Lovies - Lake Stevens,WA

I was in a similar situation with my first. He rejected every promising lovey that we introduced to him. Basically *I* was his lovey. I had given up any hope that he would have one, and then when he was 2 1/2, he fell in love with a Winnie the Pooh doll that we bought him at Disneyland. Two years later, he still takes it everywhere with him and needs it to go to sleep.

So I'm not really any help. The one thing I would advise, if you can, is to find something easily replaceable. And swap them out on a regular basis if possible so they maintain similar levels of wear. I'm so grateful that my son chose Pooh, because I can always get him another one at Disneyland if he ever loses his. I've heard of too many people plunking down $70 on eBay for a one-of-a-kind beanie baby.

If she decides to have one, she will pick it herself.
For example, favorite blanket, pacifier, favorite stuffed animal.
My son didn't pick his until he was about a year and a half: blanket.
And boy-oh-boy is it tattered. While it's much better than the thumb, I am always nervous about the blanket's whereabouts!!!! :)
Since she doesn't have one and you are going on vacation, take the blanket you use in her bed (that's already a comfort of home) and a stuffed animal from her room for this trip. Don't worry...that should suffice for now...she will pick her own someday.

Babies choose their own lovies and not all babies/toddlers have one. Seven months is very young to have one. I've only seen toddlers with lovies. I wouldn't push one tho I'd have a stuffed animal and a soft blanket with her in her crib so that she could choose it. Use the same blanket every night and it will be comforting to her by virtue of being known.

At 7 months she still needs you in the middle of the night. She's not mature enough to be able to substitute a stuffed animal for you. She still isn't aware that she's separate from you, even.

My granddaughter didn't choose a lovey until she was in grade school. She had lots of really nice stuffed animals but didn't favor any one over another. She slept with them but they changed from time to time. Then I gave her a Dollar Store teddy bear and she's still sleeping with it at age 11 and takes it with her on sleep overs. It's very worn looking. She puts a band aid on it from time to time. lol

Unless she displays a great interest in a particular item or feels like she needs it during the day and it gives her comfort, she doesn't need to have one. She can still separate from you and your husband without having a lovie--that is one less habit to break later on! Count yourself lucky for this one! :)

M

I think it isn't possible to give them one, they just choose it although you can encourage it. I tried to do the lovie thing b/c she would be in daycare and while she really didn't have a transaction problem at all, I still wanted her to have something that comforted her if she needed it. She's never really had one. I bought this cute light blue puppy with darker blue spots (Target, $8) and her name is Dot before she was born just for her. Now that she is 2 1/2 that puppy is what she sleeps with and comes in handy when she has crocodiles in her bed, Dot barks at them and they go to their house to sleep lol. She doesn't have anything that sticks with her like glue but she has Dot that she sleeps with. She chose it, but I did encourage it. Like, put whatever it is in her bed ever night and say this will keep you safe (or anything you would say :)) and eventually she may choose to use it as her sleeping lovie. That is how Dot became my daughter's night time lovie, which to me is a nice balance than being utterly distressed without it all the time lol.

They also have cool star projector turtles that may help or a night light, or classical music cd.

I just went through this myself. I had to be away from my 18 month old (at the time) to have a c-section for the new baby. She did not have a lovie of any kind, hers was mama. I went to Joanns and bought two pieces of polar fleece, one solid, one print, and left them out for her to see. I made a no sew blanket and let her see the whole process except for cutting. She knew that it was hers and she still uses it when she needs comforting. She doesn't need it every night, but she definitely loves it. Maybe try something like that?

This is a funny subject in our house. My oldest needed a lovey to help him transition into his own bed. He had been given a "Baby Gund Comfy Cozy" Bear (picture miniature bear-skin rug with head attached) as an infant and I slept with it for a few nights to imprint it with my "scent." He loved this bear and at 5, it is still a favorite. When my second son was born we bought a monkey version, assuming he would have a similar reaction. He never seemed to care about stuffed animals, and the usual threat to take away lovies if the boys don't stay in beds doesn't phase the youngest but sends the oldest into a panic.

The funny part comes when I learned that son #2 DOES have a lovey when he naps at my mom's house. For some reason, he needs to have it for every nap at her house, but never even mentioned it at home. Strangely, it is not a stuffed animal, or blanket, or pillow, but a sushi rolling mat that he is attached to! He rolls it up and clutches it, or spreads it across his face as he falls asleep! I guess you can never tell what a child will become attached to!

Best of luck!

They choose their own lovey. Some of them never do. Just put multiple things in her crib - blanket, stuffed animal, etc., and if she's going to pick a lovey, she will.

my daughter has a blanket that we always held when we rocked her, so she associated it with comfort. She also picked her own pooh bear out of the 3 we kept in her room for her, so that eventually she wanted to be held with both. Maybe you could pick a teddy or soft blanket you could hold while you soothe her so that she associates it with you and being comforted.

My children had teddy bears. At the age your daughter it it was a favorite blanket to hold and wrap up in.

I really don't have a lot of advice, but maybe a little humorous insight to this.

It will probably be something she picks up a bit later and it will be whatever she chooses. I don't think it is something you can help her with. You can offer up things, but there will be one thing that strikes her fancy and that will be it. You can offer suggestions, place them in her crib and see if she attaches. Just don't be surprised if it something completely different than your idea of a "lovey".

