[oregongirlie]

I think we'll use a crib -- we're going to buy one, but do we need all the junk with it? I don't want a "bedskirt" or any extra stuff. Is the bumper a safety thing or just something new that we never had and my kid won't need either? Do babies "bump" themselves that much?

 

[alegna]

I've heard that bumpers are not safe. But personally I think that cribs are not safe.

-Angela

 

[leximom]

I don't think you need a whole crib set. Most of the stuff like the comforter and bumber aren't recommended and the mobile you need to take down after a few months anyway. I would hold off anyway because you may like cosleeping more than you think you will...

 

[2M's Mom]

I don't think you need anything more then the sheet. I have the whole set, just because it's cute and someone bought it for me, but I totally don't need it. Like Leximo said though, I would hold off buying it (unless someone wants to buy it for you) as you might find you like co-sleeping.

 

[Megs_BK]

I went in for the whole kit n' caboodle. It looks cute and makes me happy. She doesn't spend much time in there because we have a co-sleeper, so of course by the time she WOULD sleep in there more often, the bumper will have to come down anyway. Old bumpers with long ties were considered a strangling hazard, but any products sold now are within specific safety guidelines. Did I need all of it? Heck no. But, we could afford to get it and it was such fun putting the whole ensemble together and thinking about my daughter... We definitely don't plan to do the family bed thing, so knowing that we have a piece of furniture that will be good for a few years (it converts to a toddler bed and then becomes a twin headboard) felt good. We don't use the quilt now (except as a playmat), but it will work when she's older. anyway, I'm rambling. Suffice it to say I like the reasonably-priced stuff we got (Hooray, Target!) and I don't regret it.

 

[Laniemel]

I got a bumper for our crib, but I kind of had too. My dd is almost 10 months old and has a tendacy to kick and move her head alot when she sleeps. I got it after she kept bumping her head against the rails and waking herself up. It was almost as bad as when she would sleep with me and I would move, wake her up, and then she would scream at me. She just got so mad. As far as the blankets and all that, whatever makes you happy. I just got some sheets. I love the tshirt jersey material. So soft.

 

[shining]

I use a bumper with mine. I got the whole set and I use the comforter on the floor for her to play on during the day. She definitely needs a bumper. When I put her in the crib she's laying normally; when I come to get her out, 9 times out of 10 she has turned perpendicular and her head is up against the bumper. She's definitely an active baby, though and I know she'd be whacking her head all the time on the rails if we didn't have the bumper.

 

[EdlynsMom]

The bumper on our crib is always being squashed down when DD stands next to the rail. Shes only in the crib for naps and during the first part of the night, so since shes only asleep in it and doesnt move much I only really need a sheet or two in there.

 

[jillybeans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shining She definitely needs a bumper. When I put her in the crib she's laying normally; when I come to get her out, 9 times out of 10 she has turned perpendicular and her head is up against the bumper. She's definitely an active baby, though and I know she'd be whacking her head all the time on the rails if we didn't have the bumper.

This is our dd too. She throws herself all over the place when sleeping. When she's on our bed, and bumps into the headboard, she wakes up everytime. Do they make bumpers for headboards?

 

[muckemom]

My babe would have bruises all over his little head if we didn't have a bumper for the crib...

Plus - I liked having all the matching goodies for his crib... but he didn't sleep in it for even a minute until he was 4 or 5 months old... we co-slept until then.

 

[pookel]

We didn't use a bumper until DS started squashing himself into the bars at night. He's a lot happier with the bumper ... he wakes up less often and with fewer bruises.

The rest is just decorative; bumpers serve a practical purpose.

 

[bass chick]

I guess it depends on your baby. My baby didn't ever whack himself on the crib. We have crib bumpers because we got it as a gift, but refused to let ds sleep with them in the crib. There have been studies that show that the bumper pads can increase carbon dioxide pooling in the first few inches off the cib matress. So....if you are paranoid like me...don't use them. I didn't wamt to possibly increase my son's chance of SIDS.

 

[CookieMonsterMommy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alegna I've heard that bumpers are not safe. -Angela

true. SIDS and asphixiation risk

 

[alicia622]

I decided against the bumper because of the risks. G did have a few incidents of arms or legs falling through the slats and getting stuck that a bumper would have prevented. But I still think it's safer to not have one than to have one.

 

[lmkirche]

I did not have a bumper for our ds when he was born -just a sheet- because of the fears of suffocation, etc. Now that he is 8 mo and moving around alot, I bought one so he doesn't bump his head.

You do need to make sure that you take the bumper out before your babe can stand up in the crib because they can use the bumper as a step and crawl out.

 

[GooeyRN]

My dd is 9.5 months and still not sleeping in the crib. (she has been sleeping in the pack-n-play since moving to her own room) We tried the crib for awhile, but she kept waking up crying from whacking her head and getting her legs stuck. But bumpers aren't safe, either since they can untie them and strangle themselves. They also have to be removed when baby is older so they don't climb on them. You can find "breathable" bumpers at babiesrus. They are mesh so baby wont suffocate, and velcro on so there aren't any strings to untie and strangle baby. I never felt like shelling out the $25 for them since we had the pack-N-play, anyway.

 

[Steve's Wife]

We have one of the breathable bumper sets. Julie just started sleeping in her crib for part of the night and she was getting legs and arms stuck. She doesn't whack her head very often. I wanted the padded ones but I was afraid she'd climb on them and fall/climb out of the crib.

She's been spending a lot of time in our bed, though. She had reflux so at 2 months had to be moved to an infant chair next to our bed instead of co-sleeping. When she outgrew the reflux at 6 months she moved to mini-pack and play (travel crib) but she outgrew that pretty quickly. So it's either the crib or our bed, and she is a very restless sleeper.

 

[bobica]

we used the bumper when dd started rolling around at night. she'd bang her head into the rails when she'd roll over or scootch up in her sleep.

 

[minkajane]

We were planning on using the crib for naps (never happened) but we never got a bumper. It always seemed like just something extra to make the crib look pretty. I was afraid DS would roll into it and suffocate.

 

[North_Of_60]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megs_BK I went in for the whole kit n' caboodle. It looks cute and makes me happy. She doesn't spend much time in there because we have a co-sleeper, so of course by the time she WOULD sleep in there more often, the bumper will have to come down anyway. Old bumpers with long ties were considered a strangling hazard, but any products sold now are within specific safety guidelines. Did I need all of it? Heck no. But, we could afford to get it and it was such fun putting the whole ensemble together and thinking about my daughter... We definitely don't plan to do the family bed thing, so knowing that we have a piece of furniture that will be good for a few years (it converts to a toddler bed and then becomes a twin headboard) felt good. We don't use the quilt now (except as a playmat), but it will work when she's older. anyway, I'm rambling. Suffice it to say I like the reasonably-priced stuff we got (Hooray, Target!) and I don't regret it.

Ditto. My MIL bought our crib set for us, but then I got an extra one to make the skirt into a matching valance.