What Type of Lovey Does Your 8 or 9 Month Old Like??

Updated on March 16, 2010
S.S. asks from Los Angeles, CA
21 answers

I've bought S. many things trying to find a lovey that my 9-month old baby will attach himself to but am having no luck! The only thing that does help put him to sleep is this big pillow that I use to sleep on. He likes to hug it to him and kind of bury his head in it and poof. he'S.sleeping. But this is a big SIDS risk even though he can move his head away and roll over and such right?? Any advice on what your baby likes?? Thanks Moms!! I love this site :)

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J.R.

answers from San Diego on

Can you maybe make him a smaller, flatter pillow out of the material from the big pillow?

My son didn't attach to a lovey until he was over two years old. There's no forcing such things. They'll like what they like. My only advice is that, if you can, get him something that is easily replaced just in case you lose it or it breaks.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.L.

answers from San Luis Obispo on

I noticed that my daughter was holding on to the corner of one of the blankets we swaddled her in. It was the lightweight, waffle-style, thermal-looking kind. Since I had another one, I took it to a seamstress and got it cut and sewn into 8 smaller ones. My daughter loved it and I always had another clean one available. It worked out great because it was small and easy to clean.

You should not let her sleep on the big pillow that you mentioned.

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K.M.

answers from Las Vegas on

I know that this is not going to help you, but I couldn't resist sharing my story with you, if for no other reason but to maybe give you a good laugh.
My daughter's "lovey" was actually her belly button! LOL She would put her finger in it and rub it until she fell asleep. Whenever she was upset she would stick her hand up her shirt and rub it. So Onsies were out of the question because she would fuss and pull at it if she couldn't touch her belly button. In the winter when those zippered footed pajamas were needed, we actually had to put a t-shirt under it and leave it unzipped so she could find her button. Or in the case of pajanas that snapped under the legs I actually took a pair and cut out a hold and sewed it so she had an access panel to it. Ha ha! it was adorable. The best part was we never had to worry about losing it or it falling out of the bed at night. :)

One more added note. When she learned to draw pictures. we had to skip stick men because she was upset if there was no place to draw the belly button! LOL! Oh the memories!

2 moms found this helpful
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E.M.

answers from Des Moines on

my son has a monkey that was given to him at birth by his aunt. it is a brand called Jellycat. while trying to find replacements we discovered they are very pricey but he loves it. we got him a cow once and he loves that too but isnt nearly as attached to it as he is the monkey. they are very soft and floppy and monkey has last 2 years so far under continuous wear and bi monthly washings:) I LOVE the cow it is sooo soft and floppy sometime even i cant help but snuggle it :) i found the cow at a toy store at the Denver airport and we found a different monkey at a fancy toy store. you can buy them on amazon i think. like i said they are a bit expensive(for me anyway) as far as stuffed animals but i have never found any that are softer or as durable.

http://jellycat.com/usa/bas3mk/

http://jellycat.com/usa/mer6cw/

edit : the Bashful collection is a very nice kid size they are about 12 inches tall i think

1 mom found this helpful
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M.C.

answers from Honolulu on

Unfortunately, only the child will choose. The only way to "force" it is to have the thing with your son at all times, and he will just become accustomed to it. I did this with daughter #1. We kept a certain little bear in her crib and eventually she needed it. Luckily, I got 2. Then with my second daughter, I tried the same thing but she (now she's 5) decides each night what she will sleep with. It is not always the same thing. My nephew chose a very large white bear to cherish. Bummer. It was NOT an easy thing to wash! My friend's daughter chose mommy's bathrobe. She cut it up into smaller pieces and made kind of mini blankets out of it.

The only thing with loveys is that they get lost. Especially when the child is 2 or 3 and is carrying them everywhere. They get lost in your car, at a friend's house, at the library, at the playground. If you want him to be comforted by something, just be prepared to have the thing around when he needs to be comforted.

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L.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

Actually, it's probably better if you baby doesn't have a lovey... the problems start when they are 2 or 3 and lose the lovey or trying to wean them off the lovely - then you have a hysterical child.... If he can sleep fine without anything that's cool! However, I wanted my son to have something that could be easily replaced. They say babies like things that smell like their parents - which is why your son might like the big pillow. I like to sleep in big men's jockey t-shirts. I have about 20 of them. I would sleep in one for a night then give it to my son to sleep with. After awhile he would carry around any of the t-shirts regardless if I slept in them or not. He didn't care which one he had so I could easily give him a new one if the one he had got dirty or lost. But again, if your son is happy without anything it's less headache for you. Hope this helps!

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L.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

We did the same thing with our daughter and any time she seemed "attached" to something we bought a duplicate in case we lost one. Needless to say we have a drawer full of loveys that never got loved. : )

Kids don't really find attachments to toys, blankets, etc. until about 18 months so until then just watch what he gravitates towards and he'll pick the lovey himself when you least expect it.

