Bumper Pads - Coraopolis,PA

I used a bumper pad in my crib for both of my kids. The whole time they were in it, from birth to 2 years. They never had any problems, I like it better with it on because their arms and legs can't get stuck between the crib slats, and their nuks always stayed inside the crib. I don't understand why they try to make us so nervous about everything. I say go for it don't worry.

T.,

I found bumper pads that had a breathable layer so that the air didn't get trapped in the crib. I also didn't add them to the crib until my children were rolling around and would be more likely to bump their heads or body. Good Luck with everything!

C.

Hi T.,

I actually work for the JPMA (www.jpma.org) and am pregnant myself, due in 6 weeks. I'm using pads, without a concern. The main concern is that you do not use the pillow like bumper pads, the standard pads are just fine. You can view the above website for information on keeping baby safe.

K.

If you want to use a bumper pad, then look into the breathable bumper pad. We used it for our son and we were always very confident that he was safe. Our son is now 22 months old and ever since he could move around in the crib he has always snuggled to the side & this bumper helped us feel that his head & limbs (from flinging out) were protected, while still allowing him room to breath. We also used a video monitor and it was/is the BEST THING that we bought. We put it in the bedroom & we could always see & hear him when we woke up. It is even more fun now watching our little guy kiss his bear and bounce around in his cribby!! Enjoy your new little one - they are truly a gift!

I used bumper pads with my first and am now using them with my second. When I took them out as my first got older, she started waking up at night. Put them back in and all was fine. Bumping into the pads is softer than bumping into the rails. Plus, when I took the pads out I would find her arm or leg through the bars...didn't like that. I've never had any problems with the pads and when the girls were old enough that they could roll into them, they were also able to turn their heads so they wouldn't be smothered.

I b.

I have used bumpers for all three of my children, and plan to use them for the next (due end of June). Actually my youngest (14 months) still has them in her crib. I can remember with my oldest, putting him in someone elses crib who didn't have bumpers, and every time he rolled over he would bump his head on the rails & wake up crying. He even liked to wrap his arms around them & sleep snuggling the bumper. My personal belief is that unless there is already a health problem with a child, children are born with the ability to turn away from objects if they are having trouble breathing. I suppose the exception would be if they got tangled in something, but that seems like it would be very difficult with a bumper that is tied to a crib.
On the other side- if the child never has bumpers, they won't get used to them, and won't know the difference.
Anyway- it is a personal decision that I'm sure will work out either way you decide. The other thing to remember is, as a first time mom, like we all are with our first babies, you will most likely be in & out of babies room a few times a night, either for feedings, or just to peek- because you won't be able to resist:-)
Congratulations on your baby!

I used bumper pads with my son, he's now 23 months and he's fine. I am 41 and 1/2 weeks pregnant and I plan on using them with my daughter as well. Just make sure they are secured tightly to the sides of the crib, so baby can not pull them off.

Congratulations on your up and coming baby!
I have two boys, 6years old and 6 months old and I went about the bumper pad issue very different with both of them. I had the bumper pads in the crib for both of them at birth because neither of them were mobile yet and I thought it unlikely they would be able to smother themselves if they cant really move. My older son did very well with it but my new little one has discovered how to get them undone. (I have no idea how he did it) but he's pulled them over his head and has gotten tangled in them so I have since removed them. Hope this helps. Good luck! :)

I do think this is a matter of opinion but I have used them with both of my children, a daughter who is now 16 (and was fine) and my little guy who is almost 10 months old. Wyatt doesn't move around much when he sleeps so he hasn't even started bumping into them or touching them much, they are tied very securely to the crib so he couldn't get caught under them. He was also in a bassinet in our room for the first 2 months.

The bumper pad is decorative but it also will help once he starts moving around the crib in his sleep and will "pad" him when he "bumps" into it.

It seems these days there is a pro and con to every single baby item and sometimes it just gets to a point of ridiculous and comes down to common sense. I also use a baby monitor and hear his every breath.

I would recommend you ask your baby's pediatrician for their opinion.

I will do the wait and see on the bumper pad and see how he progresses and I'll remove it if I see there is a possibility of danger, he messes around with it too much, etc.

Good luck!!

I have a bumper pad in my baby's bed and have had no problems. Your baby will move his head if he/she needs to, try not to believe everything you read these days, if you do you would put yourself in a bubble and never come out. The bumper is very helpful in many ways, it helps keep warmth in the crib, and it gives them something soft to put there feet and hands against. By the time your baby starts moving around enough for them to even come in contact with it they will be moving all over and be able to turn their head. Don't worry about things, just enjoy your new little miracle.

