To bumper or not to bumper...

[Mummy081212]

Hi All.

My second boy is due in 8 weeks and his nursery is all set up and ready minus bedding. With my first, standard cot bumpers were completely fine but it’s seems now that they are not recommended. I’m not sure I like the cot bar covers. What have people done? Still using old bumpers or ruled those out?!

Thanks!

An empty cot is a safe cot. My DM was horrified that I wasn't using cot bumpers until I explained what can happen. I did tie a muslin to one end of DSs crib because he got his leg stuck in the night and I was waiting or his cot matttress to be delivered. Have a good look on The Lullaby Trust x
www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/clear-cot/

I wouldn't recommend a cot bumper and have never used one after the stories I've heard. They are purely for show and not needed.

We used airwrap mesh bumpers from
John Lewis, they were fab!

No bumpers. We used an airwrap when she got to the point she was sticking limbs through the bars.

Never used one. Can't see what purpose they serve other than for decoration. I would save your money!

You can get breathable air wrap bumpers. If you’re set on doing it then they’re much safer, but really you don’t need them and they can be dangerous. So I’d say skip altogether. A safe cot is an empty cot.

Definitely not. We used air wraps to save dummies falling out once DS was about one but I’d never use traditional ones - both a strangulation and suffocation risk

Another vote for airwrap here. DS has just learned to roll and one night of his arms and legs starfished through the bars had me reaching for my credit card.

Didn't use anything at all. Never had any problems

Never used bumpers with mine (a decade ago). Even then I couldn't understand why they were considered safe and on sale.

We have never used anything. The safest way is not to use anything in or around the cot.

What do you need them for?

Definitely no bumpers

No bumpers! No need at all

With your first, bumpers weren’t fine they were still leading to accidents which is why they are not recommended anymore. The traditional image of a cot still has them I know, but we need to forget about them just too risky

I started using bumpers with both DC when they were around 15 months old. They did wake up occasionally because they'd get their legs stuck in the bars, but it wasn't much of a problem.

No bumpers.

As a paediatrician explained to me, the injuries from bumping a head into a cot are usually minor. The injuries from bumpers - e.g. strangulation, falling - are usually major. Hence from a risk perspective, bumpers potentially cause greater harm than what they are meant to prevent.

Midwife told me not to have a cot bumper, nearly 18 years ago with first DS, I don’t think the advice has changed.

Nope, they’ve not been recommended for a long time(I remember discussing them nearly 15 years ago when training to be a nursery nurse).

No bumpers. They were not recommended before my eldest was born and he is 18 so the advice has been that way for a long time.

It has been a very long time that bumpers have been ruled as dangerous so unless your eldest is 30 then I doubt it was ever recommended.

Are they even still manufactured? If so- WHY?!

Definitely no bumpers. With my eldest we used the air wrap thing as she was very prone to sticking limbs through the cot bars getting trapped and waking up screaming and scared. Youngest is a more static sleeper so don’t plan to use anything.

Another vote for airwrap mesh once they're old enough to get limbs stuck inbetween bars. I always see traditional bumpers in the shops and wonder why on earth they're still making them!

Our little one sleeps in a Gro-bag which means legs can’t get stuck in the bars. She started off in the Gro-snug which is designed for tiny babies.

It really irritates me that baby shops use cot bumpers in their displays when they aren’t safe.