Do you use a cot bumper? Do I need one?

[ohnelly]

Hello just wondering about cot bumpers. I moved DS into his cot last night from moses basket. He is 17weeks. Do I need a cot bumper? he is in a sleeping bag so hes not likely to get his legs stuck through the bars & cant roll over yet either. I assume they are just to stop legs getting stuck and they go at the bottom? Any other benefits & are they safe at this age? What does everyone else do?

I never use one and both my lo's survived. They also wore sleeping bags.

Nah, no need. They're just another way of getting you to part with your cash.

(says me who kept JoJoMaman in business in the early years! )

We used one as DD got older as if she could see us she wanted to play instead of sleeping. DD did stay in our room until a year though as I was too lazy to walk across the house to feed in the night.

Didn't have them for mine.

I have used one for both my DS's I got it because DS1 would crawl to the end of his cot and bang his head against the end. The bumper at least made it a bit more comfy for him.

it also helped them sleep better in their cot during the day as it was like blinkering them i.e. they couldn't see out of the cot and get too over stimulated when I was trying to get them to calm down (having trouble explaining this properly so not sure if this makes any sense)

the other benefit I have found is that it has helped getting them to sleep in other cots i.e. at granny's or grandad's. So if they go and stay I take the bumper and put it into the other cot it then makes a strange cot look very familiar

AFAIK cot bumpers are not suitable for DC under 12 months (usually says so on the packet)

bumpers are ok from birth and should be removed when your lo gets more mobile as they can try to use it to climb out. They should be well gone by 12 months. Maybe you are thinking of the quilts that are normally sold alongside the bumper as they arent suitable till 12 months.

I'm thinking of getting for 7 month old DS at the moment as he has started crawling round his cot (both awake and asleep!) and bashing his head on the bars. Also sometimes gets legs stuck through bars even when in sleeping bag (good skills I know!). Haven't found one that covers more than a few inches at one end of the cot though and I think I need to have something that goes all the way round the cot.

google "airwrap". Safe and breathable cot bumpers.DS needs one as he is vry wriggly and is always bumping his head and getting his arms stuck.

Thanks for replies - I dont think I will bother then at the moment, I dont actually need it at the moment anyway

Bumpers are considered to be a cot death risk so probably best not to use one.