Personally I put them up in my sons crib because he kept getting stuck with his arems and legs out of the crib and he didnt know how to adjust himself. He kept banging his head into the crib at night too. He was old enough that he could move around know to move his head away from the bumper if needed and was just fine. Do what you feel is right for you. I took them away when he started trying to stand on them when he started standing inhis crib.
Good Luck!

I have used bumper pads with all of my kids without a problem. You just have to make sure you have them pushed down the meet the mattress so the baby cannot get a leg or arm underneath and get caught. Good luck!

Hi! I know how nerve-racking it is trying to get everything ready for your first baby! I have a 9-month-old girl, and am still getting the hang of it all! I used a bumper pad since the day she was born and have never had any problems. Just make sure it can be secured in several places (either with ties or velcro) to the outside of the crib and that it fits the crib well so there is no slack. It has actually been great because she likes to spin herself sideways in the crib and this way she doesn't bump her head on the rails or get her feet stuck in the slots! Definitely a GOOD thing to have! Hope this helps!

We asked our pediatrician this exact question when my son was born and she quickly told us NO bumper pads. She was very adament about it and I decided that following her orders would give me some piece of mind. My son was just fine without the bumper pads. In fact, I think he sometimes enjoyed sticking his legs outside of the crib and swinging his feet around. I would suggest you ask your pediatrian for their thoughts and also read up on them online. They've actually done studies on the bumper pad debate!

Hi! Congrats on the baby. I met with a lady from the SIDS foundation last week and she advised me to not put a bumper pad in the crib as the baby could get caught between it and the crib and suffocate. I would have to say keep it out for safety's sake. Good luck with your new baby

I'm sure this won't be a popular response, but it is just my opinion. I used them with all 3 of my kids with no problems. Millions of moms used them with their kids over the past 30+ years without issue. There will always be the exception to the rule, but chances are you won't have any problems. I kept my kids in a bassinett until they could roll over on their own so this may have helped - I know they were strong enough to roll away from the bumper if needed.

How on earth did any of us over 30 survive? We didn't have car seats, we were in cribs with lead paint, had crib bumpers and even blankets before we were a year old!!

We took a middle of the road approach with bumper pads - used a small padded one until he got big enough to move around the crib pretty handily, then switched to a "breathable bumper." Not sure about the brand for those, but you can probably find them online. They are great. It will keep little arms/legs from getting stuck in the bars, but even if baby's face is smooshed against it, they can breathe. We still use 'em even though my "baby" is 2-1/2!

Congratulations on your upcoming little one! May you have an easy and safe birth!

I used a bumper in my sons crib.....just kept the ties out of the way. He slept in my room for about 12 weeks after coming home from the hospital. I believe the bumper protected his head when he begin to squirm and move around in his crib. I took it out when he began to use it to start climbing out of his crib!

Hi T.,

When my babies were small, they were in a bassinet next to the bed. My current baby, who is 6 months, slept in a co- sleeper until she was about 4 months old. She now sleeps in her crib. I have used a bumper with all 4 of my children and haven't had any problems. Maybe you could use a bassinet until your baby is past the newborn stage. That way, you wouldn't need to worry so much about the bumpers! Once the baby is able to roll herself/himself over, the danger of suffocation is greatly reduced (or so I've been told).

In terms of blankets, I used a sleepsack for my last 2 babies and loved it. Once they can roll over, though, they get themselves tangled up in that too! Now that my daughter is crawling (even in her crib!), I cover her up with a blanket and check on her frequently. Best of luck to you and Congratulations!

There's nothing wrong with bumper pads as long as they have enough ties on them to keep them tight against the crib rails. I has the same worries when I was buying the crib bedding but am glad I got them now. I have an almost 10 month old son and now that he's standing in the crib, when he falls it helps absorb the crash.
Good luck and buy the bumpers!

I was also nervous about them. I'd heard good & bad. At first, I didn't use them. Once the baby moved around more in the bed, I found that they were useful for keeping things inside the crib (like binkies or arms/legs). We never had any problem w/ the bumpers and when my second baby came along, I used them from day 1. The only disadvantages to the bumpers (for me) were (1) not being able to peek in on the baby w/o going up close to the crib and (2) they are a huge pain when you're changing the crib sheet (get the zip-on crib sheets & that problem is eliminated). I say if you like the look of them, use them (so long as the ties are short, of course).

