Rolled up blankets in crib?

JenMatt2010

Didn't someone say they did this in the NICU? I'm considering trying this tonight with DD using one muslin blanket on each side of her, in hopes that she feels more snuggled and doesn't thrash and wake up every 5 minutes. I will roll them tightly and put them next to her from her shoulders to her feet so they won't be near her face, but this still freaks me out a little.

Anyone else do this? Any tips? Should I not do this? Flame me?

MissLauraPants

My pediatrician told me yesterday to roll a blanket on one side at night because he is favoring one side if his head more. I don't know about two to keep them in place though.

MangoMama82

I thought people were putting them under the fitted sheet?

sooner1981

Jenmatt--they do this in the NICU, but every baby in the NICU has oxygen monitors that are monitored by nurses and docs 24/7, so they don't really worry about suffocation risks the same way that parents do at home.

If a baby got into trouble with carbon dioxide trapping in the NICU, an alarm would start ringing and they would immediately reposition.

The reason that crib bumpers aren't favored anymore is due to this carbon dioxide trapping issue. If you don't use bumpers because they are "unsafe," then I would say that intentionally putting rolled blankets in contact with your little one would carry even more risk.

Many people do all kinds of thinga that are not technically "safe sleep" practices. It all comes down to how much risk you are willing to take.

JenMatt2010

@sooner1981 all good points. Does the fact that its a muslin blanket make it any safer or would it still trap the carbon dioxide, even though it's a "breathable" blanket?

jnsmith85

We do it all the time in the NICU, not necessarily with blankets, but the same concept. And like sooner said, our babies our hooked up to monitors so we know if something happens. In 5 years in the NICU I have never seen an issue with blankets as boundaries.

That being said, if you want to roll a blanket and stick it under the fitted sheet, just make sure it's not a thick blanket so the "bump" it makes is small. It's up to you and the risk vs. benefit.

I plan on using blankets like that if necessary. If LO sleeps better with those boundaries. Right now he sleeps on his side with a blanket tucked around him. He is still in his pnp in our bedroom, right next to my side of the bed.

Arya207

We have two receiving blankets rolled in her crib. One on ether side of her to make it feel snugily. This is the first week I have been using them as I am working on transitioning her to her crib instead of sleeping only on top of me. It seems to be working.

JenMatt2010

Omg omg oh em gee you guise!!!!! It worked! She SLEPT. She woke up at 1 and 6:30 to eat. I feel like a new person. \:D/

MangoMama82

JenMatt2010 said:

Omg omg oh em gee you guise!!!!! It worked! She SLEPT. She woke up at 1 and 6:30 to eat. I feel like a new person. \:D/

Were they under the sheet??

Edited typo

JenMatt2010

MangoMama82 said:

JenMatt2010 said:

Omg omg oh em gee you guise!!!!! It worked! She SLEPT. She woke up at 1 and 6:30 to eat. I feel like a new person. \:D/

Were they under the sheet??

Edited typo

No. I used two of the thin muslin aden & anais blankets and put one on each side of her from her elbows down. I put them on top of the sheet.

Don't love the idea of having anything in the crib but not sure which way is safer?

MangoMama82

JenMatt2010 said:

MangoMama82 said:

JenMatt2010 said:

Omg omg oh em gee you guise!!!!! It worked! She SLEPT. She woke up at 1 and 6:30 to eat. I feel like a new person. \:D/

Were they under the sheet??

Edited typo

No. I used two of the thin muslin aden & anais blankets and put one on each side of her from her elbows down. I put them on top of the sheet.

Don't love the idea of having anything in the crib but not sure which way is safer?

I'm not sure, either. I think Sooner would say neither. I tried it under the sheets a few weeks ago and failed, but I'm gonna try again. He changes every day so I often retry failed attempts at soothing. I'll do the A&A blankets on top like you did, but I would have to give up the swaddle, which scares me

SweetCFly

This is what we did when A first came home. He liked trying to roll to his side and that made me nervous so my best friend who is an RT in the Hopkins PICU showed me how to do this.



Two blankets rolled tight and then another blanket pulled tightly across to keep them in place. We always made sure to put his lead well above them to he could turn his head to either side and not suffocate. When he started being able to scoot down in his crib (around a month I think) we took the rolled blankets out.

PS apologies for the crappy swaddle- that was before we switched to the life saving MB.