Crib drapes and bumpers - are they safe, and where I can buy them?

[katie789]

I've bought a lovely swinging wooden crib from John Lewis, but now would like crib drapes (and the metal rod they hang off), and bumpers to go with it. JL and Mothercare didn't have much choice of bumpers, and a quick google search didn't bring up anywhere that sells crib drapes and rod.
Can anyone recommend somewhere?

Also... the google search brought up an old forum topic saying some people thought drapes and bumpers were unsafe - has anyone heard of this before? Why could they be dangerous?

Thank you! (32 weeks now, first baby)

They are not recommended for babies under 1 year due to overheating/strangulation concerns. I know they do sell them though for newborns which is wrong really.

bumpers are supposed to be ok from birth until your lo can get up on their hands and knees as they might use them to try and get out. By 1 year you would be looking to get rid of them not be putting them on.

Sorry Seona - I disagree.

They are not recommended for newborns as they restrcit air flow through the bars of teh crib/draps.
They are not recommended once a child can pull themselves up and climb out.

I woudln't use them personally

p.s I never used either of them.

Ebay has drape rods

Well the sids website says this:

Bumpers : there are cot bumpers in the cot. In the past, there were concerns that bumpers might make babies too hot, increasing the risk of cot death. However, research has shown that they have neither good nor bad effects. Take it out when your baby can get up on her hands and knees so she can?t climb out. Make sure there are no trailing strings or ties.

Fair enough...I am obviously behind the times - my youngest is a big grown up 2.6 now

my swinging crib admittedly first used for my bro 30 years ago came with very fine muslin around it and for drapes so the air gets through it. Dont know how this goes with the above though. (the drapes are all new by the way not 33 years old!)

I have to say that I have wondered why bumpers are supposed to be so dangerous.

They are supposed to make the cot too hot but surely a baby in a cot with a bumper on is much less enclosed than a baby in a moses basket with no bars.

We had a cot bumper and whilst the DC were small they were down the opposite end of the cot anyway with their feet up against the end as per the recommendations.

I wouldn't be so keen on the drapes since I feel that it turns the crib into a tent but a bumper, not really a problem imo.

Be careful of the ties though, when the baby can put things in his or her mouth.

don't bother with them. as a new mum you'll have so much to worry about (you'll see) that you won't want to give yourself any more potenial and unnecessary things to block baby's mouth and nose. Buy some pretty sheets and a grobag sleeping bag, will help you and baby get some shut eye from early on. You can get pretty base sheets from mothercare/ john lewis and sleeping bags from kiddicare and bump to three. good luck!

Sorry for late response - not had chance to get online since first posting!

Thank you all for useful comments - I had no idea of potential dangers of either bumpers or drapes, and think that I'll probably leave them both out having read these comments, although I will do a bit more googling to find more about it.

I would have thought that gossamer-thin drapes just had an aesthetic affect - do you think it'd be ok to have that but no bumpers?

I guess nursery aesthetics go out of the window once DC actually arrives though!