Dad is building a cradle for our baby - do I need a bumper?

[beths96]

Hi everyone! My father is a woodworker, and he is making our baby girl a rocking cradle that appears (in measurements, anyway) to be fairly large. I am wondering if I really need to buy a cradle bumper. I have no desire to buy a cradle set for $50 or more...and I was thinking of just getting a seperate bumper for the cradle, along with sheets.

But..do I need the bumper? The cradle has spindles all along the four sides. Even the cradle bumpers I've seen are $20 alone. This is getting to be too expensive!

Thank you!
Beth

[jamierush]

Sounds like a wonderful gift from your father.

My SO is a woodworker and he made a cradle for our daughter. I did not get a bumper for that. She was just shy of 10 pounds and 22 inches and she only was in the craddle for 3 months. Our craddle mattress was the standard size (18x30?) so I just got a few fleece sheets. She never moved much at that age, plus I swaddled.

I figured a craddle bumper (while I did find a beautiful one) was really not a "must have". Besides I loved to lay on my bed and watch her sleep thru the side of it...