Congratulations on your little one:)
Our son is 7 months old and he has been in his crib since the day he came home from the hospital. His bumper has been in his crib since day one. We've never had a problem with it. He pulls on it and seems to enjoy having it in his crib. Ours came with our bedding set. One thing I just make sure of is that he can not get to the ties. Otherwise, no problems...we love it!
Good luck with everything.

I took mine back to the store, sadly. It is something new not to use them. But, I did use a blanket. So you pick your choices. You do what feels right.

Go ahead and use it. Just make sure that it is tied tightly and stays tied tightly. I used them with all three of my girls the entire time they used their crib with no problems. I was more worried about mini-blind cords! Sleep now while you have a chance! LOL Good luck, best wishes and congrats!

The best ones are the "Breathable Bumpers". You can get them now almost anywhere. We got ours at Target.com, but now I see them at Babbies R Us & other places. They are made of a thinner padding that the infants can breathe through if they happen to get pushed up against them in the middle of the night. They don't come in many different colors, but I'm sure you can find one that coordinates with your nursery.

Hello!
I was so excited when I found out we were expecting, I bought the whole crib bedding get-up...then on our last day of birthing class our County coroner came & spoke about baby/child safety....so much for the crib bedding idea! My suggestion~ I wouldn't put the pad in, our son is 2 & I can remember going in & checking on him as he was sound asleep against the slats in his crib & I think if I had bumpers, he may have smothered. They look nice, but aren't worth making the crib look more comfy & compromising the life of your little bundle of joy. I did put it in once he got older, around 1 yr. to keep his legs in the crib. There is a web site www.onestepahead.com they sell a BreathableBaby Crib Bumper for $24.95, Item #14041 my sister-in-law got one for her twins- she liked it. But I don't think it works for the 4 in 1 crib type. Enjoy motherhood it is absolutely wonderful!! ;)

We went back and forth with this for about a week after my son started moving around the crib a lot. After the six millionth time he woke up screaming because he got an arm or leg stuck outside the crib in an uncomfortable position, we bought the Breathable Bumper. It's not the cutest bumper or the softest, but it keeps the limbs in and air can pass through it so they can't suffocate on it. It's about $25 and you can get it at Babies R Us in several colors. It has really helped with the getting stuck and the head bumping.

In the end, it's going to be something that you have to decide. After all the reading and research that we did, I was comfortable using the bumpers until my daughter (now 4 months) started rolling over. Now that she's starting to move around, I took them out. I'm not sure if I'll put them back in once she's totally mobile or not.

We really didn't use the crib all that much in the beginning. I just moved it into our room to use for night sleeping as opposed to being in her room for naps. We used to have the pack n play in our room.

I have 10 month old twin girls and they are our first as well. CONGRADULATIONS! I first had our babies in the bassinet that attaches to their pack N Play. A regular bassinet was just too much room. As they gre out of that I used the paack and play by itself for the longest time. When they were four omnths old I put them in a crib together. I DID have a bumper around it. Even though the bumper was attached to the bottom as well as the top, they kept on pulling a section and would get their little arm or foot behind it and they coudn't fugre out how to get them out. I decided- heck with the bumpers. I was still worried about them bumping their heads. I would roll up receiving blankets and stuff them down all the sides between the mattress and the slats in the crib. Then they started pulling them out. So I just didn't have anything but the mattress in there. Eeven though you'renot supposed to put blankets in their cribs, I would put one as soon as they learned how to do more things like roll around and were able to pull their foot out between the slats. Being that the girls have been our first, we were (and still are) constantly in their room all hours of the night checking on them. Sometimes I even sleep in there. I know that's over doing it, but I can't help it. I know this doesn't answer your question fully, but that is just what we did and maybe you can get something out of it. BEST OF LUCK AND CONGRADULATIONS!
-M.

Hi theresa, I am the mother of 5 and have used bumper pads for one or two but not the rest. They look pretty but really don't serve a big purpose. They get dusty too, not a bonus. If the baby is rolling a lot later on you may want to try them but for a new born they aren't necessary.

Congratulations on your precious baby!

I had a beautiful set for my son's crib. What I decided to do was put the bumper in the crib for decorative purposes only. I set up the room about 6 weeks before the baby came home, took pictures, and sat in my rocking chair admiring it all every day. Then after the baby was born, he slept in a bassinet in my room for 6 weeks. When it was time to move him into his own room, I removed the bumper. My thinking was that I would rather do all I could to prevent a SIDS tragedy.

With my second child, I had bedding made in a cowboy theme and just didn't have the bumper made - saved me a little bit of $'s to not have to pay for something I wouldn't be using.

Prayers for a safe birth for you and a healthy baby.