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Original poster

“Tiny jellycat “ for help to sleep.

26 replies

Redheadx · 19/02/2025 16:00

My baby is 8 months old and we used a tiny jelly cat rabbit from 5 months to help her put herself to sleep, this worked amazingly and once she was asleep we removed the jelly cat out the cot however, lately she has really gotten attached to this and wakes up now every night looking for it so I put it back in wait until she falls asleep and take it back out. This can happen sometimes up to 8 times a night. I am so tireddddd. My baby can roll, sit and has very good head control. My husband said it will be fine to leave it in her cot.

what is everyone else doing? Are they still removing the teddy?

OP posts:
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Stichintime · 19/02/2025 16:04

I wouldn't leave anything in the cot until a year old. I would break the habit now, because the attachment will likely grow. I think at this age she'll get over it after 1 or 2 nights.

JimHalpertsWife · 19/02/2025 16:06

I'd buy 5 and throw them all in there tbh.

Smartiepants79 · 19/02/2025 16:09

JimHalpertsWife · 19/02/2025 16:06

I'd buy 5 and throw them all in there tbh.

Me too!
Definitely get a few so that when they inevitably go missing you’ll have back ups.
I can’t see what the risk a very small toy would have to a baby who can roll and sit up.

Okayornot · 19/02/2025 16:10

If it is tiny there cannot surely be any real risk of it covering the baby's mouth and nose so that the baby cannot breathe and cannot move away from it. A big soft toy, or loads of them, I can see a potential issue where a baby is immobile. A tiny one, with a baby who is 8 months old has got to be fine.

InTheRainOnATrain · 19/02/2025 16:11

When my DD went to daycare in the US they had to have a note from the paediatrician to say they could sleep with a soft toy, but the paediatricians all seemed happy to write the note so long as they got paid for their time! So by that logic I’d say it was fine and let her sleep with it?! Mine both had a small comfort item in their cot from 6 months old. I don’t see it being a risk for a rolling, crawling, sitting, possibly even cruising 8MO (one of mine walked at 9 months) in the way it would be for a newborn that can’t move away from it or pick it up and move it. So I vote for letting her sleep with it and also buying 5, 1 in the cot at the time, but rotate them so they get equally worn and you’ve always got a back up.

ICanTellYouMissMe · 19/02/2025 16:12

I literally did have 5 of the same toy, DD used to wake up, find her favourite one in the dark, and post the rest out through the bars of her cot 🤣

Original poster
Redheadx · 19/02/2025 16:14

@Okayornot it’s called the tiny jelly cat. As that’s the smallest they make. I have posted a picture next to a dummy for reference of size.

“Tiny jellycat “ for help to sleep.
OP posts:
Greeneyegirl · 19/02/2025 16:17

My little one slept with a fairly large elephant from about 8/9 months. Id put it in the cot!

Okayornot · 19/02/2025 18:00

Redheadx · 19/02/2025 16:14

@Okayornot it’s called the tiny jelly cat. As that’s the smallest they make. I have posted a picture next to a dummy for reference of size.

Yeah, I can't see any danger in that. Buy a spare (or six) if she is that attached though!

TheChosenTwo · 19/02/2025 18:04

We had teddies in their cots from about that age, well, just one teddy.
I feel like it’s one of the (many many) risks you weigh up and decide on as parents. Once they could sort of wriggle themselves and were able to use hands to move things themselves we decided it was okay to leave them in their cot with a small teddy.
it’s a bit different to a newborn who wouldn’t necessarily be able to move something away from their own mouth/nose.

Laszlomydarling · 19/02/2025 18:06

It's definitely safe to leave in the cot. And you should definitely get a back up or 2 as these sleep attachments can stick for years. Rotate them too so that they wear and always look and feel the same.

Toddlerhelpplease123 · 19/02/2025 18:08

Just leave it in the cot.

And purchase at least 2 extra to rotate out and get to similar level of wear!

Butthechildrentheylovethebooks · 19/02/2025 18:25

I tried a couple of times over the years to get DS to give up sleeping with his Jelly Cat puppy. He's just about to turn 17 and still sleeps with it 😍 He has 2, we got another after a frantic 3 hour search one night for it, but the original is still the favourite.
Definitely get a couple more.

HollyBerryz · 19/02/2025 18:30

Are teddies not allowed in cots now? Lots of teddies I can understand but just one? (Mine are all adults now so I'm possibly out of touch!)

