Please recommend a baby sleeping pillow

[ArielRae]

Our newborn is already moving around alot when he sleeps and rolled himself right out of his sleeping wedge. I was hoping someone could recommend anouther wedge or pillow he can safetly sleep in. He likes to sleep in his boppy pillow but that is not safe for him to sleep in while we are asleep too.

 

[RN01]

I am a family case manager for the state and as far as I'm concerned there are no safe pillows for a baby to use or sleep around. We don't even recommend using the wedges. Just put the baby to sleep on their back every time with a very thin blanket if they will let you swadle them. Definately no heavy quilts or other blankets.

 

[lathamary]

Once he's rolling over, you need to just let him roll. Does he sleep in a crib or do you co-sleep? If he's in a crib, he will be fine. If you co-sleep, just make sure he doesn't fall out of the bed - use a bed rail or something.

 

[ArielRae]

We have a crib, bassinet, and playard that he sleeps in. I'm afraid something is going to happen while we sleep. Lately though he dosn't want to stay asleep long enough for both DH and I to sleep. One of us has to be awake at all hours. He will sleep in the boppy longer then anything else.

 

[lathamary]

He should be just fine to roll around, then.

 

[McDuck]

No wedge or pillow in the crib at all. If he's moving off of it, he could move against it and get his face trapped to where he can't breathe. Either swaddled or in a halo-sack/blanket sleeper. And always on the back. Although when he gets older he'll probably be all over the crib. I know my 4-month old DD is lately!

 

[mjkacmom]

Wow, the sleep positioners are back. They recommended them with dd13, but after her, I read just put them on their backs.

 

[lathamary]

Our DS2 slept strapped into his vibrating bouncy seat for the first few weeks! It was the only way he'd sleep longer than a half hour at a time. You do whatever works

 

[bumbershoot]

Once he's mobile enough to get out of his sleep positioner, I think your time to worry about him getting stuck somewhere is over. Especially if he doesn't sleep long enough for you both to sleep at the same time.

For instance, once DS showed me that he could shove the comforter off of himself, I stopped worrying about him being WAY up in the bed, with my pillow vertical and me all scrunched down so I could be all under the covers.

 

[Iggipolka]

So he's only 6 days old. He's not supposed to be sleeping in long stretches of time because his little belly is only the size of his fist and he needs to eat often. If you are getting 2-3 hours of sleep at a time, consider yourself lucky.

The only thing that should be in the crib/bassinet, pnp, whatever, with the baby, is the baby. No pillows, blankets or sleep positioner because of a high risk of smothering. He's too tiny to be able to move that stuff off of his face should he get smushed right up against them. We use a sleep sac for warmth, but absolutely no blankets or pillows.

When Lillian was that young, the only way she and I could sleep, was to co-sleep. I had the Arms Reach Co-sleeper attached to the bed and I would pull her next to me for feeding and then snuggle her back to sleep. Often time, she would feed and I would go back to sleep while she was nursing.

The first three months of having a newborn, is a total sleep deprived blur. It does get better and now, at 9 months old, Lil will frequently sleep from 6pm to 6am!

Hang in there and congrats!

 

[GoinToDisney]

Yeah, unfortunately this is normal. That's why they say you NEED to sleep when the baby sleeps. Naps and taking shifts with your hubby is the best plan. I recommend swaddling him and putting him on his back. I don't like lose blankets because they can get tangled in them. I do like the swaddleme blankets, though. Boppy is definitely not safe. If he slips down to where his head is pushed forward, it can close off his airway. That's why carseats have to be at a certain angle.

 

[saraheliz]

if he's in the bassinet, don't put anything else in there with him, like others have said. if he needs to feel snug, swaddle him....or put him in a bouncy seat or his infant carseat to sleep. whatever gets you the most- and safest- sleep!

 

[Wendy5055]

I used to love the blanket sleepers. They are cozy with no risk of having a loose blanket. I never did a pillow or wedge with my dd.

 

[blessedby3]

Our DS2 slept strapped into his vibrating bouncy seat for the first few weeks! It was the only way he'd sleep longer than a half hour at a time. You do whatever works

Our youngest dd was diagnosed at 2 weeks with reflux
She was (and still is at 2 1/2) a horrible sleeper. She needed to be propped up to get small amounts of sleep, so we also did what worked. She slept in her boppy mostly (between dh and I) and she also slept some in the swing beside my bed, in her infant car seat, and in her bouncy seat. It was just horrible in those early months. She still never sleeps through the night- unfortunately I think some of it is habit by now- but it is better than it was. We did what we had to do to get some sleep just as pp said. I know it is not what is recommended, just what worked for us.
Im surprised that at 6 days old your baby is so mobile. Hopefully he will settle down soon and you all can get some rest. Good luck to you

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I'm a firm believer in nothing whatsoever in the crib. Is there a reason, such as reflux, why he's using a wedge? If there isn't, I would just let him sleep in the crib/bassinet on his back.

