Bumpers?

Hi! My girls are almost 6 months and still share the same crib... I recently took the bumper out of the crib b/c I read somewhere you should do that around 3 or 4 months so the baby doesn't suffocate by getting too close. But, my girls are getting big(!) and since they share their heads sometimes get pressed against the bars and there are red marks or even indentations when they wake up. Do you think it's safe to put the bumper back in the crib to give some padding?

 

Mine are 3 months old and the one will do whatever it takes to get her head to where it is touching the crib side or top. She likes the feeling of something hard. Must be like my rib above her head. a little dent should be fine. Imao.

 

Hi there!

I've had the bumpers in my twins cribs since birth. Nothing has ever happened to them. They sleep with me so I keep a close eye on them.

I may have to take the bumpers out in a couple of months though as they are trying to pull themselves up to a standing position..I don't want them to use the bumper as a step & fall & hurt themselves.

My advice is to do what your mothering instinct tells you to do. If you feel that the crib is causing any harm without the bumper then put it back in. Just monitor the situation closely.

HTH

 

Would you feel better using the breathable bumpers? I too was afraid of suffocation and didn't use them early on.

 

Mine still have their bumpers in and they are almost 15 months old. They love to sleep with their heads tucked right up in the corner. When they were little and could scoot, they would go right back up there even after I would move them out. One of mine also likes to lay on his back with his head in the corner and use the bumper to prop his leg up on. He does this everynight.

 

I had asked this on another forum, because I didn't know there was a safety issue on it, and here are the responses they all told me.

1.
The worry is that they are 1) a suffocation risk and 2) kids can step on them, use them to stand on and vault themselves out of their crib.

Instead of using a traditional bumper, we used one of the breathable mesh bumper and love it! It uses velcro to attach, so if DS steps on it, it comes undone otherwise my little monkey would escape!

HTH!

2.
We don't use bumpers. DD has occasionally gotten and arm or leg through, but it hasn't hurt her. She's also wiggled her way to the side and had a mark on her head from the slats. Again, it didn't hurt her. They are supposed to be removed once your child gets mobile, because kids can use them to climb out of the crib.

3.
They are considered a SIDS risk, but so is just about everything else. You'll just have to do the research and then make a choice.

4.
DD has a beautiful crib, with bumpers. She has not spent a night in it yet. She sleeps in the pack n play next to our bed still. When I asked the pedi about the bumpers she said to tuck them into the mattress so there is no space for them to fit their arms or legs through.


I hope this all helps. When my twins are born they are going to be on my room for awhile, and then I will see how they do. But I am not worried about it. I have grown up taking care of kids of all ages litterly, and the babies have always had bumpers.

 

I've never used bumpers, but I want to second the idea of breathable bumpers. I bought them to use, but they didn't fit our cribs, so we've just gone without. Here is a link to them if you want to check it out. I actually got ours at BRU, but I thought the picture in amazon was better. GL.

 

Maybe I'm different than the norm, but I've had their bumpers on the crib from day one, and they are still on. The kids don't every push up against them, and we've lowered the cribs now, so even if they stand on them, they would mush down and wouldn't really get them high up to help get over the crib side. I asked my pedi about it at our 9 month appt, and she told me at this point it was fine and they were not a hazard and there is no reason to take them off.

 

We have had bumpers on since day 1 and never had any problems. Both of my kids like to get tucked up close to them. We took them off recently (it is a pain to change sheets with them on) and they started sleeping horrible because they kept getting arms and legs stuck in them. I went out and bought the breathable bumpers because they are thinner and I can still easily change the sheets. The breathable bumpers stop themm from sticking limbs out and gives them a little bit of padding when they curl up in the corners.

 

We still have ours in, DD likes to put her head up againist it, one day she was crying during her nap and I went in and she put her hand under the bumper and it was stuck. I freaked out and removed the bumper and for the next 2 nights/naps she kept waking up with her arm stuck i nthe crib slats and head pressed againist the bars in an uncomfortable looking way. I ended up putting the bumper back in, but tucked the bumper between the mattress and slats, it's a tight fit, but i haven't had a problem since.

 

We use the bumpers. If they are strong enough to move their head they won't suffocate. Both mine still have them in, I just put htem into seperate cribs. I think it keeps them from bumping and arms inside. My DD ussually snuggles right up by it.

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ Feb 23 2008, 12:43 AM) [snapback]636424[/snapback]
Mine still have their bumpers in and they are almost 15 months old. They love to sleep with their heads tucked right up in the corner. When they were little and could scoot, they would go right back up there even after I would move them out. One of mine also likes to lay on his back with his head in the corner and use the bumper to prop his leg up on. He does this everynight.



Same EXACT thing here, DS loves to snuggle up in the corner and my other DS puts his leg up on them when he sleeps.

 

We have mini cribs so its a pretty tight fit with the bumpers on. One night I went in to check on the boys and Ryan had his head in the corner with his face on the side (against the bumper). He was breathing, but it scared me and I haven't put the bumpers on since. It has been 2 months and only once have they gotten an arm stuck. However, I do cover them with a blanket and let them have their blanket/doll in the crib with them. I think it's a personal choice.

 

Thanks so much for the great advice!!! I really appreciate it.

 

I used bumpers with all of my kids. I agree, that the breathable bumpers would be a good option for you!

 

We had bumpers but they didn't tie down like I wanted them to so I really didn't leave them on for long, but if their heads are getting marks from the bars maybe they are getting to big to share a crib and you should try putting them in their own beds. That would help that situation.

 

We have had ours in there since day one... If not my son would have a knot on his head every morning... My cribs are lowered too so no worry of them standing on them and going overboard... I could not have taken mine out no way.... They never seem risky to me at all to be honest...