When did you remove db's crib bumper? Or did you?

[jyllebean]

We are moving next month and finally getting dd a real crib (she has been in pack n play). She will be 6 months then and while I think bumpers are so cute, I'm wondering how practical it is to buy one. How old was db when you removed it from the crib, or did you? Does it depend on the baby?

Also, one other random question. When the crib is on the lowest level, can you use a bedskirt or does it just depend on the crib?

Thanks!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Never used either. :) For me the crib skirt would have only made a positive aesthetic difference when the crib was at it's highest level, first 2 months?

My ds started to pull to a stand at 6 months. That is the early side but it can happen. Most will will do it in the 6-10 month range. At that point the bumpers are supposed to be out so baby doesn't use them as a step stool to launch themselves out of the crib. I know not everyone follows that recommendation but I personally would.

I'd save the money. You won't get enough use out of it to justify having it. Plus, it is a heck of a lot easier (I have heard) to change the sheet w/o a bumper pad there.

Beth

[Lilysmom06]

We started out with both the bumpers and the crib skirt (DH bought the whole set at PBKids as a suprise for me). I left the bumpers in for a few months, but removed them at about 8 months or so - she threw up on them, and once I realized how much easier it was to change the sheets without them on, that was it! It is also easier to move the crib side up and down without the bumper on.

When we moved the mattress down, I couldn't figure out how to get the cribskirt to work right. So, that is stored with the bumpers, not being used.

If you like them, and don't mind spending the money, go for it! Otherwise, I wouldn't bother with either. Also, the bumpers we had were really soft, so I don't think that DD could have used them to climb out, but who knows :)

Kathy

[nfowife]

My DD is 2 and her bumpers are still on. I took the front one out once and her feet got stuck in the slats and she was hysterical. I put them back in and she's been fine since. She's never tried to climb out either, they would just collapse anyway. Both kids have a bedskirt too. Personally I think they look better as the mattress moves down because they get closer to the floor that way.

[parker10302]

My DD is over two and she still has her bumper and her crib skirt. For our crib we had to tuck the sides of the skirt up under the mattress, so that doesn't show, but the front shows and it's so cute! My DD prefers having her bumper in her crib as it's much cozier. For changing the sheets, we use the Clouds & Stars quickzip sheets, which are by FAR my favorite baby product (besides my hotsling!)
http://www.cloudsandstars.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=2

Good luck with your move!
Nicole

mommy to
Grace 10/02
Emelia 4/05

[theweebee]

This was so timely for me. My 9 and 1/2 month old just started pulling to stand, so like a dutiful mom, I removed the bumper tonight (my husband isn't home yet to lower the mattress all the way, but we're almost there anyways), and boy did my dd not like the crib without the bumper! She sat on the floor watching me take it out and laughed, but when I put her in the crib to go night-night, she was hysterical--and then hit her head on the slats to boot. She tends to snuggle up to the bumper, and already bonks her head on the slats a lot even with the bumper there (when she's sitting up). I kind of hated to take the bumper out (the crib looks so naked and uninviting to me without it too). She also got her arm trapped between the slats of a friend's crib in the past. We have Lambs and Ivy bedding, and the bumper is pretty soft. Plus the mattress's lowest setting is pretty low (Young America by Stanley--so far we love the furniture--just couldn't get the Fisher Price aquarium on the crib). So I am so glad to see not everyone removes the bumper. I am a family physician, and always dutifully tell my parents to remove the bumper when their children pull to stand. But in this case I don't think I'm going to practice what I preach. If dd is still upset about the lack of bumper tomorrow, I'm putting it back and leaving it!

[Happy 2B mommy]

I never intended to use the bumper I got as part of the crib set (gift from grandma) because I was scared of SIDs. But once DD really started moving around (about 6.5 months) she was always getting her arms and legs between the slats and bumping her head, so I broke down and put it on. I wanted to get a breathable bumper, but I never got around to it. Right now my DD is 9 months and I'm not sure if I'll remove them. My bumpers are pretty flimsy and collapse easily, so I don't think she could use them as a step, but I think we'll just have to see.

If I were you, I wouldn't buy a bumper right away. I'd see how your daughter does without the bumper and if she does need one, get one then. However, I completely agree with pp. It's a PITA to change the sheets when you have a bumper.

Love our crib skirt. I actually think it looks better as we've lowered the crib mattress. Plus now it hides the stuff I store under the crib.

[ktshea]

With my first DD I never bought a bumper b/c I was afraid of SIDS. Plus she didn't move much when she slept so I never saw the need for one. For my second DD we bought one fast! She was all over the place when she slept and kept bonking into the side of the crib. As soon as she pulled to standing, though, I took it out. She likes to climb on everything else in the house and I didn't want to risk her falling out of the crib. The first night she hit her head. The second night she woke up with a big mark on her head from where she had been jammed up against the slat. After that she was fine, and for me, I'd rather a few days of adjustment than worry about her falling out.

Now a bedskirt is another story. I think those are SO pretty. I have drawers under both of my daughter's cribs so I have to move them out of the way when I open them, but that's OK by me b/c I like the way they look! :)

[Mom2Delia]

I removed the bumper when DD was 7 months old because she began untying them! However I miss them for 2 reasons: (1) the crib looks bare & (2) much more important: she sometimes gets her arms or legs caught between the slats which makes for a very unhappy baby. I did try the breathable bumper but that didn't work because she just pulled apart the velcro. Also I have a Bellini crib & it didn't fit quite right.

The bumper issue totally depends on the individual child. My SIL's son had his bumper til almost 3 yrs! He never untied them & had no interest in attempting to climb out of his crib.

The bedskirt I will not do without. I love the way it looks, it hides the drawer underneath & I don't want to see the platform & hardware supporting the mattress. My first skirt was from Banana Fish (Genevieve collection) which had an extension at the bottom; this was great when the mattress was raised cause it made it almost to the floor. Now that the mattress is lowered, a regular skirt fits fine.

HTH.

[mimieliza]

My DD is 10.5 months old, and we still have the bumper on. She loves to throw her self wildly around the crib, and without the bumper, we'd have lots of head bumps and tears.

She tries to climb on it, but it squishes right down, so there's no chance of her getting out. Her mattress is on the lowest setting.

The crib skirt still works, but I think that varies depending on the style of crib.

[TraciG]

we never took off the bumper, my DD was in the crib at over 3 1/2 !

[maylips]

As you can tell, it's up to you -- our baby is 7 months old and we still have the bumper in. It's the same with us -- ours is too flimsy for her to ever stand on to lift herself out of the crib. More importantly, she constantly got stuck in the crib slats, so the bumper was actually helpful. We ended up having to also get a crib shield (won't make any decorating magazines in terms of looks but it does the job) to protect her when she would kick into the slat holes above the bumper and get stuck.

We just lowered our mattress last week-- not because she is standing yet, but because she was grabbing the mobile and pulling it down. So that was my first experience with the bed skirt on the lower notch and I like it better since it actually hits the floor now.

I HIGHLY recommend the Cloud and Stars sheets for you, as the PP mentioned. The top zips right off and is a HUGE help when changing sheets! They have been one of my favorite all-time baby items too (besides a boppy).