I need advice Mommy's! When Gabby started to become mobile we removed the pretty crib bumpers and bought the breathable mesh crib bumper from One Step Ahead. Those worked great until today. She must have gripped first the slat in the crib and then tried to grip the top of the mesh and wound up with her arms thru the crib with the mesh under her arms. So when she didn't fall asleep after her normal 2 minute cry I walked in and found her sitting up, arms outside of the crib and her tear-stained face mushed up against the crib slat. Obviously I removed the mesh bumper, however is nothing necessary now? I have an outlet cover for the outlet behind her crib. Is that the only precaution i have to take? We lowered her crib as soon as she started to flip over at night.
Thanks Mommy's! As of right now the crib is about two feet from the wall until I go over to Walmart to buy the suggested solid outlet covers. Great idea! The mesh bumper is out too. Little girl has had other ideas since then - like kneeling up and grabbing the top of the rail so we are already on the next fiasco!
If the outlet covers are the tight plugs where even Dad has to sometimes get a tool to pop it out, then she's fine. No bumper or liner is necessary. If she bumps her head she'll learn to adjust her sleeping.
K. B
mom to 5 including triplets
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I would think so. I have never been a fan of crib bumpers. I only used them when my baby was still a newborn and sleeping in one of those position sleepers (so I knew she wasn't moving anywhere). After awhile I got tired of putting it on and taking it off when I changed the sheets, so I just got rid of it all together. And when they start standing and climbing or even pulling themselves up, I found the bumpers more of a hazard than anything helpful. As long as your crib is newer and built to the new recommendations (the distance between the slats and height of the rails) you should be in great shape. Don't fret if you happened to find an arm or foot sticking out the crib one morning...they are usually fast asleep and don't even realize. =)
Personally, I would deep six the bumpers completely. And, yes, keep the outlet covered completely. And keep the mattress lowered. Good luck!
I would be very very sure the crib is too far from the outlet for her little fingers to find an outlet cover and pry it off. I have seen more than one young child find a way to peel them out of the outlets when adults have trouble. You can buy a solid outlet cover at Wal-Mart; you take the plate off and put it on, so it totally covers the outlets you aren't using. Because the cover is screwed on, having the little plastic outlet covers that you stick into the unused outlet won't be a worry. They are very cheap compared to your comfort level !!
Crib bumpers are a soft cushion, but nothing more. As long as the crib slats are close enough together that she can't stick her head through and get caught, then she'll be fine without one. It will also allow more air into the crib, so she'll get more oxygen. You'll get lots of advice here, I'm sure, but the reality is that we experiment a whole lot as moms. Try it without, if everything seems fine, it is. What's the worst that could happen? That she roll over and bonk her head a little ?
When my mom was young, she was a public health nurse in Boston and worked what she calls "the district". People were so poor it was nothing for her to nurse rat bites in babies and children. ugly stuff. But what she told me about parenting, is that when she worked with her clients, she told them not to go out and buy baby stuff. Empty a dresser drawer and put a mat in it for the baby to use. It would work fine as a crib for an infant. That image has stuck with me, and when I question myself, I question safety and intelligence -- it doesn't take the best looking or most expensive nursery to raise a child. It takes love and common sense. It sounds like you have both, and I know what you work out will work for both you and your daughter. :-)
If she is old enough that she is able to roll and sit up, she no longer needs any bumpers. She will be fine with the crib in the lowered position and with the outlet covers.
I just wanted to offer another option for the outlet covers. At Babies R Us (and other places I'm sure) they carry outlet covers that are like little boxes that snap on over the top of the outlets (you have to put in a plate that comes with it but no big deal). These are made for outlets that you do use so you can use the plugs but still keep the outlets covered. Here's a link - http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2792252
And she'll definitely do fine without the mattress pad. It may take a week or so where she may bang in to the sides a little, but she'll adjust quickly. I didn't even bother with them at all after a couple of months with my first and not at all with the younger kids.
If she is old enough that she is able to roll and sit up, she no longer needs any bumpers. She will be fine with the crib in the lowered position and with the outlet covers. Whereas http://www.sheetworld.com/ provides a large range of crib sheets at very reasonable price.
