why & how to introduce a lovey to your baby

June 28, 2021

why & how to introduce a lovey to your baby

First of all, let’s define a lovey:

an object that a baby or toddler bonds with, in order to feel comforted and secure.

(Definition from : Happiest Baby)

Before I was a parent, I’d always see little kids dragging around a bunny, a blanket or a doll as if it was their lifeline. I even remember taking a boat trip with my 2-year-old nephew and my sister, as he was clutching his stuffed bunny she said, “we better not lose that bunny or else we’re doomed”. I thought, ‘wow, that’s dramatic.’
But now I know just how serious little ones can be about their loveys. It’s so cute to see! Which is why I was shocked, when I tried to introduce my daughter to certain toys, and she rejected everything. There wasn’t just one item that she was attached to.

As always, I started doing my own research as to why having a lovey was even necessary. It wasn’t until Gabriella was about 5 months old and we decided to start sleep training that I realized the importance of having a lovey. It had to be just right! If you’ve ever read the Twilight books, babies are just like the werewolves, they basically have to imprint on a toy just like the wolves imprint on certain people. They will become the protector of that object!

This was going to be the item that helped her self-soothe when I wasn’t there to rock her back to sleep. As much as I want to be there night after night to help her sleep, it simply wasn’t realistic for my well-being or hers.

Here’s the thing, sometimes kids will choose their own beloved object of affection, and other times the parents choose it for them. In our case, I ended up selecting the Lulla Doll, and TG that I did! Why you ask?

Well…

“It imitates closeness to a caregiver at rest with its soft feel and soothing sounds of real-life breathing and heartbeat. Lulla plays for 12 hours to provide comfort all night long.”

That’s right! The doll has a built-in heartbeat that you can turn on to imitate the closeness of being with mama. It’s not loud, just gentle enough that baby can still sleep. The best part is that it also has velcro straps in the back so that you can attach it safely to a crib or bassinet.

While breastfeeding Gabriella before her nap, I would place the doll between my chest and hers. This way the doll would pick up on my scent, then I would gentle lay her down to sleep after our feeding session and walk away. She would still be awake as I put her in the bassinet, however, the doll was comfort enough when I wasn’t there, and she’d slowly slip off to her slumber.

Gabi is now 15 months old, and has used her dolly to self-soothe for the past 10 months! We have removed the heartbeat pack as she no longer needed us to turn it on. The doll itself symbolizes safety and comfort.

Finally, one of the greatest aspects of introducing a lovey early on is that babies can feel comforted when in the care of someone other than their parents. We can send our daughter to her grandparent’s house for a sleep over because she will have her doll and know that we are close by. Furthermore, it helps with daycare drop offs because yet again, we aren’t there but her lulla doll always is.

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written by Jo, founder of Silkzees

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