A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK

[woopster]

I've had my gro-bags for nearly 5 years! They are fab. The King is using them now. 

[Jocasta]

OMG!  This is the first I'd heard of blankets being risky!  ALL of my three had blankets from birth.  I only started using sleeping bags with Sophie when she got old enough to wriggle out from under the blanket.  I've just started using one with Mae but not every night - only because it's been bloody cold in our house for a few nights...  Geesh, no more blankets for her!

[~*~Louisa~*~]

We use blankets, people have been using blankets for alot longer then grobags have existed

There are guide lines about using safe sleeping that include blankets
things like making sure baby is in feet to foot position (feet at the foot of there bed) tucking blankets in under the matress (so baby can wriggle out but not move the blanket)

You place half the blanket right under the matress going the whole width then lay baby on matress and then tuck blanket under other side, because the blanket is under the matress the babys own weight is keeping it from moving
Tucking blankets under the babys arms so arms are free so they can not pull the blanket over face (obviously hard to do if swaddling)

[C&F'sMummy]

I think if you tuck a blanket in so that it cant get over them or wrap round them its fine - its just if you loosely cover them in one obviously it can wrap round them then..

[Eli&Cae]

For us, our lo has two blankets - one is cotton and the other is a light one with holes.  The one with the holes is not very warm IMO so I added the cotton blanket.

We tuck all the blankets under or against the 3 sides of the mattress and also use safety pins to make sure she can't pull the blankets over her head (they are at armpit level).  She's never been able to pull these over her head while in her sleeping position. 

I put her in lying the opposite way to watch her mobile once and she pulled the blanket with holes completely over her face.  It was very scary but I think she was only able to do this because she was lying where her feet would normally be.  Needless to say, I don't do that anymore.

[*Jo*]

we have just stopped swaddling our 13 week old and he now has a warm blanket he likes to snuggle into. I just went and checked on him and it was covering his whole face (and yes i panicked!) i took it off his face and he was fine but what do i do? he really seems to like snuggling into it and sucking on it to put himself to sleep and i think also to self soothe when he wakes but i dont want him to suffocate... is there any safe way to have a snugglie? and is 13 weeks too young to have one? he really does seem quite taken with it

[Jocasta]

Hmm, if you're really worried - is there anyway you can use it to make a stuffed toy?  That way it'd smell the same and feel the same but wouldn't cove his face... I've used blankets with all of mine but have also had gro-bags and sleep suits.  I have a sensor pad which sounds an alarm if movement isn't detected - that's given me some peace of mind so that helps too.

[jess, lukeys_mom]

I don'tthink 13 weeks is too young to have something to snuggle into when going to sleep. However if you are worried I would cut a smaller square out of the blanket and give that to your lo.

[pat26]

That would be awful to walk in and see your baby like that

I swaddle my lo in a blanket wrapped tightly round her  and she has a blanket with holes in it tucked into mattress is this ok?

Worried now after reading this

[Peek-a-boo]

Check out this link to see the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep recommendations:

http://www.healthychildcare.org/pdf/SIDSparentsafesleep.pdf