I was a bit worried when my daughter at about 10 months found her "lovey" in two tubes of training toothpaste. She would hold them in her tight little fist and carry them everywhere and had to have them to fall asleep. It was weeks on end that she would scream until I gave her those darn toothpaste bottles to fall asleep. Imagine my fear of having a 5 year old with two toothpaste bottles still firmly attached to her hands! LOL

Anyhow, it was probably just over a year old, she exchanged her two toothpaste bottles for a green blankey(affectionately called binko or hankey) and a lovely pink bunny(aka Pinkie). She is now 4 1/2 and has many other blankets and stuffed animals, but no one helps her like Hankey and Pinkie.

I wouldn't give her one. If she wants one, she will claim something for herself. Otherwise you are just encouraging a habit that you will want to break later. I think it is healthier for her to not have a serious attachment to an item.

My son had 2 lovies, and both were hell to get rid of. One was his pacifier. If it wasn't in his mouth, it was clutched in his fist. The other was a stuffed Dalmatian. He took that thing every where with him. It started falling apart and I sewed it together until it was too thread bare to sew anymore. He cried for days when it finally fell apart.

She'll choose her own; some kids never have one specific lovie. It's fine if she never has one. If she can go back to sleep after a little hug, you're doing fantastic; you dont' have to locate a lost toy or pacifier to get her to sleep!

If you do decide to, for instance, keep a small blanket near you to pick up your scent and hope she gets attached to that, etc., be SURE you choose a blanket or toy that you can get a duplicate of!

My daughter's lovie is a toy cheetah she grabbed at 10 months old the first time she saw it in my hand. Her second word was "Kiddeh" for her kitty. Daughter and Kitty are both now 10 years old and still going strong together and sleeping togther each night -- even when we go overseas for vacation!

If she doesn't "need" or show a desire for one, you don't need to get her one. It's supposed to be a natural process where they either become attached to something or not. My oldest son: he was born independent, I swear. Which was weird because he was a preemie, a little guy, and I wanted to protect him and love on him. He didn't like to cuddle. He'd allow me to hold him, but he wanted his back against me so he could "see the world". He'd lay on my husband's chest because my husband is very warm (almost uncomfortably warm) to the touch. He was given a lovey but he was ambivalent towards it. Around 2, he decided he liked one of his blankets (a lovely blanket) and he'd carry it around the house with him. I did not bring it along if we were going to the store or someplace for a brief trip and he wasn't going to be laying down (had receiving blankets in the diaper bag just in case, but rarely needed them). It was pretty much an at home thing (or if we were staying overnight somewhere). I was proud of his independence though I wished he "needed" me more and let me hold him. When my youngest was born, well sheesh, I got my wish, more than I expected. He's the big tough guy, looks like a rugby player, but constantly wants to be held and cuddled. A lot more needy. Kind of strange that the wimpy looking one is "tough" and the tough looking one is "needy". For now as young children at least. My youngest has a lovey (the same one his older brother had, only a different color), and his blanket too. He goes all around the house with them. If we go to church or anywhere for an hour or more, he wants at least his blanket with him (more attached to that than the lovey).
I did notice that when we took out a "normal" blanket and put in his "special" blanket, he stopped crying in the middle of the night so much (unless he ends up with no blankets on him, in which case I just sneak in, cover him, give him a pacifier which we only use at bedtime by now, and sneak out...he stops then). But as an infant, well....babies still just need mom or dad for a little while. Night is long compared to their lifetime.
All you should do is let them be themselves. If she grows attached to a stuffed animal or whatever, cool. If not, that's fine in my opinion. My oldest wasn't attached to any one thing, but would "take turns" with different dolls. He likes them all, and he just goes through a little phase for a week and then changes up.

My son never had a lovey and never needed one. Your daughter will find one for herself if she chooses.

Our daughter has a teddy bear that is her lovey and has been since she was a baby. It was actually my husband that took some initiative in picking this bear out in particular (it was a baby gift from a family member) because it was very soft and squishy while being flat and easy to hold, so he figured it would be a good one. He just kept giving it to DD all the time as a baby whenever she was sleeping or relaxing in her swing or in the car. Eventually she became more attached to it and by the time she was a year the bear was essential for sleeping. She is almost 4 and she still loves her bear - he goes with her whenever we are in the car but fortunately she is good about keeping him in the car so he won't get lost. She also loves cudding with him whenever she is tired or not feeling well or sad.

BTW, the bear is the "Pink Pancake Bear" from North American Bear Company. It's awesome. Their "pancake" stuffed toys one of my favorite baby gifts to give.

The No-Cry Sleep Solution is good. It's by Elizabeth Pantly and talks a lot about loveys and how they can assist with self-soothing.

A lovey is good for when they are starting to sleep more on their own and not BF much. It is a good idea to imprint a lovey now, by mamma sleeping with it under her nightie. This will give the lovey a mamma smell and will often help the little one to decide that that is the one she wants.

Brookstone used to have great little teddy bears with eyes and nose sewn, rather than the button or plastic type. They don't seem to have these anymore, but that is still something to look for for safety reasons.

Start imprinting a lovey soon, you'll want your little one to have something to help self soothe when trying to sleep on her own.