Advice please on 'lovey' safety in cots

[MiriamR]

Hi - my ds is 6.5 months old and I'm due to go back to work shortly. Aware that this may coincide with the 'separation anxiety' phase and would like to try to pre-empt it by introducing ds to a "lovey". Have a little teddybear in mind which ds often plays with during the day and I've had it stuffed up my jumper for the last few days to get my smell on it! (Hmm! . Anyway, teddy is suitable from birth - with stitched eyes, nose etc so no danger of beads, glass eyes and the like coming off.

At the mo, ds often uses a dummy for first stages of sleep and when it falls out, seems to like the feel of it against his jawline/cheek area when asleep - when I remove it, he nearly always stirs. So, my thinking is... put teddy against his cheek. However, am worried that there may be some safety issues and would welcome some advice please.

TIA

I really can't envisage a problem at 6.5 months - he will be able to move quite easily by himself, and is unlikely to become wedged against the teddy at all.

Whether it will work...now that's another matter I speak as someone who spent several weeks with a Cuski doll shoved in my bra....

my ds is nine months and from six months he has had his dog (cudlly bright colored thing)in his cot with him as long as theres no removable parts and its not to big then i cant see a problem because can you son pull himself up or turn over because if he can its in there natural instincts to move if something is constricting
and instead of putting it under his cheek put it in his arms you will find it will go half way round the cot until he decides where he wants it
hth
oh and if still worried get yourself a angel care sound and movement monitor they are expensive but it was the best thing i have ever brought

Thanks - glad to know I'm not about to do something dangerously stupid. Cheers

I queried this with the manufacturers of the cuski doll (supposed to be suitable from birth). They wrote back very quickly and told me that it had been fully safety tested and even in the event of a newborn being able to get it over their face, they would still be able to breathe through the material.

So maybe if you're concerned it might be worth getting one of those? (actually, no ... get two, then you can wash one!)

Mine both have a 'fluffy blanket' - basically a woolen shawl, very soft and has plenty of holes in it to allow air through. When they were really young I would tie it to the side of the cot so it couldn't be pulled right over their face. Now they're older they cuddle it when going to sleep. Its amazing how they both love their blanket and it is all they need for comfort when going to sleep.

I did the same! I made dd a little blankie, and spent days with it shoved in my bra! She must have been 7 months old. It really is a good idea to get them attached to something that is not Mummy! Dd's Blankie has seen her through 2 hospital stays (I made it when we found out she had to go into hospital the first time), and is still her constant companion at the grand old age of three!

ds used to sleep face-down in his bear's lap. It certainly spooked us, but he obviously had no problems breathing. By this age your ds probably moves around easily in his cot if he is uncomfrtable, so I wouldn't worry about that. Anyway, it's an excellent idea!