A Gift Parents Will Love: A Baby Pillow
A baby pillow is an excellent practical gift for a small child. Because there are so many types of pillows in the stores, it can be tough to pick out the right one. However, this guide will make it simple to pick out just the right baby pillow for the child you are thinking of.
First, how old is the child? Doctors advise that children under the age of two should not sleep with pillows because pillows, even specially designed baby pillows, are a suffocation risk. Rather than getting a sleeping pillow for a child under two years old, choose a nursing pillow or a decorative pillow. However, if the child is past their second birthday, then a sleeping pillow is a safe gift for them.
You can find decorative pillows in just about any color, shape, and material to match any bedroom. You can also have a baby pillow customized. For instance, have a pillow embroidered with a poem that is meaningful to the parents, or that expresses your hopes for the child. Or commission a pillow to be printed with a photograph of the baby’s grandparents. If you have artistic skills, you can even buy a plain baby pillow and a blank pillowcase, and paint or cross stitch a unique design.
A nursing pillow is large and shaped like a horseshoe, and the mother rests it in her lap to hold the baby up so that she does not have to support the baby in her arms when she nurses. (Fathers can use them when bottle feeding, too!) The main brand is Boppy, so nursing pillows are often called boppies, but there are a number of competing brands on the market as well.
A baby pillow for sleeping is much smaller and less plump than adults’ pillows. Children do not need as much support as adults do, so an adult sized pillow can give them neck cramps and disturb their sleep. Luxurious adult pillow stuffing like down and feathers can give them allergies, so it is best to avoid these, too. The best baby pillow is at least half as large and thick as an adult’s pillow, and is stuffed with a hypoallergenic filling and covered with soft, smooth fabric. To finish the gift, pick out cotton pillowcases that match the child’s sheets.
If you follow this guide and your sense of the child’s and the parents’ tastes, you will choose a baby pillow that will make a wonderful gift. You can be certain that you have not only given the child a practical gift, you have made it easier for them to sleep.