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D.D.

answers from Los Angeles on

my son never took to any lovey and he's 4 now..sometimes they just aren't into them..also never wanted a paci..tried them all..he used one for a day when he saw his friend using it...then had no interest

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E.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

If your child can roll over, and move his head just fine, SIDS risk is not an issue. He might like your smell on the pillow...could you transition to something that smells like you that is smaller and more easy to carry (what you are looking/hoping for?) Or maybe texture is the attraction? Just need to experiment I think. Good luck!

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K.S.

answers from San Diego on

My son (16 months) loves his monkey that we got from Build-A-Bear. His grandpa got it for him when he was 8 months old. At first it was just in his crib & he pretty much ignored it. Now however, he can't sleep without it! He uses it as his pillow, snuggles with it & just loves it. Maybe a trip to Build-A-Bear would help for your baby? We didn't "overstuff" his monkey, so it's nice and soft (and since he uses it as a pillow, it's practically flat now! LOL). Good luck!!

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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

mine had/has a green blankey, that has the silky edges (my littlest bro also had one like that, they both like to rub that part while they sleep) and she has a silky soft (or at least, he used to be!) Winnie the Pooh, that she attached herself to when she was 3 months.

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E.E.

answers from Los Angeles on

Sounds like he loves the smell of mom. If you haven't already, take a lovey and you sleep with it for a night or two (even put it in your shirt) and then try again. It has worked for many.

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M.H.

answers from Las Vegas on

My first son (now almost three) didnt take to a lovey until he was almost two years old. It is his blanket and has to sleep with it now. I tried and tried when he was little but he didnt want anything, and would move things away from him when I would put them close to his while sleeping and nursing. My now 7 month old also has his blanket as his lovey, he loves to bury his head in it when sleeping. Its a knitted blanket and has big holes in it so I am not too concerned if it gets too close to his face while sleeping.

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K.F.

answers from Los Angeles on

Honestly, my kids never had a "lovey." They were fine with nothing in their beds. If he isn't getting attached to something then I wouldn't worry about it. Think of it as him telling you he doesn't need one.

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A.K.

answers from Los Angeles on

My daughter is in love with my hair. She needs it to fall asleep and touches it when she's upset. Needless to say, when I had a haircut it was difficult to grab and I had a very sore neck for a month or more! I ended up buying a hairpiece on a clip for times I can't be there.

Basically, lovies can be anything. You could give him a small, toddler pillow or talk to the pediatrician to see if your pillow is ok--you can always bring it with you.

Good luck!

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T.W.

answers from Los Angeles on

My daughter is bigger now, but she never had a lovey - she instead had several stuffed animals that over the course of time, she'd pick and choose as favorite for the day, the week, then change her preference to the next. Today panda bear, tomorrow turtle, next week doggie. She still does that now at 4. Perhaps he likes you as a lovey for now ;) ??? Maybe the pillow has your scent? I'm not quite sure you can help him pick his lovey, just like you won't be able to choose his girlfriends ;) But I too tried and tried and tried...

L.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

My daughter latched on to those thin, soft flat-fold cloth diapers (not the thick ones that you could actually use). We had a big pack from Babies R Us and she would put them under her chin and against her neck (herself!) when she would sleep. It was perfect because they are light and airy and we had quite a few of them so I could wash the while she was still using one. They were her lovies until she was probably almost 3 years old. Now I use them as cleaning rags! :)

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A.A.

answers from San Diego on

my 6 years old had the same issue as your son , she just want my pillow and still does , so what i did is that got a smaller pillow . i used it for few nights until i was sure me smell are stuck on it , then gave it to her she put her face on it and then looked at me and then fall a sleep , so if your son using your pillow because of your smell on it , try this idea of getting a smaller one and use it for few nights then give it to him .
it is so cute how my 6 years old will not be able to sleep if she cannot find the pillow . i wash it every week and then use it for one night and then give it to her :)

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V.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

My son has two loveys: one is a really soft teddy bear that his grandmother gave him (which he usually uses as a pillow). The other is a pony cozy that some friends gave him when he was born. He loves both of them - especially the pony. We've bought an extra couple in case something happens to cozy #1 ... we don't want a tragedy on our hands! The cozy is super soft and he likes to play with it, which soothes him to sleep. (If you're interested, you can google "pinto pony cozy" - Amazon sells it but there are other sites as well, and other cozy animals). My son is now 21 months old but he's had these two loveys since he was about your son's age.

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C.H.

answers from San Diego on

mine liked those thin, soft blankets that are made of cotton I think.

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S.A.

answers from Los Angeles on

if he will fall asleep with your pillow and if you can take it out later in the evening without him waking or needing it in the middle of the night, leave it at that. I tried to get my son to attach to something but finally I'm like, why am I trying to force him to be dependent on something? that's crazy. so don't push it and use what is working. :)

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