 

[Ennazus8810]

Our DD would not sleep more than 10 minutes at a time in her crib or pack n play. At 3 weeks old she started sleeping in her swing and slept 3 hours at a time off the bat, and stayed there until 6 months! By 7 weeks of age she was sleeping from 10PM till 5AM. She still hates to sleep flat.

 

[**eeyore**]

Another fan of swaddling (you have to do it tightly for it to be effective - think baby burrito!) or using Sleepsacks - we loved the ones from www.babyinabag.com, infact our first 2 kids used them until they were about 2 years old.

Also, I would agree with PPs' - at 6 days old, there should be nothing in the crib but a baby. Those sleep positioners are totally unnecessary if you ask me - just some company trying to make a buck off of 1st-time parents, thinking they need to register for everything sold at Babies R Us

As for sleep - take turns with your husband staying up if necessary. We had premie twins & both DH & I were up every 2 1/2 hours to feed them (b/c they were premies, we had to set an alarm to feed them that often). That went on for 3 months - we were both working full-time also. It was a total blur, but we did survive. I just remember telling myself "It could be worse - I could have triplets!" I guess that's what got me through it, though, was always reminding myself that I've got it easy compared to some people, even though it might not feel like it at the moment. Somehow that made it more bearable.

Good luck and enjoy your new little one - the time really does fly by!

 

[mamaLori05]

I agree with several of the PP's as to no blankets or pillows in the crib. My ds had severe reflux, so he spent the first few months sleeping buckled into his carseat on the floor of his room next to his crib. We wanted to keep him in his room so he was used to sleeping there. Once he became a little more mobile, we switched him to his crib and he was just fine.

One thing I wanted to add, please please whatever you do, do not co-sleep, unless you have a seperate co-sleeping attachment. We have had SEVERAL(like 20 or more) infant deaths in our area in the past few months because of co-sleeping. It's just not worth the risk. No flames please, as I have no problems with parents having kids/babies sleep in their room with them, but PLEASE give them their own safe bed to sleep in.

And OP, you said you worried about something happening to the baby at night. Have you tried a video monitor? We used one with both of my kids and it gave us the extra piece of mind. We could see and hear the kids breathing on it. Otherwise there are special mattresses, I believe they are called angels or something like that, that can alert you if something is wrong with the baby. I believe it can sense the babies heartbeat or something similar to that. Just wanted to let you know there are options to help ease your mind, and your not alone. I think just about every parent worries about that when they bring their new baby home.

 

[CuteAndFluffy]

I am a big fan of swaddling, too. We used a Miracle Blanket and LOOOOVVVVEEEDD it. I was sad when DS outgrew it around 3 months old.

I'm a big believer of nothing extra in the crib too. We did start to put him tummy down a little early (as soon as I consistently found him that way in the mornings.) If you think kiddo needs to be elevated for congestion or something, a folded towel or blanket under the mattress works great.

And---you know, since it's a message board and all so keeping all thoughts to myself isn't a realistic option--if you are feeling a LOT of anxiety about this (it keeps you from sleeping, can't let go of the thought that something will happen, drives you to such distraction that you forget things), that can be a sign of postpartum depression. Talk to your doctor if it doesn't let up. It's hard being a first time parent and a) not knowing quite what "normal" is for this little person and b) living on no sleep and c) trying to figure out the right thing to do. This phase doesn't last forever.

My best bit of advice is to take turns with your husband sleeping for as long as you can. The not being able to sleep four hours or more at a time is what killed me. You sleep once he's home for 4 hours or so (plus it gives a chance to practice with a bottle if you're nursing), then in about 4 hours he sleeps and you take over.

 

[mjkacmom]

Our youngest dd was diagnosed at 2 weeks with reflux
She was (and still is at 2 1/2) a horrible sleeper. She needed to be propped up to get small amounts of sleep, so we also did what worked. She slept in her boppy mostly (between dh and I) and she also slept some in the swing beside my bed, in her infant car seat, and in her bouncy seat. It was just horrible in those early months. She still never sleeps through the night- unfortunately I think some of it is habit by now- but it is better than it was. We did what we had to do to get some sleep just as pp said. I know it is not what is recommended, just what worked for us.
Im surprised that at 6 days old your baby is so mobile. Hopefully he will settle down soon and you all can get some rest. Good luck to you

Ds11 was our reflux baby - he was miserable, day and night. Our pediatrician actually was the one who suggested AR formula, and to get him on cereal at 4 months, to keep everything down. Ironically, we ferberized him at 6 months, and he turned into our best sleeper - 12 hours at night, LONG naps. He is still our best sleeper! However, he's still a puker - he has yet to make it through a buffet without throwing up, and 1 soda is his limit (and his friend's parents are aware). I feel sorry for him in college!