Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether or not crib bumpers should be used these days. The AAP says they're a SIDS risk, grandparents think they're a must-have. What to do, what to do!
When the babies were smaller, we swaddled them for bed each night. In addition to helping them sleep more soundly, it also prevented them from rolling into the dangerous cushioning of the crib bumpers. Not at all worried about the babies suffocating themselves in the middle of the night, we left the cute little bumpers up.
When the babies started becoming more active at night, we removed the bumpers. One group of moms that I talk with regularly informed me that this was the only responsible thing to do. However, I regularly found the boys awake and crying after ramming their poor little heads against the sides of their cribs during their nighttime repositionings, or with arms and/or legs hanging out the crib slats... trapped in their own beds. At that point, I decided that the bumpers had to go back up.
Now, we're faced with a new trick the boys have learned. It involves lifting up the bumper and sticking their heads between the bumper and the sides of the crib. It's all fun and games until they realize they're stuck... and then it's Mom and Dad to the rescue. I suspect if we remove them, we will have much more head clunking to deal with. However, if we leave them up, the boys will continue to entrap themselves in the oddest positions!
Hmmm.... suggestions are welcome.
1 comment:
Hmmm. Well, we started out with a bumper and then took it away at some point. We didn't have any trouble with Lucy without the bumper (she actually likes it better because she can see more), but I'll say this much: you will definitely have to take away the bumper once they get more mobile because they'll start climbing on and around it. If I were you, I'd bite the bullet and get rid of it now...they'll eventually get a clue and stop banging their body parts into the slats. Just my two cents. :)
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