# Pillow for an 8 month old???



## avivaelona (Jun 24, 2005)

I've read threads on here before about the age that you can give kids their own pillow and it seems like most people think your baby should be 18 months or so. I don't know what to do though because my 8 month old son has suddenly decided he wants a pillow to sleep on. Until recently DS has always fallen asleep on my shoulder and then gently been placed down on the bed next to but not touching me. He then sleeps either not touching me at all or gently bumps up against me or holds my hand, but he doesn't really like to snuggle close. For the last week though I've been waking up to find him burrowing into me and he's been having trouble falling asleep in his usual position on my shoulder and being put down. Last night this came to a head and he would just start screaming every time I put him down on the bed and would start crawling toward me and climbing back on me. At first I thought he was just feeling very clingy for some reason but I quickly figured out that he just wanted his head elevated on my arm. We slept the whole night that way last night but it was extremely uncomfortable for me. In the morning when he went back to sleep after I was already awake I tried just putting him down with his head on the edge of the pillow and I moved away. He slept just fine, so its the head elevation he wants, not more closeness.

What to do? I don't think most pillows are really safe for an 8 month old, he's crawling and can lift his head or body easily but I worry that the pillow could end up on top of him and he wouldn't know what to do. For nap time I let him put his head on a pillow and he slept really well but I was watching him the whole time. He seems to actually want his head raised and not just to have his sleep surface tilted so I don't think raising the mattress on a wedge would work. Has anyone ever given a baby this young their own pillow? Is there any kind of pillow that would be safer for an older infant? I can't let him sleep on my arm that way, my body hurt so badly this morning, plus he wakes up then every time I move.

Aviva


----------



## mom2owen1 (May 12, 2005)

i don't have any personal experience with this, but it sounds like you have figured out what he wants. instead of a pillow, could you use a blanket? what i am picturing in my head is an adult size blanket folded lengthwise until it is a proper thickness. since it is folded lengthwise, it will be very long and could stretch across the bed, making very difficult to get under. kwim? i hope i explained that well.

kris
owen, 12 months


----------



## spirit4ever (Nov 4, 2004)

i'm not sure either, but my ds sometimes uses a pillow, in bed w/ us
its old and very very flat though so i'm not to worried...but enough to have his head elevated.


----------



## MelAndSimon (Jul 8, 2005)

My ds has always LOVED pillows. As soon as he could crawl, if there was a pillow on the floor he would make a beeline for it and put his head down on it (this is actually sooooo cute, it's one of those "most precious" moments). I ignored the warnings and let him sleep on my pillow as soon as he was able to pull himself up onto it. He was always so strong it never seemed to worry me, but you have to listen to your own mama instinct. He has slept with a little "baby sized" pillow in his crib, too, since about 8 months (he's 12 months now). He also sleeps on my pillow when he is in bed with us, or on dh's pillow...we actually have flatish pillows running all along the top of our king sized bed so none of us will be without a pillow. When ds is on one, I take the other. Hope this helps!

Melissa


----------



## darwinphish (Feb 13, 2005)

My DD (9 mo) sleeps with a small couch pillow. She also needs to have her head propped up and I figure a small, densely filled pillow is fairly safe. Sometimes I wake up and she's moved over onto my squisy down pillow. What can I say, the kid has taste. :LOL

I think you'd be fine giving your DS a pillow of his own.


----------



## mamatowill (Aug 23, 2004)

I was told by the people at our Success by Six program that they don't recommend a pillow in a crib (if your son is in one). She did suggest though that many parents use a travel pillow with their little ones since it is smaller for them.


----------



## JustVanessa (Sep 7, 2005)

I don't know from experience...but have you tried just sharing your pillow with him? I know the pillows I have on our bed are quite wide and flat, I have shared one with dh comfortably. That might work


----------



## rainbowmoon (Oct 17, 2003)

my DS started using a pillow around 8-9 months. we coslept and he would steal mine by edging me off it all night long. so I eventually gave in a gave him one of his own.







I was really worried at first but he was fine.


----------

