Cot bumpers

[fruityb]

We're looking at baby furniture and bedding and such at the moment. I keep reading and hearing differing reports about cot bumpers.

Do we buy them? Do we use them? Are they as dangerous as some people say they are and if they are why on earth are places still selling them in the bedding packs?

Any advice gratefully received :)

[murphyslaws]

They are not needed. They come in the cot sets but no I never used as the risk is too high.

Google has lots of horror stories, so I decided against it.

[EdithWeston]

They are not necessary.

But there's a kind of airflow one that's not as dangerous (sorry, can't remember the proper name as we never had any sort)

[MoreCakeMoreCake]

Please, please don't use one unless it's an Airflow or something similar approved by a baby charity.
We lost our niece to SIDS and The Lullaby Trust advise against them. They're not necessary at all.

[fruityb]

I'm very sorry to hear about that cake. I think we'll avoid them in this case. I've been on google but I know that lots of things ping up on google that don't necessarily tell the truth. I wanted to hear from proper people.

How odd they still have them in the bedding packs if they are this much of a danger, it doesn't make any sense!

[murphyslaws]

Think they put them in as they look pretty.

Mine had them and duvet.

Baby sleeps in a grobag . So total waste of money!

Nice bottom fitted sheet and grobag.

[MoreCakeMoreCake]

www.lullabytrust.org.uk/mattresses-and-bedding
Completely agree - I've no idea why they are still sold! They do look nice in the cot but it's just not worth the risk.
Congrats on your pregnancy and happy shopping!

[Alb1]

I wouldn't use them personally, and I don't understand why so many people do. Some babies have become tangled in them and died so they can pose a risk, and all safe sleeping advice says to not have any unnecessary bedding or any teddies in the cot as it can potentially contribute to over heating and SIDS. It's a personal choice but my personal advice is not to use them

[Andcake]

Too risky in my book ...a frivilous waste

[MoreCakeMoreCake]

Hi cake - nice to see a fellow cake name!

[fruityb]

I'm definitely getting a grobag, and we need sheets and a mattress. We do want to pretty up the nursery, maybe we should be looking at things other than for the cot.

I'm 28 weeks and we've only just started looking at things, my OH was quite nervous till the 20 week scan due to things that have happened to him in the past. Since then he's been so excited. We got the pushchair and carrycot last week and we have a cot. Just looking into making the nursery pretty. I know that baby will probably be in with us initially so it all seems much of a muchness, but by the same token it's our first baby so we want things to be lovely. It's almost like making up a bed in the guest bedroom I suppose!

[murphyslaws]

Love every second. Have fun shopping

[whatever1234]

Well it depends on what you have in the nursery but pretty curtains, may be a pretty cheap rug, wall decals (there are some gorgeous ones avaliable) pretty picture frames for the wall, maybe a fun cushion or too if you have a chair in there? Bunting round the celing, nice light fitting or lamp (out somewhere sensible of course) You can do some really pretty things fairly cheaply.

[leoniethelioness]

I have one but he won't be sleeping in there with it on. To be honest, he won't be sleeping in there for ages... I think it'll look nice but I wouldn't risk putting him down to sleep with it on. It was part of a pack of nursery bedding we bought.

[oldlaundbooth]

The cot should be totally free of objects for a new born: no teddies, no bumpers, no blankets, nothing hanging on the side of the cot as decoration: just baby, in a gro bag.

That's all you need. And make sure nothing is near the cot that could fall in it, etc.

[MrsJoeyMaynard]

We put a bumper in DS1's crib. It had come as part of a set, so we assumed they were fine and so on.

Until I went to check on DS1 one night after he woke me with crying, and found that he'd somehow wriggled over to the bumper and was busy trying to bury his face in it. DS1 was only a month or two old at the time. Bumper was removed immediately. I wasn't aware of the increased SIDS risk from bumpers at the time.

[2ManySweets]

Just to thread hijack, when is it suitable to put toys in the cot? My 15 week old has a grobag, sleeps in the middle of the mattress, and can't roll over yet.

[imwithspud]

We've never used them, it's not worth the risk in my mind. Loads of people do though despite the information available. Can't get my head round it.

[chloechloe]

As to why these things are for sale - shops just want to make money and will sell things even if they are not recommended. Plenty of parents will buy them not being aware of the risks I guess.

As for Grobags - some are not suitable for small babies - you must make sure that the baby's head circumference is bigger than the neck of the Grobag. Most sleeping bags have a weight indication too which is important to check. Our DD was only 5lb5 so too small at first. In any event I'd recommend swaddling babies at the very beginning and then using a sleeping bag when they start to roll.

[PinkParsnips]

Airwrap is the ventilated cot bumper that we used, but only because when DD was old enough to roll about she kept sticking her arms through the bars and getting them stuck at an awkward angle.

I did used to think that her cot looked like a barren little prison cell with just a bottom sheet and nothing else but it just isn't worth the risk.

[Dixiechick17]

We bought an airwrap to stop her arms and legs sticking out of the bars. I have a cot bumper as part of a set and am planning to get a toy box and use it as a seat cover for it, so that I don't waste it :)

I bought wall stickers to pretty up our nursery, they peel off and can be moved around easily if you fancy a change.