To use headbands on baby?

[AliceMarie89]

The fabric kind? Also pram shoes? I've been judged massively for both recently and want to ask other mums :/

@OwlBeThere I had a cot bumper, purchased from Mamas & Papas, it was tied on as tight as humanly possibly to the bars and tucked in halfway past the mattress. I never had any issues with it, it never moved from situ unless I changed the sheets, which I double checked every time the knots were tight and ties were short & out of the way. Soon as DS was crawling at 8/9 months old, pulling himself up etc I removed it. As long as you are extremely vigilant I don't see the issue with them.

And as I say, I have NEVER heard of a baby being strangled by a soft headband, I have tonnes of friends that have children, none of which are 'CHAVS' that have occasionally put a soft headband on a baby girl without any incident.

No baby girls shouldn't be treated like dollies but jeez a headband and pram shoes?? Can't see the issue AT ALL.

I would judge - but silently and you would never know because I’m not an arsehole

YABU, babies are not accessories and head bands are dangerous

I agree with Branleuse. This thread is hilarious, tragic, and classist at the same time. People keep going on about a the parent/baby being 'chavvy'. What exactly does that mean? 'Chav' is an offensive word for working class people tbh and if you are going to argue with me about that, think to yourself how many middle class people you would label a 'chav' . I can't believe this thread is full of adult women, mothers, most of whom are going to be older than me, calling other people 'chavs'. I thought people outgrew that offensive, classist insult when they were about 14 but obviously not in all places .

OP, I wasn't even aware of strangulation risk with headbands tbh, not that I've ever put one on DD - she's nearly 5 months, someone bought us one but just never thought to put it on her. I guess I don't really see the point but then I don't see the point in dresses, skirts, and tights...obv now I know about the strangulation risk I'd say not to leave unattended and sleeping in one but that's it. People are going on about pram shoes too and I agree that it probably wouldn't be best to have your baby permanently wearing shoes but nobody has posted any actual evidence, like scientific research, to show that it harms babies feet if worn occasionally. I highly doubt that would be the case. I only put shoes on DD, although mostly booties really, if she's in the baby carrier now it's cold outside as just socks is not enough. And also in her pram if the temperature dips below about 10 degrees. So that's not often yet and usually only for relatively short periods of time (and 75% of those times it's booties rather than little shoes). I don't believe that could in any way damage her feet. In fact if your pram shoes have plenty of space for your DD's feet they can't restrict growth as someone upthread commented. That's not possible if there's space around the feet which presumably there would be, otherwise they would be a nightmare to get on and off if nothing else!

Don't worry OP. Everyone likes to judge and I find other mums to be the most judgey of all, especially middle class ones who love to turn their noses up at people they deem to be beneath them in the class structure. This thread illustrates this point well.

I love the defensiveness on these threads!

It’s personal taste like anything else. I dress DD in a lot of blue and gender neutral stuff and she’s frequently mistaken for a boy. I’m sure when strangers realise that she’s a girl they think I’m ridiculous or trying to make a point by not dressing her typically girly as in more common where we live. Do I care? Nope! If I’m buying the clothes, I’m buying the stuff I like.

Same goes for people who love very feminine or masculine clothes on their children- I might not like it, but my taste isn’t a reflection on their parenting.

Yes of course my son is going to have deformed feet in his adult life due to the fact that I put some soft baby shoes/booties on him to keep his feet warm over socks in winter. Absolute rubbish. I didn't put a pair of firm-soled trainers on him ffs. He didn't have any soles with a firm bottom to them until he could walk and had his feet measured! Jesus get a grip.

I hate the term chav. I don't think it's appropriate in this instance either.

Different class that's all.

I think they're silly, pointless and slightly sexist ( we don't put uncomfortable items on baby boys to distinguish their sex after all) but I wouldn't judge you. I'd just think you were part of society.

HugoBearsMummy there was a thread on cot bumpers a few weeks ago where the Mum of an 8 month old who suffocated on his cot bumper came on to explain why she has begun a campaign to get them banned from sale.

Brilliant that you had one and it was fine, but your experience doesn’t mean that it will be the same for everyone, and encouraging people to disregard professional advice (on bumpers and shoes) is just ridiculous.

@MeadowHay Middle class people wouldn't really be called chavs because there's not a lot of middle class people living in council estates, hanging out the window with a fag on, tending to their 5 kids by 3 different dads, and putting headbands on babies. They have more dignity than that.

Most chavs are working class because of the above.

Used both with Dc1 neither with Dc2 and won't with DC3 waste of time money and effort in my eyes but I'm lazy practical

@PennyMordauntsLadyBrain It's interesting how it's acceptable for people to comment on their opinion that the OP must be a chav and is 'tacky' because she puts headbands and pram shoes on her child, but it's unacceptable for me to give my opinion that I think soft baby shoes and headbands look nice, or my experience that soft shoes/booties never impacted on my son's feet or ability to walk and my cot bumper didn't strangle my child... I'm not 'advising' anyone to do ANYTHING, just giving my opinion.

Headbands are dangerous, please don't use them. Pram shoes (the soft ones on small babies) are pointless but they aren't dangerous at least.

I'm afraid to say generally speaking I've only seen headbands on babies of quite young mums. I don't want to use certain words that other people have used on this thread to describe these people, I just think maybe certain groups aren't as well informed about the risks of them?

I'd never voice my concerns to someone I didn't know in the street though.

@MeadowHay Middle class people wouldn't really be called chavs because there's not a lot of middle class people living in council estates, hanging out the window with a fag on, tending to their 5 kids by 3 different dads, and putting headbands on babies. They have more dignity than that

It's not about dignity they are just different. Those people you describe aren't any worse than Anna from Home Counties dressing Florence in her Boden clobber, she's just from a different class.

@swee321 just to put a dampner on your judgey post , I'm actually due a baby girl in feb, and I may chose to put a pretty headband on her if going to a party or out for a special occasion or little booties on her if it's cold, BUT I am married, children by same dad, live in a large 4 bed detached house in rural area worth over £550K, have worked all my life since the age of 15 (am now 30) so I'm most certainly NOT a chav and have my 'dignity' fully in tact thank you. You sound like an absolute pleasure to be around

I did put a headband on my dd and when I nipped to the loo it had slipped over her nose, I threw them all out right there.

live in a large 4 bed detached house in rural area worth over £550K

Swee Wow. You really just illustrated my point. How tragic. I especially like how you infer that living on a council estate is undignified. You should be careful what you say as you never know how your life is going to pan out.

Hehehehehe love how easily offended Mums are

I have to say I’m judging all of you ‘middle class’ posters with offensive and derogatory opinions much more than I would a mother with a child wearing a headband.

I would silently judge (think headbands on children are tacky as fuck and make them look ridiculous) BUT, as everyone else has said, it's your baby! Although I didn't know about them being a suffocation risk, so maybe not...

I don't know what pram shoes are but they sound ridiculous.

Honest answer, both very tacky and I would secretly judge you!

Polite answer; your baby, your decision.

Hehehehehe love how easily offended Mums are

I'm not offended. Just think you're attitude is shitty and before you ask I wouldn't put my DD in a headband either.

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