Crib Bumpers Anybody Use Them

D.,

I too have been using bumpers since my daughter was born. I did catch her sometimes with her head under it or next to it but nothing life threatening. I think it is essential since especially for an 8 month old becuase it will shield thier heads from the bars and avoid any bumps on thier head. try it out and see how you like it. Good Luck!

I have been using crib bumpers since day one and still use them. My 13 month old likes to sleep up against them with his head smushed into them so I don't know how I can remove them now. It would be like taking my pillows away! He did climb out of his crib last Friday and we lowered the bed to the toddler bed position, but I watched him throw his leg over the railing and it had nothing to do with the bumpers. Each child is different so when she can stand, just watch her and if she stands on the bumpers to try to get out, lower the mattress. Good luck with the CIO method - it DOES work, just hang in there!!!

I had to use bumpers for the same reason. I had no problems. I did remove them though as soon as he could stand.

Hope this helps.
J.

I used the bumpers without problem for both of my daughters. I too didn't want them banging their heads against the bars or losing toys between the slates.

I also have some soft toys in the crib with them too-- I put them in the corners by their feet-- and a crib toy attached to the rails. I don't think the crib needs to be a barren cage.

Hi D.,

I have a 7 month old baby & I have been using the bumper from the time he was three months. I didn't want him to hurt himself aginst the bars. I think you can use the bumper, you just need to keep an eye on her now & again. I personally think it's worth using.

I have used them since day one. And they are even on the puffy pillowy type too. I haven't had any problems. I used them at first because she couldn't move, then I figure once she could move I would take them out but when she was old enough to move I actually tied them to the top of the railing so that there was breathing room but her head would hit the bottom of the bumper to keep her from hitting the railing. Did that explanation make sense? Anyway it worked for us but I did sometimes worry and check excessively but as she got older it got easier. I still occassionally will check obsessively but I guess that's part of being a mom. I also think I have seen a product called breathable bumpers I don't know where I have seen them or if they are any good. Good luck to you.

Hi D.,
I used the Breathable Bumper for my daughter from when she was about 4 months until she was a little over a year because she always got her legs and arms (very skinny limbs!) stuck between the slats of the crib. I was very anit-bumper but what a horrible sight to find my daughter's arms stuck in the crib! So I bought this bumper and held it right up to my face and I could breathe through it just fine. I now use it with my son - just started, and he is 3.5 months old (he also is now putting his limbs through the crib slats and moves around a lot at night - full circles!). It washes very well (I've washed it many many times in the gentle cycle and dry it on a drying rack) and it's easy to put on a crib - I have those "lifetime" cribs and it works fine on both of them. I would highly recommend this - try it out at the store (open the package and see if you can breathe through it). It made a big difference for me. I bought it, I think, at Babies R Us.

Crib Tent 2 is my suggestion. I bought it for my son when he started climbing out of his crib at 18 months and the unexpected advantage is that he no longer loses his pacifier or wakes up with his leg thru the bars to his thigh. He sleeps SO MUCH BETTER now that these things don't happen.

With my crib I can still lower the side with the tent on so changing the sheet is not any more difficult. But that depends on the model of your crib, I guess.

I don't know if the breathable bumper would do the same, and we stopped using the regular bumper once my son started rolling toward it and snuggling with it, so I'm no help with those items.

ive used them for both my children without any problems.
pacifiers still sometimes fall out even with them. i used to put 3 or 4 in the crib at night so they could grab one if one fell through.
ive heard they are frown upon also but couldnt see why with my babies.
good luck!

hi D., i know bumpers seem kinder because they do bump their heads, but they are not safe. nothing bad is going to happen from a little bump, how hard could she really bump her head? i know people have said they used them and all was well. our parents also didnt use carseats and all was well, most of the time. doesnt mean its a good idea. everything is fine until it isnt, you know? i would never take the chance, babies DO die from sids.....getting the arms and legs stuck is no fun though, i have used the crib tent since my 1st baby, its great, keeps limbs and binkys inside. it does make changing the sheets even more of a pita though, i would suggest taking the mattress out and layering the sheets, being very sure they are snug. or one of those sheets where you can zip off the top, i never sprung for it, but i might now. ... but no bumpers. check out onestepahead.com, they should have the crib tent or the crib tent 2, one has a tented "roof" which is great once they decide to climb out, which will be here before you know it, also very dangerous. i dont know what we would do without it, and none of my kids have minded it at all, and some kids really love it, like their own little hideaway, the same way some kids love to sit under a little table, etc. its great peace of mind. take care, D.

I think they are ok for an 8 month old in terms of the suffocation hazzard since that age babies can control their bodies. However, make sure that the mattres is at its lowest setting so she doesn't use the bumper as a stool to climb out.

Bumpers are absolutely unsafe for newborns. I found my 1st child pressed up against her bumper when she was just weeks old. If I hadn't checked on her when I did I am sure she would have suffocated or breathed in CO2 that she was exhaling which we all know is deadly. Haven't used one since and my active sleepers have made out well and are all excellent sleepers. Not having a bumper is ok...really...they learn.

A.

Hi D.,

I had exactly the same problem but it wasn;t the binky she was loosing. She was putting her arms and legs through the slats and screaming.

I bought the breathable crib bumpers from Babies R Us, they where a very good investment i have to say.

D.,

I think that at 8 months, bumpers are unnecessary. The purpose is to prevent the baby from hitting his/her head when they are too young to control their movements. Well, at 8 months they are really past the stage of needing them. I used a bumper from birth and then removed it when my baby started crawling. I think the older they get, the more active they get, the more dangerous bumpers become.

If you think about it...there is some research to suggest that they are dangerous early on, and since the baby is not moving around, what do we need them for anyway...then they start moving around and that makes them dangerous for different reasons.

Like I said, I have used them for all four of my own babies, but removed them once they were active. I never had a problem, but there have been babies who have died because they were in the crib. I think your daughter will quickly learn where to stay in the crib so she doesn't bump her head. Binky's get lost no matter what, they just fall out under the bumper.

That's just my two cents worth. I wouldn't risk it at this point. Good luck with your decision. We moms sure agonize over every little thing, don't we? Everything is a big decision when our babies are involved! Rightfully so too.

D.