Baby Parenting Guide

what age is it advised that you can let your baby sleep with a pillow?

My 4 month old baby girl sleeps much better when we prop her up on one of those maternity 'v-shape' pillows but when we lye her down flat she wriggles around a lot more which wakes her up..... We only let her sleep with the pillow whilst sat next to her on the sofa or lying on the bed so she's always safe but I was wondering what age is it suggested to be safe to let a baby have a pillow ?

Public Response to what age is it advised that you can let your baby sleep with a pillow?

1. I thought they had to be over one at least. If she gets to sleep that way then I would allow it but Id maybe take it away once she is asleep just for safety
2. 12 months at least -if you must. Mine is 18 months now and just has a small cuddle type pillow.
3. it is advised that n child under 1 sleeps wth a pillow but have yu tried putting the pillow under the bed sheet
4. I never gave any of my 3 babies a pillow until they were over 4 yrs of age. It is better for their growing backs and necks I had heard long ago
5. You should put the pillow under the mattress so the end of the mattress is proped up. She probably has gas and it can escape better when she's proped up. As for giving her a real pillow I'd wait until you move her into her toddler bed.
6. I was told not to let my baby have a pillow until she moved out of her cot and into a small bed, she was around two and a half. The best thing to do would be to discuss this with your health visitor next time you see her, she may know of reasons why it might not be safe to give your baby a pillow, or she may say there is no reason why she should not have one. Incidentally, my baby slept better on a pillow than flat as well, but we only let her have the pillow, as you say, on the sofa or lying on the bed. I suppose the danger is that they could wriggle under it and suffocate, so I would not give her a pillow until you have checked it out with a health professional. Aren't they just angelic when they sleep?
7. Once they are in a bed. But even then, only a very shallow pillow while they're still toddlers.
8. babies shouldn't sleep with blankets or pillows until they are the age of 1 and older. i use to give my daughter a blanket but shes 6 months old and she crawls under it and she wakes up screaming and i don't want her to suffocate and i told my doctor and he told me not to give a baby a blanket or pillow until one year of age
9. ok mumbo jumbo here goes i have three kids and ill tell ya when my kids started lifting their heads and started sleeping better with a pillow we gave them one regardless of age if they can support their head fully they are fine oh and we let them sleep on their stomach at that point so no matter what your told parents generally know best
10. One year old, but you could try propping one end of her cot up (on a couple of bricks, say) so she's sleeping at an angle, that might help?
11. The baby should (at least) be able to hold his/her own head up. Generally when they are able to come to a sitting position from a lying position is when it's safe for them to have pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals in the bed with them. This is because if they are short of breath or accidentally smothered by something they wont be defenseless. Maybe when your baby starts crawling.
12. yea its a year,i think someone has already said similar,about raising the mattress.I used to put a small pillow under the mattress especially if they had the cold,it just raised them up a wee bit..
13. At least a year. SIDS rates peak between 3-6 months so it would be very, very dangerous to let your 4 month old sleep on a pillow.
14. My midwife said never let your child sleep with a pillow until the child is at least 2 years old, however without pillow my children would never sleep! My son has had a pillow since the day i brought him out of hospital! Do what right for your child, you know your child the best!
15. My boy sleep with goi goi baby pillow since about 6 weeks old. check their uk webside. Apparently it's recommended for kids to prevent flat head, and he love it! I think it's recommended to use baby pillow in Sweden. www.goigoibabypillows.co.uk from the Swedish Department of Health’s Guidelines for Newborn Babies Translation from an information leaflet given to all new parents: "Sleeping on the back: research from a number of countries show that the risk of sudden infant death is reduced when the baby is put down to sleep on its back instead of the tummy. We advise you to let the baby sleep on its back from the start. One reason the back position is better can be that the upper parts of the respiratory passages are kept open more easily. A soft pillow should be used when the baby is sleeping on its back to prevent the back of the head from flattening. Alternate the positioning of the baby’s head to the left and right. This way you prevent any pressure points from developing which causes the head to flatten or distort its shape." Socialstyrelsen (the Swedish National Board of Health & Welfare
16. i gave my son his first pillow 2 months ago and he's 2 in october. never give a child a heavy pillow to sleep on. my boy was like your girl - he always liked being on a pillow than down flat. i used to let him fall asleep on a pillow but move it out of his cot once he was asleep - its the best way to do it. he now used a flat (none stuffed) pillow with a pillow case on to make him think he has his own pillow even though its no where near as comfortable as a normal one that he used to fall asleep on
17. 18 months maybe but if u want 2 be safe a yr old hope i help.
18. i would let her use it while you are with her but never leave her sleeping on her own with it once she is asleep remove it if she likes a pillow i would look into get in her a baby pillow other wise i would leave the pillow until she at least 1
19. 12 months is the recommended age, and then it's one of those thin baby pillows.
20. 1
21. i was always told after 12 months. Let her go off then remove the pillow and i would also consult you health visitor for further advice
22. 12 months old, minimum. she will get used to sleeping flat. if you insist on her sleeping slightly propped up then put a pillow under the cot mattress, we used to do this when the kids where little and had colds, it stopped their noses from getting bunged up.
23. 6 months
24. I have two children. The first one is 4 years and 2 months and the second one is 1 year and 3 months; both do not like to use pillows. I don't know why but they prefer sleeping on the bed without pillows and will push the pillows away if you try to make them use the pillows.