Crib bumpers

kjones115 · October 2014

I've read very mixed things about crib bumpers. Some say they're fine while others say they are a suffocation hazard. I know people that feel both ways. A coworker had her baby get stuck in the rails so that led her to getting a bumper. Every nursery bedding set I see has a bumper and they're damn cute. Obviously safely first but what are you planning on doing?

DosChicas1417 · October 2014

I haven't used a bumper with any of my babies. I tied it to the bottom of the crib so I could still enjoy the cuteness. There are mesh bumpers that could be used to address the concern of body parts getting stuck.

I could go either way, but overall didn't have the end to use one. Good luck deciding.

tdmloverrn · October 2014

No bumpers for me. I will have nothing in the crib except a firm mattress and fitted sheet.

MagalinaH · October 2014

I plan on getting a breathable bumper if we even have one at all.

funsies · October 2014

You will be told many times by your pediatrician that if your baby sleeps in a crib the safest way is with only a firm, well-fitting mattress and fitted sheet, and nothing else in the crib. It may not look as comfortable or as cute, but it is safest for baby.

Sweetlill1 · October 2014

This pediatrician agrees with above. Nothing in the crib, but the mesh ones are okay if you want something to help prevent limbs getting stuck.

fitfam20 · October 2014

We used a mesh bumper for my son. I never bought the crib sets because most of it is a waste. I just purchased crib sheets and then when my son was about 18 months old I ordered a quilt from pbk.

Dani428 · October 2014

I have one but never used it for my DD. Waste of $ in my opinion.

kjones115 · October 2014

I agree, @MrsRexManing‌, it is crazy they are still sold. Literally every set I saw has a bumper. I did read that if it tries at the top and bottom and fits snug it should be fine. There were also some guidelines for how long strings should be and how many there should be. When I talk with my mom and aunts they all agree bumpers are fine. I guess it's a generation thing haha.

lindsayanne14 · October 2014

They are considered dangerous enough that you can't even buy them in some states. We did not use one when DS was small and sleeping in a sleep sack. He transitioned from the sack at around 4 months. At that point I woke to him screaming bloody murder and went in to find his arm stuck in the slats. It happened again with an arm and a leg the next two nights. I called the Dr and they said he was old enough for a breathable mesh bumper so I got one. He used it for about 7 months and then I removed it. I would say hold off on the breathable one until you know if you'll need it. I know many people whose kids never got their limbs stuck at all.

starshollow · October 2014

When he was little, just a mattress and a sheet. Once he got older, I added mesh bumpers. I keep them in there now because it keeps all of his blankets, stuffed animals, etc contained.

BuckyC · October 2014

We used mesh breathable bumpers for a short time. When DS started to sleep without a swaddle and would roll around more, he would occasionally get his foot or leg stuck. This was around 8 months. Eventually he figured out how to free himself, and we removed the bumpers.

bowman958 · October 2014

It is a miracle that babies arrive safely from the womb with all their pieces and parts in the right places and their systems working properly. Why anyone would do something to put a perfect baby at risk of suffocating baffles me.

xuxachi · October 2014

I never used bumpers with either of my kids and they never got limbs stuck. They both also really like their sleep sacks, so that probably helped.

greneyedmom19 · October 2014

I used the mesh breathable bumpers with DD when she started to move around, and she did get her arm stuck at one time. Also they can't use them to climb out of the crib because they just squish down if pushed on. Once LO can roll around and lift their head the danger of the bumper is lessened because they can pull them selves away from it if they get their face near it but mesh is safer because the fabric allows air to flow through.

SayAnything84 · October 2014

Absolutely no bumpers in this house

Holly9239 · October 2014

We used a mesh bumper after my son got stuck a few times (once he dislocated his elbow somehow- apparently it is very easy for little ones to do - when he got stuck... That scared me into using the mesh bumper). Never wanted to use one prior to that as I thought they were unsafe.

islandmom79 · October 2014

doribeth851 said:
I'll give you a piece of advice: Don't waste your money on a bedding set. Fitted sheet is all you need. We also bought a crib skirt, but it's obviously not necessary. Quilt/heavier blanket and bumper are most definitely not needed.

I agree with this. We did not use bumpers at all and DD never got stuck luckily. The only part of the bedding set we used was the crib skirt and sheet. We put the blanket and bumpers in before DD was born but both were removed as soon as she started sleeping in the crib and never used.

Critter015 · October 2014

I had them with my DD. They were in her crib when she was a newborn and did not move and also only napped in her crib. When she first started sleeping in her crib at night she was able to wiggle around but not roll over or move herself purposely so I took them out. At around 4-6 months she started being able to move herself purposely and roll over and also got limbs stuck out of the crib/bumped her head a few times so I put them back in. I took them out again when she started standing. I didn't bother buying any for DS. We had only gotten a few months use out of them and they made it a PITA to change the sheets which needed to happen quite frequently. For DS I just bought a cute crib skirt and matching sheets, and figured if he really started having problems with getting stuck I could use DD's old bumpers but he never needed them.

Babykells3 · October 2014

My boys didn't transition into their cribs until they were both over 6 months old (DS2 was actually over 10 months!) and we used a breathable bumper that was weaved through the slates bc they both moved around so much they would slam their heads against the sides! But earlier then that I wouldn't use them.

LEMSA · October 2014

I never used bumpers and this was the worst that happened. It was pretty funny. And yes, he was fine.

ally3242 · October 2014

We put nothing in the crib until DS was about 14 months and then we put a bumper in because the kid is like a pinball when he sleeps. He kept smacking his head on the crib and getting his limbs stuck. He's 18 months and we haven't had an issue with the bumper at all.
Obviously we waited until he was a bit older to put it in his crib.

ScarletOflaherty · October 2014

I've used them with my other kids and will with this one. I've done the reading and looked at the data, and I am comfortable with using them still(when you break it down the numbers are absolutely microscopic). We don't use the crib until they are around 4-5 months and rolling anyways, so by that time the risk is even less.

Many people want to remove every risk possible and that's their decision, we all have to decide what we consider to be 'risky' or not.

topaz7777 · October 2014

We used mesh bumpers with DD and she still got her legs stuck between the rails. We eventually just took them off because they are completely useless.

I also agree with the bedding set comment. Don't waste your money. You can't use the blanket because it's not safe, or the bumpers because they aren't safe, so really you just end up with the sheet, at least until your kid is old enough to have a blanket, and around then the concept of a bedding set just seemed silly to me. We had a million blankets from the shower anyway. Many of our family hand made blankets, and I think we only ended up using 5 of them, the rest are still in my closet.

mrsmopar67 · October 2014

I've never used a crib.

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