JimHalpertsWife · 19/02/2025 18:32

HollyBerryz · 19/02/2025 18:30

Are teddies not allowed in cots now? Lots of teddies I can understand but just one? (Mine are all adults now so I'm possibly out of touch!)

The rule for the first 6months is on their backs, with nothing else in the cot at all apart from the bottom sheet.

AliasGrape · 19/02/2025 18:36

Just to warn you OP, my 4.5 year old has a much beloved jellycat bunny, I think it’s more or less the same one maybe a smidge bigger. She STILL wakes us up when she can’t find it pretty much every night.

Because he is such a huge part of our life/ family now and has kind of acquired a personality of his own, I thought it would be cute to buy a Christmas decoration version one to go in DD’s stocking last Christmas - literally the same bunny but half the size with a Christmas hat on and you can hang it on the tree.

So now obviously we have both ‘Bob’ and ‘Christmas Bob’ who both have to go everywhere with us, and there’s two she can’t sleep without. Huge mistake on my part, my own worst enemy!

Original poster
Redheadx · 19/02/2025 18:38

Okayornot · 19/02/2025 18:00

Yeah, I can't see any danger in that. Buy a spare (or six) if she is that attached though!

Show quote history

@Okayornot thank you! Yes I panicked ordered 3 today after everyone’s advice lol plus it’s ready for a wash lol

OP posts:
DurinsBane · 19/02/2025 18:38

I think my kids had a soft toy in the cot permanently before that age! But that was a few years ago, I guess the recommendations have changed

Original poster
Redheadx · 19/02/2025 18:40

AliasGrape · 19/02/2025 18:36

Just to warn you OP, my 4.5 year old has a much beloved jellycat bunny, I think it’s more or less the same one maybe a smidge bigger. She STILL wakes us up when she can’t find it pretty much every night.

Because he is such a huge part of our life/ family now and has kind of acquired a personality of his own, I thought it would be cute to buy a Christmas decoration version one to go in DD’s stocking last Christmas - literally the same bunny but half the size with a Christmas hat on and you can hang it on the tree.

So now obviously we have both ‘Bob’ and ‘Christmas Bob’ who both have to go everywhere with us, and there’s two she can’t sleep without. Huge mistake on my part, my own worst enemy!

@AliasGrape oh dear haha! But how very cute though! LOL who can resist a jelly cat to be fair lol

OP posts:
JimHalpertsWife · 19/02/2025 18:43

DurinsBane · 19/02/2025 18:38

I think my kids had a soft toy in the cot permanently before that age! But that was a few years ago, I guess the recommendations have changed

I think most people tweak the recommendations anyways - MN seems to be very pro co-sleeping but it is made clear that the advice is on their backs in their own beds.

All you can do is read the info, make sure you are informed, and decide what works best for mum and baby. Sleep is the goal, so minimising the exhaustion level is key really.

JimHalpertsWife · 19/02/2025 18:44

My dds Jellycat is absolutely threadbare. It's 14 years old, and at about 4yo acquired a hand knitted jacket to protect its dignity bit even that hasn't been enough to stop it going grey (from pink!) and overly "sucked" of all colour.

Original poster
Redheadx · 19/02/2025 18:45

Thank you everyone who took the time to comment, I have read every one of them and they have helped / made me chuckle. I have also taken everyone advice and bought more. :)

OP posts:
Oblomov25 · 19/02/2025 18:47

Both my ds's had a slackajack jellycat. Actually ds1 had mr dog, and a medium slackajack rabbit grey. Ds2 had slackajack jellycat mouse grey.

Is it a new thing no toys in cot pre 1? because many people did it, but admittedly that was 20 years ago, so recommendations do change, but it still seems like such a shame to me! Sad

“Tiny jellycat “ for help to sleep.
“Tiny jellycat “ for help to sleep.
Original poster
Redheadx · 19/02/2025 19:00

Oblomov25 · 19/02/2025 18:47

Both my ds's had a slackajack jellycat. Actually ds1 had mr dog, and a medium slackajack rabbit grey. Ds2 had slackajack jellycat mouse grey.

Is it a new thing no toys in cot pre 1? because many people did it, but admittedly that was 20 years ago, so recommendations do change, but it still seems like such a shame to me! Sad

These are very cute!

yes the advice now is no toys in cot before 1 year old.

my mum says the same to me that I had teddies in with me as a baby.

OP posts:
CraneBeak · 19/02/2025 19:12

My DS is only 5 and this is the first time over heard this advice. He had a teddy in with him from that age, it's absolutely fine.

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