Have you heard people talking about this “lovey” thing but just don’t get the purpose? For those of you who’ve yet to see a lovey in person, it’s basically a 12″ x 12″ blanket with an animal head on top that’s meant to stay in baby’s sleep space only and become an attachment object/snuggle buddy. I absolutely love these, as do my children, and 100% suggest them to all of my clients, especially those who are wanting to make the change from co-sleeping or contact napping, as it provides extra comfort in place of mom or dad and makes the entire process significantly easier.
So….why the need to “introduce” this thing? Why can’t you just toss it in their crib and call it a day? Like…really though.
Great question! While you absolutely can simply add it to baby’s sleep routine and hope that a bond grows organically, most younger babies will ignore it unless you help build an attachment. The other important factor to this whole “safe” introduction is that the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends nothing in baby’s sleep space other than a pacifier until 12 months of age. A lot of parents – first-time, generally anxious, or particularly rule-abiding – tend to be on the fence about supporting their baby’s attachment to a lovey after learning about this guideline, and trust me, I get that. I also, however, understand how helpful of a tool this attachment object can be. So, today I’ll go over the step-by-step process of safely introducing and supporting your baby’s attachment to a lovey.
(For any of you who like to get to the facts quickly, go here for a video to watch instead - great for 3:00 am when you're up feeding baby for the 18th time)
First off, save yourself a ton of time and stress and just order the multi-pack! You never know when lovey will be left behind, lost, or spit up on, and you don’t want to be stuck in that situation – I promise! After washing baby’s new lovey, toss it directly into YOUR bed or dirty clothes hamper and let it get extra mom (and dad) smelly…baby LOVES this and it helps support an automatic attachment.
Next, you’ll want to pull together a few things: A safety pin, either masking tape or painter’s tape, your new lovey, and baby’s sleep sack. Don’t currently use a sleep sack? This is my favorite one! It’s heavy enough to give some extra warmth needed during the cooler months, and legitimately feels like a comforter!
Finally, you’ll safety pin the lovey about 2/3 of the way down baby’s sleep sack at the zipper seam, firmly wrapping the pin enclosure with your tape after adjusted to the right position, making sure it’s head can’t reach above the arm holes. This ensures baby’s safety, so she can reach lovey to snuggle with, but it can’t come up over her face.
Then simply incorporate lovey into your sleep routine while reading stories before nap/bedtime. Make this a super sweet introduction, like meeting a baby sister for the first time. Mom and dad snuggle lovey first, then have baby snuggle lovey. Be silly and have lovey kiss baby’s cheeks! Repeat at all sleep times.
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Infant Sleep Solutions 
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