a “puppy” since he was about 6 months old, not sure how it got in hid bed with him but has become something he cannot and will not be without. The worst part of it is that he sucks on the ear of this and has for years. We wash it frequently and try to tell him it is time to give it up but he will not!
My daughter is 2 now and has been a great sleeper, I intentionally did not give her anything for fear she would become too attached to it, but she now sucks her 2 fingers and always has, so now her teeth are pushed out and I fear a huge orthodontic price when she is older. I sort of wish I had given her something else.
Whats worse, the stinky puppy ears, or finger sucking?
Just some comments from me on the “lovey”
Love reading your articles!
By Jennifer on April 6, 2010
I can sure see the dilemma but while there are obvious downsides to both the finger habit and the puppy, I’ll say that children live through the consequences of either and likely benefit greatly from the self-calming opportunities of both.
Thanks so much for writing in.
Kitty
By Kitty on April 14, 2010
My eldest wasn’t attached to anything, despite many efforts on my part! At about 18 months, she was given a stuffed monkey which is what soothes her when she is most upset. My youngest, though, attached herself to a very thin small white receiving blanket that had been through many kids already. I cut it into 2 and would give her one in bed to cuddle/suck/play right from infancy. Now she has both kicking around together, but it certainly was handy to be able to pull out the backup when the original was lost or stinky. She still looks for it for comfort.
By Tiffany on April 21, 2010
We bought these monkey blankets from Chapters before our son was born. They have the head of a stuffed animal and the body is a soft blanket. I loved them because the box came with 3 (a pair and a spare). We have one is his crib, one put away in case something happens, and one travels with him. He rubs it inbetween his hands and on his face to fall asleep and loves his “monk”!
He’s 3 months old and has been sleeping through the night since he was 7 weeks old!
By Sonia on April 21, 2010
Ever since we attended the sleep seminar back in February I gave my son a little fuzzy blanket (maybe 6X6) that came with a Winnie the Pooh stuffy- (available at Toys R Us for about $10) to have in bed. He adores it! It’s a bit too small to tie a knot in the centre so I use a soft/fabric hair elastic, so he can’t stretch it fully across his face. He reaches for it and brings it to his face, to squish, as soon as I lay him down. I can even give it to him when we’re out to tell him it’s sleep time! I’ve already decided that this will be one of my staple baby shower gifts. (And here I was thinking it was useless at first. Meh- what did I know!?)
By Teresa on April 26, 2010
My kids both love their “blankies” which are super soft hand-knitted baby blankets done with a really loose knit so they could poke their fingers through (and breathe through if it ever covered their face as infants)...they’re now nearly 7 and 4 years old and still want their blankies at bedtime. Perfect for traveling too!
By Lisa on April 26, 2010
Sophie wont squeak if you sterilizer her! Our babysitter accidentally added her to our sterilized items in a bot of boiling water. She came out fine, clean and ready to be chewed, but the squeaker didn’t work again. My boys still love her!
By Amber on May 3, 2010
Angel Dear Blankies are perfect, soft, small, safe, and easy to bring anywhere. My twins love them and I have many, everywhere (they aren’t expensive, $15 each). They used to be available in stores in Calgary but now I get them on mycbaby.com and the service I’ve had from them has been excellent.
By Joanne on May 5, 2010
Our son is almost 6 and still has his blue elephant (which I posted photos of in downtown calgary last year when we thought he was lost) and our daughter has her Angel dear pink lambie. I was wiser with Cate, and have two of them that we rotate in the wash.
By Lucy Rock on May 11, 2010
Our baby really loves Sophie, but I also wish she didn’t squeak. We’ve had a difficult time training our Yorshire/Silky Terrier that it is not a $25 chew toy for him
By Tamara on June 15, 2010
How to get Sophie not to squeak! - I did this by accident, as a new parent I boiled Sophie to ensure that it was clean only to find out later that Sophie actually squeaked! At first I thought mine was defective but realized later that because water got into Sophie it no longer made any noise. So suffice it to say I can always recongnize which Sophie is ours when out and about at playdates ; )
By Jennie on July 12, 2010
