A Guide to Buying a Baby Pillow

A baby pillow is an excellent practical gift for a small child. The panoply of pillows on the market can make choosing the best pillow tricky. However, this guide will make it simple to pick out just the right baby pillow for the child you are thinking of.
The first consideration is the babys age. Doctors recommend that children not be allowed to sleep with pillows until they turn two, since children under two can suffocate on pillows. Decorative pillows or nursing pillows are better gifts for babies under the age of two. If the child is a toddler of two or older, then they are ready for a sleeping pillow.
Decorative pillows are available in almost every size, shape, and color to match any decor. 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 babys 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.
Nursing pillows are large, U shaped pillows that the mother arranges in her lap to provide extra support for the baby while she nurses. (Fathers can use them when bottle feeding, too!) Nursing pillows are nicknamed "boppies," after the top brand, Boppy, but there are several good brands on the market.
A baby pillow for sleeping is much smaller and less plump than adults pillows. Full sized adult pillows can give children neck cramps and make them sleep poorly because they are proportioned differently from adults. Pillow fillings that adults find comfortable, like feathers and down, can trigger allergies in children, so you should avoid them. Choose a baby pillow that is half the size and thickness of an adults pillow or less, with hypoallergenic stuffing and a smooth, soft cover. To finish the gift, pick out cotton pillowcases that match the childs sheets.
When you are done picking out a baby pillow, you will have a superb gift that the child and their parents are sure to treasure. You can be certain that you have not only given the child a practical gift, you have made it easier for them to sleep.