Bumpers - Yes or No?

[jgcohen]

Where did you find the ones that tie on the top and bottem? All the ones I have seen only tie on one side.

[whittyanne]

We didn't use one in the beginning. We have cats and before the baby came, they would jump into the crib a lot. Once he came, and with the bumpers on, they didn't know he was in there... so while he was in the positioner, we took it off. (And they wanted no part of jumping in when they saw he was there.)

Once he got too old for the positioner, we HAD to put the bumper back on. He moves around so much he was bumping and scraping his legs/head, etc. (And now the cats hear/know well enough not to go there now.) Anyway, everyone I know uses one for that same reason. I have heard it's the "thicker/plush" ones that are more dangerous... ours is pretty thin.

[ErinMC]

I use bumpers, which is good because DS (6 months) moves around a lot, and I often find him in the morning with his head against the bumper, so I think it protects him from hitting his head on the slats.

The bumpers we bought only had ties on the top, so I took white ribbon and sewed ties for the bottom. Took about 10 minutes.

HTH!

[vdrake71]

I also am using a bumper. I have a sleigh crib so the top and bottom only tie at the ends. I like the bumper because at 4-5 months my DS started to turn around in the crib. The bumper added the protection the he would not get stuck in the crib and we have never had any problems with his pacifier falling out.

[tsem]

I used bumpers that tied top and bottom for my first child. Did not use them for the second ds. He got his feet/leg stuck a few times but it was much easier without the bumper to change the sheet. This time around with dd I am not using the bumper and have not had a problem so far at 4 months.

[CiderLogan]

We used bumpers for a while but removed them when we moved. The advantage of having them was the pacifiers staying in the crib, but we could deal with that by just having extra pacifiers next to the crib as middle-of-the-night replacements. The nice thing about not having bumpers are not worrying about suffocation, easier sheet changes, and not wasting money on something you'll only use for a few months. Now they are in a closet taking up room; in hindsight, I'd have spent the money on something more permanent (like curtains or something that can stay in the room for years).

But I admit they are awfully cute, and it's hard for a first time mom to resist! But, if you can, save your money.

Jenny
Mom of Julia, 8/03

[urbanmom]

I found my bumper which ties at the top and the bottom at Laura Ashley.

[KBecks]

I'm not planning to use a bumper, although DS is not here yet.

It's hard to find pictures of cribs without bumpers -- it seems everyone shows cribs with them. Cribs DO look nicer with them.

But, they're expensive and will only get use for a short time. And there's the SIDS worry.

So we'll start bumperless and if DS has problems with head bumps and limbs gettng caught, we may change our minds. However, I'm thinking of swaddling, at least for naps, which would reduce movement in the crib. A sleep positioner may also be a good alternative -- we'll see how it goes after he's here!

KBecks
due 10-15-04

[lizajane]

schuyler is tall and always has been. we use the bumpers to keep his head from banging and to "keep his arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times." LOL. if we take the bumper out to wash it, he ALWAYS wakes up screaming bloody murder because his arm or leg is completely trapped in the rails. i find him snuggled up to it (back to it, face is safe) most nights. i have never ever been concerned about using it, and i STILL haven't used a blanket on him at 17 months.

[tinkerbell1217]

My Kidsline set has top and bottom. Not sure if they all do. Lots do nowadays.