Gap between bed and rail--a safe, inexpensive solution?

[mum2sarah]

I can't rightly remember what safe ways there are to address a gap between the bedrail and the mattress.  We have a mattress on a slat frame without a box spring and we got this bedrail: http://www.amazon.com/Products-Universal-Safe-Sleeper-Rail/dp/B000F1OGCC/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1312205553&sr=1-1  because it claimed to work with any mattress, whether or not you had a box spring.  However, there is no way to get it completely flush against the side of the mattress.  Dh tried manhandling it with all his might and there's still a gap plus at the part where the rail meets the mattress the most closely there's like a hard plastic rail thing that runs the length of the bedrail. 

I'm worried about entrapment issues and baby hitting his head on the hard plastic once he's born.  I thought of putting a body pillow against it, but that seems too fluffy and potentially suffocating--same thing with rolled blankets....  I also thought of using a pool noodle, but I'm wondering how it would stay in place since they're so lightweight. I know there are expensive products like Tres Tria or the Humanity Bed, but I'd rather not invest that kind of money... I was wondering if maybe I could use one of those cylindrical things you put at the bottom of doors in the winter to prevent cold air from getting in, since they seem like they'd stay in place from their own weight and wouldn't be fluffy, but at least a little softer than the hard plastic.  Has anyone tried anything like this or have any similar suggestions that would be affordable yet safe? 

[gemasita]

This is one of the bedrails that I am looking at but I am concerned that you say there is a gap there.  I still have the cosleeper up against the bed and it drives me crazy that there is a gap.  What I've done for now is to put a pool noodle under the sheet.  It doesn't always stay right up against the cosleeper but I have thought about wrapping it with non-skid drawer liner.  I got the idea of putting it under the sheet from the GoBedBugs product.

I'm not sure I'm going to be happy with that bedrail if there is a gap.  That's going to worry me, even if it's a small one.  Ugh.  I'm looking at this one too:

http://www.amazon.com/Safety-1st-Secure-Rail-Beige/dp/B002X7A008/ref=sr_1_8?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1312414881&sr=1-8

[Virginia90]

I've heard of people using that green block type stuff that you stick flower arrangement in. Cover it with a thin blanket and wedge it in there.

[LittleBirdy]

I have the same bedrail, and we rolled up some towels really tight and wedged them into the space BUT I also had one of those babies who had to be asleep touching me, so I never really worried that he'd roll away into the space.  If he managed to roll away from me, he was going to be awake and crying in minutes...

[eirual]

Is there a reason you need a bedrail? It sounds like this for your own mattress when you're co-sleeping- is that right?

When we side-carred the crib, I remember reading that pool noodles can be used to fill gaps (the opposite edge between the crib mattress and the far crib wall). Could that work for your arrangement?