Need suggestions!! - Crib bumber

trickiechickie wrote: Hi there! 1st time mom here of a 5 mos old boy. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding what I can use instead of a crib bumber so his arms & legs don't get stuck outside the slots of the crib? I was told the bumber could cause suffocation. Any help would be appreciated!!

kimberley replied: rolled up towel or thin blanket maybe

not sure.. we used crib sets with bumpers for all the kids and will again with this one. i guess i am old school in that i know anything can be seen as a possible hazard... just keep a monitor on and check on baby.

mckayleesmom replied: I never heard of the crib bumper thing...I just made sure I put only part of it up..tucked the rest down with the mattress...only let about 3 inches of it above the mattress...that way..once they start crawling around and if they do get their neck on it...its shorter then there head would reach...they would be able to lift there head higher then the bumper...so they can't strangle themselves....When Mckaylee was about 5 months..I took it out

moped replied: Never used a bumper and don't like them - Jack never got hurt and he is really big and never got stuck or anything

Alice replied: I don't know-- could you try tying it around the OUTSIDE of the crib?? You would need a little extra give at the last corner, and a set that doesn't have defined sides.

JAYMESMOM replied: We used a bumper pad and still do for Jayme since she likes her bed nice and soft. I would just make sure it is on very tight so it can't fold over.

Also make sure you lay him down in the middle of the bed. Once he can roll over and lift his head he does not have a high risk of suffocation since he will turn his head to get air.

The other thing would be a thing sheet stuffed on the sides.

ediep replied: we use a bumper but its not really cushy. I like Brienne's idea of tucking it under the mattress, that would eliminate the suffocation hazard since the worry is that they babys head would get under.
You really don't need one, so if you are worried about, don't bother getting one.

luvbug00 replied: I never had a problem with the bumper. I kept it in until she was 1. could you place a king sized sheet over the bed and under the matress and secure with ribbon arround the top somehow? I don't know I figured that a sheet is light and breathable.

b&bsmom replied: I used a bumper with both and didn't worry too much. However I did just find that One Step Ahead catalog has a breathable bumper which is like a mesh kinda thing you can get for the crib. It is in the latest catalog. If you can't find it let me know I can find the catalog and get the number or web site for you. I had to have something because Bryce toss and turned so much he would get an arm or leg stuck. I believe though once they past the newborn stage and can roll over they are less likely to suffocate JMO though.

iluvmysweetiepies replied: You can weave it through the slots.

trickiechickie replied: Thanks for the great suggestions!!!

MommyToAshley replied: I used a crib bumper too. Since my daughter was big and outgrew her bassinette at a very young age, she would always end up against the bumper no matter where I put her in the crib. It was comfort thing for her. I tucked the bumber in, but I was still worried about the suffication thing... I was a major worrier. I ended up getting one of the Angel care monitors that detects the slightest movement so it gives a warning if they stop breathing. We had one false alarm because she was curled up in the corner, but other than that it gave me a peace of mind and I could sleep as long as the monitor was on.

Here's a link if you are interested:
Angel care monitor with movement sensor

They're kind of expensive but it was worth it to me.

My2Beauties replied: I wouldn't worry about it to be honest I have never heard of this before I just made sure I tied Hanna's bumper very very tight so that it wouldn't move much. But she also slept in a bassinette until she was almost 5 months old next to our bed, by the time she got in her crib she could sit up on her own really Worried mommy there for ya! I would think a sheet or towel or comforter rolled up would be worse OK I saw some moms didn't use them and that's fine, but just err on the side of caution, I had a cousin die as an infant because she got her head stuck between the rungs on her crib and couldnt get it back out. The crib was later recalled but you just never know is what I am saying. This was many years ago, I think I was a baby or maybe not born yet but my mom told me about it, she said she was leery of cribs for the longest time once that happened. So I would say use something - bumpers are made for cribs if you tie them tight, I don't see a problem!

Sarah&Mackenzie replied: Mackenzie is 8.5 months old and I still have the bumpers on her crib. She has never had a problem with them.