Tips for introducing a comforter to your baby
The key aim of introducing a comforter (sometimes called a transitional object) is to help your little one form a friendship and positive sleep association, by signalling time for rest and relaxation.
Here some extra tips to nurture the connection:
✨ sleep next to the doll, keep it in your bed, wear it down your shirt, during feeds etc for a few days to absorb your scent
✨encourage role playing affection with the doll such as cuddling, playing, dressing, wrapping, talking etc
✨ choose an easy name for the comforter until your child can choose their own name for their best friend
✨ take the comforter to baby’s appointments (especially scary ones like the doctor)
✨ attach baby’s favourite teether or soother for additional comfort
✨ ensure you have a back up/wash day spare or incase one goes missing and rotate to get those good smells
A good attachment to a comforter helps baby with natural and necessary transitions, such as building safety jn a new sleep space, times of sickness or attending daycare/babysitting.
Please note: as advised by RED NOSE AUSTRALIA soft toys should only be introduced into the sleeping environment when a baby is seven months or older. From seven months of age, most babies can actively move an object away from their face, which significantly reduces the risk of having a soft toy in the sleeping environment
Prior to seven months, our sleep doll can be securely tethered to the cot, where baby can still receive gentle sensory input (eg audio, olfactory, sight) which can help build connection
How did you notice baby bonding with their comforter? Did you do anything special to help this process?
Here some extra tips to nurture the connection:
✨ sleep next to the doll, keep it in your bed, wear it down your shirt, during feeds etc for a few days to absorb your scent
✨encourage role playing affection with the doll such as cuddling, playing, dressing, wrapping, talking etc
✨ choose an easy name for the comforter until your child can choose their own name for their best friend
✨ take the comforter to baby’s appointments (especially scary ones like the doctor)
✨ attach baby’s favourite teether or soother for additional comfort
✨ ensure you have a back up/wash day spare or incase one goes missing and rotate to get those good smells
A good attachment to a comforter helps baby with natural and necessary transitions, such as building safety jn a new sleep space, times of sickness or attending daycare/babysitting.
Please note: as advised by RED NOSE AUSTRALIA soft toys should only be introduced into the sleeping environment when a baby is seven months or older. From seven months of age, most babies can actively move an object away from their face, which significantly reduces the risk of having a soft toy in the sleeping environment
Prior to seven months, our sleep doll can be securely tethered to the cot, where baby can still receive gentle sensory input (eg audio, olfactory, sight) which can help build connection
How did you notice baby bonding with their comforter? Did you do anything special to help this process?
