Is it okay for our 18 day old to sleep on a pillow

[puppythedog]

our beautiful little girl disturbs as soon as we try to transfer her to her crib or moses basket. last night sh fell asleep on the pillow she rests on when Mrsthedog breastfeeds her. I gently moved the cushion and sent mrsthedog to bed and sat and watched her for hours -andtheTV-.

Question is, what are the problems with transfering her pillow and all to her crib?

I know you're not supposed to use a pillow in bed due to the suffocation risk. Is this breastfeeding pillow, like a boppy thing? I expect she quite likes being a bit propped up as most newborns are a little bit refluxy and it helps.

it's just a bed pillow not a special one. So the risk is, If I tansferred her on the pillow to her crib, suffocation?

Yes if she managed to move face down. Also your pillow might not support her well if it's too soft.
Get a sleepyhead/babynest instead - sounds like it would suit her.

Yes a pillow would be a suffocation risk. Have a look at a sleepyhead - John Lewis sell them. Designed specifically for babies to help keep them comfy.

Yes she could suffocate . Try bf on an open blanket ( or gro bag ?) then swaddle and put in the crib. My bet is the change in temp when you move her.

X-post!

No pillows. Risk of suffocation.

www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep

Evidence based information about safer sleep for babies.
Congratulations on your newborn Puppy.

Thanks all for your comments. I knew it would be too good to eb true. Will have a think about sleepyhead. they're just so expensive on top of the -millions- money already spent on newborn. I don't begrudge it, just not sure I have it .

Sometimes swaddling helps sometimes it just annoys her. We're early days yet so who knows if things will just sort. She is programmed to want to be near us for safety right now I guess.

Good news is it's fine if I am supervising her like last night when i stayed up until -today- the small hours ensuring she was safe.

There are things to try if she likes to be a little bit more upright - the bouncy chair or swing are popular and putting the yellow pages under the head end of the mattress in her cot.

My dd often used to fall asleep on a pillow - it was the perfect sized mini mattress for her and I think she liked the softness. During the day I used to transfer her on the pillow into the Moses basket so she could get used to being in there, while I made sure she didn't suffocate. Then after a while it was able to transfer her into the mb without the pillow. I think warming the MB with a hot water bottle also helped.

Poddlepod is a cheaper version of the sleepyhead.

Poddlepod or sleepyhead are much safer.

Thanks again for advice.

This is our little bedtime routine with our baby who we breastfeed to sleep at night. Simple and not particularly expensive. Doesn't work for everyone but just in case it helps...

1. Daddy puts fresh nappy, sleepsuit on
2. Then puts on sleeping bag (gro bag) and says goodnight.
3. Pops a warm microwavable heat pack or warm hot water bottle into crib to pre warm the spot that baby will be put down on
4. Mummy feeds baby to sleep in the dark room he'll be sleeping in.
5. Once he's asleep, mummy removes the heat pack from crib and gently puts baby in the warm spot. Baby doesn't notice any temperature change and carries on snoozing :)

My baby used to startle awake as soon as I laid him down in his crib, it turned out the thing shocking him was the change in temperature going onto the cool untouched sheet. I solved the problem by warming up the mattress with a hot water bottle for a few minutes before trying to transfer him in (take the bottle out again before putting the baby in obviously). Now I can put him down easily without needing to warm it, he got used to it within a few days!

Try a baby sleeping bag if your baby is big enough, or swaddling in a large muslin/swaddle pod or similar.

Thanks again all, I tried hot water bottle without success a week ago. I think some of it is just new baby ness. Sometimes she tolerates a swaddle some not. I've ordered a piddle pod but also we have adjusted our expectations and this helps us not get so upset which also helps :-)

Baby a bit small for sleep bag but we have them ready :-)