I was at the Tomorrow’s Child / Michigan SIDS BabyWalks fundraiser walk today in Monroe, Mich., to cover the event  for The Monroe Evening News’ Sunday edition.

Here is a tip for new parents on a budget that I will spin off from the campaign material: buy or ask for sleepers, instead of blankets, for the little one. Sleepers are those zip-up or button-up jammies where the feet and legs are in a space like a sleeping bag, but the face and hands are open.

The Tomorrow’s Child campaign promotes that arrangement in its “Safe Sleep for Your Baby” brochure. Babies can stay warm and safe in their crib without a blanket or comforter when they are in a sleeper jammie, according to the campaign material. Babies need room to breathe when they are sleeping, and it’s hard for tiny infants to push off a blanket that might be smothering them.

Now to spin this advice for my budget-minded readers,  don’t spend your money on something that safety experts do not recommend for use around children. Put sleepers of various infant sizes on your wish list for the baby shower, or buy a bunch at the second-hand stores and Mom 2 Mom sales.

Use the pretty hand-crafted blankets, if you get them as gifts, for when you are holding the baby in a rocking chair. The stuffed animals, if you get them as gifts, should sit on top of his or her dresser rather than in the crib.