Blanket in the crib?

LISAF1197

So I read so many mixed reviews about putting blankets in the crib before LO is a year old.  Although I haven't done it yet, I am seriously thinking about it.  DS is over 8 months old now and moves around very well... He has been crawling for over two months and is pulling himself up now.  I live in MA and the nights are getting pretty cold here now and I feel like he needs a little Blanky on him. I have the heat on high in his room and he wears his warm footsie pj's. It just doesn't seem to be enough.  

What are all of you doing?

RunningGal900

Sleep sack and adjusting the heat inside to meet his needs. I'm concerned about strangulation and like scout hope to hold off until next winter on the blanket.

traci823

I've been tempted to, but my little monkey is a roller and I'm afraid she will get it wrapped around her head or neck.  She also likes to cover her face.

We use the light stretchie pj's from Childrens Place under their warm blanket sleepers and she seems to be fine.  When I had her in just the blanket sleepers she was curling up in a ball and tucking her hands under her tummy.  Now that I've added the stretchies she is back to sleeping all stretched out.

JenniCollins

DD has had a blanket in her crib for about a month now.  We live in OH and it get's really cold here, plus hubby and I like to sleep in the cold (our house drops to 60 at night).  We recently got her a little space heater for her room but even with that it only get's to be about 65 in her room.

CourtneyRenee9109

DS does sleep with a blanket. It's freezing here and if we put the heat on in our room, it just gets WAY too hot.

He's been crawling for over two months and has excellent control of his body which is why I do not worry about suffocation. 

We use a thicker blanket, a fluffy baby quilt, that I can't imagine getting wrapped around him; no matter how much he rolls around. (if it was a thin, long blanket I may be worried but it's a very short, square fluffy blanket that I can't even roll up if I tried)

If you feel comfortable, then do it. If you don't feel comfortable, then don't.

LynsiBHM

I'm in MA too and hubby sleeps with our bedroom window open. He yells at me if the heat is above the 60's. I am forever sleeping in sweats and socks with an extra blanket!!  P had been using blankets for naps only (so I could keep an eye on him) and just recently started using one for overnight. He sleeps much better with it. I use a small (maybe 20' x20') hand crocheted blanket with holes, so he won't suffocate and the thickness and size make it pretty darn hard to strangle as well. He loves his lightweight a&a blankets too, but those things might as well have a noose on them. Stretched out and rolled up they are like a rope and scare me. Space heaters scare me too, so i'm sticking with the one small blanket for now. Once he's asleep I tuck him in with it and it keeps him warm and cozy for most of the night. Once he rolls around again he ends up just snuggling with it.

Amandelic

My LO is such a roller so this is what has stopped me from putting a blanket on her (as well as the whole suffocation/ strangulation risk). As well, I don't plan to until she turns one anyway. In the meantime, we have a little space heater in her room and she is dressed in a fleece sleeper. She stays warm at night!

stephanie_shoe

We use a blanket, but we are still swaddling.  Of course she busts out of it, but the blanket hasn't seemed to be a problem...it seems to stay below her waist.

vilaro

Scout2005:

The risk with blankets is not just suffocation - at this point, they are all moving around and strangulation becomes a real concern.

I will not put anything in her crib until she's over a year, personally, and even then it will be getting in to spring/summer, so I am hoping to hold off until next winter. I live in a very cold area as well, but she's more than fine in fleece footies, a long sleeved onesie and socks under the PJs. We keep our heat up a little bit more than we used to at night. She's nice and warm.

This is exactly what we do.

lovemyminions

We have been using a blanket in the crib for a while now.  I find a nice thick heavy blanket doesn't wrap around her, and if anything she just crawls out the top.  It gets pretty cold here too.  Friends of ours use a full size blanket and tuck the ends down beside either side of the mattress (kind of pinning their LO down) and it works well for them.   I think this really depends on how your little one is, and how much they move around.

tokenhoser

Sleep sack.

Aside from being safer, it also stays on.

lindsayj09

We use a sleep sack and fleece pjs.  DS moves around way too much for a blanket to be much good. 

skio

DD needs something in her hands to fall asleep. She has a small crocheted blanket at night to hold and I'm not concerned about it safety-wise, but it does nothing as far as keeping her warm. She sleeps 13 hours straight at night and I'm not about to change anything.

If you're doing it for warmth, it won't do much if your LO is a mover. Try dressing him warmer or putting the heat up more. DD wears a l/s onesie and socks under fleece sleepers on some nights.

snoopy5512

I am a firm believer of better safe than sorry.  The ideal temp for a babies room is somewhere in the 65-72 range I think.  It was getting to about 66 or 67 in her room so we have her in footies (cotton ones) socks, and a fleece long sleeved sleep sack.  Her room now hovers around 69.  We crank the heat and then if we get hot we open the sliding door for a few.  I have gotten used to sleeping in hotter temps and she is safe. 

That said, for naps she sleeps with a blanket and a lovey.  The reason I don't let her sleep with these things is she likes to put them over her head.  She is crawling, sitting up and standing, but I would still worry.  I let her fall asleep with a lovey at night and then take it away.

TBLilyRose

DS has had a blanket since 7 months. One is a knitted blanket my mom made, then he got a fleece receiving blanket as it got chillier. 

One thing you can do is add a fleece blanket or something over the crib sheet, tucking it into the sides so it doesn't go anywhere, so that there's a little added extra warmth there if you don't want loose blankets.

LMBecky11

I have been using footie jammies under a sleep sack. The sleep sack stays on all night even with rolling around and it keeps her warm. She likes to cover her face though, so I had a little washcloth in it with her so she could put it over her face if she wanted to, but she didn't seem to like it. I am not sure what to use besides that, but the sleep sack does help keep her warm!

snoopy5512

If she likes to cover her face, (which I am not a fan of) you can try a lovey.  DD uses that at naptime.