How to you safely manage sleep in a wooden cot with slats?

[MarahCarey]

Am about to switch my 5.5 month old over from a Chicco next to me cot into a cot bed- probably the IKEA one which I've seen recommended on here.

I'm aware that cot bumpers are not advised due to risk of SIDS and I certainly wouldn't choose them since my baby currently buries his head in the mesh at the side of the cot. But how do you manage safely with a cot made from wooden slats? Ie without the baby bashing their head or getting arms stuck, banging their nose, or something? He wriggles a lot in his sleep and often ends up at a right angle with his face pressed into the side. He's big for his age and I'm worried he might hurt himself in a wooden cot but I don't think there are any alternatives and anyway millions of babies must manage ok!

Any advice please? 🙏

@turnthebiglightoff

I don't know anyone who has a baby that have hurt themselves on cor slats. There is evidence of babies who have died because of bumpers. You simply do not need them.

Exactly this. I have three children who have been in standard wooden cots with slats. I know many people with children. I don’t know anyone whose child has injured themselves on the bars of a cot.

@livingbreathingcoffee

I used individual velcro bumpers and spaced them out so there were just 4 on each side of the cot. DS was in a sleeping bag and didn't seem to be able to get his feet stuck, but he did bang his head off the end of the cot a few times which surprisingly didn't seem to bother him at all!

This is so unsafe, please don't do this!

Anything that ties to the cot is unsafe including the mesh ones. They can get strangled by the ties and when child is older they can use them to stand on to climb/fall out.
They'll get used to the wooden bars and are safe in there with nothing added to the sides

@Ohalrightthen I know the advice is an empty cot but I genuinely don't see what is wrong with the type I used. The research about traditional cot bumpers brought up issues with air flow being blocked and ties etc being wrapped round babies necks. I didn't see the same risk with well spaced out, Velcro bumpers round individual bars with an older baby who was well able to roll and in a cot bed so had more space anyway.

What about using a travel cot?

@santasmincepie

Seriously, it's fine. I hear random bangs all the time but DS never seems bothered by it. He never cries. And I don't think he's ever got stuck but if he did he'd let me know. The worst thing is him chucking him dummy over the side so you have to crawl under the cot hunting for it at 4am. We call it the dummy graveyard.

You really don't need cot bumpers. I have no idea why they're still on sale in this country

ah the dummy graveyard. i've just rescued about a million from the side and underneath of dd's cot. i thought we'd lost them so bought more. . .

dd sometimes sleeps with her hand out the side of the cot but that's because cat face likes to parade about in her room when she's meant to be going to sleep. so instead of sleeping dd tries to reach out for cat face who is always just out of reach...

[quote livingbreathingcoffee]@Ohalrightthen I know the advice is an empty cot but I genuinely don't see what is wrong with the type I used. The research about traditional cot bumpers brought up issues with air flow being blocked and ties etc being wrapped round babies necks. I didn't see the same risk with well spaced out, Velcro bumpers round individual bars with an older baby who was well able to roll and in a cot bed so had more space anyway.

[/quote]
But they’re not necessary. And the risk is lower without them.

I saw the individual bumpers for sale as recommended above and even the shop that sold them have a warning on their website that babies can use them to try to climb out once they can pull themselves up - do not use them!

I asked a very similar question here a few months ago as I was worried about the loud bangs from DS throwing himself around in the cot. DS has learnt not to do it now and he never seemed bothered at all - as PP said, it sounds much worse than it is! I occasionally have to go in and remove a limb from between the slats but they're never stuck. Babies just seem to like sleeping in all sorts of weird and uncomfortable positions!

We bought the air wrap mesh bumper for the same reason as you but once he started to pull himself up at say 9 months he climbed on them, fell and cut his lip even though they say ‘anti climb’ so we removed them and he slept fine. Sometimes he still sleeps with his head against the bars but it doesn’t seem to bother him.

Any sort of bumper or wrap etc poses an increased risk. To me, it just isn't worth the risk. I'd rather my baby got a bruise or bumped head etc than climb up a bumper and fall out, suffocate from recycled air or get tangled in cords. Lullaby Trust states than a clear cot is safest. Look up Justice for Preston. Your baby will probably be absolutely fine.

no bumpers of any sort, mesh, velcro, whatever are safe. Still a risk.

And yes, DS had wooden slats. He bumped a few times. He's fine. Moved him into a floor bed just after a year old as he was on the low setting, heavy and also woke up every time I tried to put him back down

DS is 1 and has been in his cot about 9 months. He's in a sleeping bag so his legs can't get far. A week hand often comes through the bars but he can get it back in in his sleep. He's rarely bumped his head and when he did it didn't even wake him.

Don't use anything. They either learn that banging off the bars hurt - or quite like it from a sensory point of view. DD went through a phase where she'd whack her head off the end and then go asleep. I've no idea how some of the bangs we hear don't hurt, but she's made herself cry literally twice. I guess the sides are soft. We've never had to intervene for a limb. Sometimes she sticks them out but then she'll pull them back in herself.

Please please don't use any kind of bumpers.

How do people stop baby hurting themselves on the solid wooden panels at either end of the cot when they are learning to stand?
My 7 month old can now pull himself up in sleeping bag, looses his balance and smacks his face into the wood. Que screaming and bruised forehead.

I’m thinking of putting him in the mesh sided travel cot a few weeks until he’s steadier on feet so he’s not constantly banging his face