I am a new parent and I tend to be worried about everything new I introduce to my child. When my husband and I first found out we were pregnant, I immediately worried if I had a glass of wine before I knew or if the fumes of the bus that drove by while I was walking would harm my 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. After I put the books away, I found that I enjoyed my pregnancy a lot more. 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. As he predicted, I continue to find things to worry about. I am now over analyzing the introduction of the baby pillow.
A little baby pillow is often sold in crib sets. This is quite confusing. Unless a child is older than the age of 2, he or she should not use a pillow. There is a danger that a child that young may not be able to breathe when surrounded by a pillow. Duvets and big blankets are not recommended for the same reason. A baby should be placed on his back to sleep, should not have soft things in his crib, and should not have anything covering his face. 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. Choose a pillow that is not feather or down, as such a pillow can often allow the head of a child to sink down too much. 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. It was not much of pillow, so it would frequently get lodged between the wall and the bed or disappear in the blankets. 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.