Introducing a comforter

[graysor]

Lots of advice is to introduce a comforter to help with self settling. Does anyone have any tips on how to do this?

I've been trying to condition my now 5 mo dd to have a muslin as a comforter for about 2 months, but no success yet. I've been wearing it down my top and holding it between us while feeding but she is still completely indifferent to it.

Is she just too young? She can't manipulate it or purposefully hold it / stroke it. She will sometimes reach out and grab it and chew it, just as she does with any object.

Any tips? Should I just persevere?

[InsaneDame]

In my experience they either take to one or not. Both my boys as babies wouldn't accept a comforter but as they got older and we happier to not have me as their comforter (!) They each chose one themselves. My eldest has had a cudddly lobster since he was 4yo and my youngest has just grown attached to a teddy bear at just over 2yo. They both chose them themselves. I didn't really try to enforce one on the eldest but I really tried to encourage the youngest to have one but wasn't interested until now. Apparently comfort objects are a 'stand in' comfort that replaces a parent - the fact that mine and your LO won't accept just means you are doing great a great job at being her comforter and are basically irreplaceable. I mean, I would rather have my Mum to comfort me than a piece of cloth if I were still a child

[peardroplets]

My 10 mo has never been interested in comforter despite our best efforts. She has just started to self settle in the last few weeks so they are not always necessary.

[InsaneDame]

Also, both mine were sleeping through before they chose their comforter so as pp said - not crucial to self settling.

[fluffikins]

I've tried to force multiple comforters onto my DD and she's having none of it! I also worry about her having anything in the cot with her as guidelines say nothing in the cot until over 1 so for now I'm happy with that and hope she chooses one when she's later. I also hope the one she chooses is decent and not a horrible spongebob squarepants or something but no doubt she'll go for something vile deliberately!

[cuntinghomicidalcardigan]

My dd didn't accept a 'comforter' til she was 3yo. She did sleep through from 18mo though. Her comforter has a much more active role in the daytime in new situations. It sounds like you are doing all the right things wrt to having it down your top etc. Could you try playtime with several soft toys/Muslins and see if there is one she goes for more often?

My ds seems quite attached to a pg tips monkey at the minute... never mind all the expensive and carefully chosen softies...