Bumpity, Bump, Bumper

I can’t help with the baby questions but I love following along so much! Hopefully soon in the future I can relate.

Actually, there’s a lot of controversy over bumpers causing suffocation, for younger babies. Honestly, I don’t really think it’s that much of an issue, but you might, and some people certainly do. So it’s something to think about.

That being said, I didn’t get one. It wasn’t in our budget to get the one that matched the crib skirt. Besides, we didn’t put Jane in her crib until she was nearly 9 months old, and by then, I wasn’t worried about her getting stuck. Even though she has gotten her legs stuck out the side a time or two.

THAT being said, I LOVELOVELOVE the argyle set. I don’t think it would be as adorable without the bumper. :S

Who says you have to spend a fortune? The argyle set is ADORABLE. I really like the blue and brown

I don’t think it’s really necessary to get the bumpers; it’s probably more of a decorative feature. My sister didn’t think she could handle going without the bumpers, so my mom made the bumpers and quilt. Super cute. Love the design choices you’re looking at, too.

We don’t have any matching sets. I do have a bumper. People get in quite a tizzy over them. Some people worry that babies will suffocate with them. Other people find that their little ones get arms and legs caught in the slats and swear by them. We had the latter problem, so we use a bumper, regardless you’ll have to take it out when the baby pulling up and can use the bumper to climb out. There are now mesh options in bumpers, not the pretty colors, but they keep kids from getting caught, though they do not keep them from bumping their heads against the rails. If you have a drop side crib the bumper can impede the movement of the side.

You aren’t supposed to use the pretty quilts that come with the bedding sets either, since babies aren’t supposed to sleep with blankets, especially those really soft ones. If you choose a pattern that you think is good for a toddler you can use it in the toddler bed though. All the joys (and worries) of parenthood! So for us, we got a plain-jane bumper and white crib sheets. You can find lots of cute patterned sheets if you want though. I just like being able to bleach them.

THe stripes and argyle? ADORABLE!!! They’re my two favorites, by far! They’s so classic and boyish, but when you take photos against them, you won’t be distracted by lots of various things. Plus, the color palate is simple, so your family and friends can easily match things to them. But, the stripes and argyle pattern are busy enough that if (when) baby has accidents/spit ups, you won’t be able to see it AS much if it doesn’t clean up perfectly 100%.

Plus, with a simple color palate like that, you should be able to find a simple bumper, one that you can eventually remove without feeling like a major component of your baby’s color scheme is gone. If you’re like me, if you don’t get a bumper, you’ll have nightmares about your baby getting stuck, even if everyone + their brother tells you not to worry about it. But then again, I’m a tad neurotic abotu worrying sometimes….

I HEAR that they are not that hard to make. Never tried myself. Personally, I like the less expensive ones and the previous comment about them being covered in spew is correct. One wash and they will not look the same. Don’t spend a ton of money. They will need to be washed, a lot.

My kids grew up sleeping in pack n plays all over the house. Oh, the joy of small homes.

I have no idea, but I think those are so cute.

Your pictures ARE really cute! I don’t use a bumper. I seem to follow AAP recommendations on just about everything; what can I say, I’m a rule follower… But it is up to you. They are not necessary. And if you do use one, it is supposed to come out just as soon as your baby can pull himself up. Ruby has gotten her feet stuck through the rails, but it doesn’t hurt her, it’s just frustrating for her.
This was a big issue with my MIL because she bought me a crib set. We didn’t know the gender of our baby before she was born, so it was kinda gender neutral (but a little boyish). So I didn’t use it. And now I’m selling it at a consignment sale because I won’t ever use it. I choose to err on the side of caution even if it means my MIL thinks I’m a loony.
All we have are two white crib sheets and a (waterproof) mattress pad underneath. No frills. That’s my style.

I don’t have kids of my own or bumpers for such a crib. But we do use very thick bumpers as seizure pads for babies in the hospital. And I can tell you they drive me CRAZY, because I can’t just stand from the doorway and look at the baby and see if his eyes are closed or watch his breathing pattern, etc. I have to tip toe right up to the crib to be able to see the baby, and by that time, the sound of my steps sometimes wakes them up! When I am concerned about needing a sort of bumper or pad for a baby that likes to sleep in the corner of the crib, I just roll up a blanket, as it is much shorter(so I can see over it) and yet it still does the job just fine.

When it comes to putting the little babies in a crib, we always prop the head of the bed up about 15 degrees (so they are less likely to throw up after eating) and make a makeshift nest for them by rolling up an adult-sized blanket and putting it into a U-shape, then putting down a blanket over that. Some babies like to prop their feet up on the bottom of the U, and other babies curl up inside it. You can buy and make similar products, there is an example here: http://www.touchinglittlelives.org/snakes.html

Whatever you do decide to do, find a way to make it waterproof and bleach-able. Just wait for the day your baby decides to “paint the walls with chocolate” after his nap.

1. Would you like custom bedding? I’d love to sew some for you, as a baby gift. There are lots of cute patterns at the fabric store. I did all of Hannah’s bedding for relatively inexpensive as it was just cottons (washable).

2. We are currently revisiting the bumper issue. We do not have them, because the AAP does not recommend them, and I always thought they kind of looked a bit odd. But now Hannah is wiggling around a lot and I AM concerned that she will get her foot caught between the crib slats. (I have found her with her foot hanging out between them once or twice already.) But then there is the suffocation thing, when she gets old enough to sit up/crawl, which will only be in a couple months. So… I don’t know.

PS-The comment about not using the quilt that comes with the set is also true. We hung ours up on the wall as “art” until the kids got old enough to sleep with covers.

I got some very simple bumper pads from babies r’ us with my last baby. They were a solid navy blue and cost about $10.00!!!! I dressed them up with cute sheets and a cute blanket. Worth looking into if you’re trying to save!

-Karli

We, er, um, we don’t have a crib. My father made a cradle for me when I was a baby and we use that during Charlotte’s day naps. No bumper – she’s still too little to roll around and bump her head on the sides, and by the time she’s big enough, the cradle will be too small for her. And at night, we co-sleep. Donald and my dad are building a bed together with a crib that attaches and detaches, but we won’t have a bumper on that either. Instead, he’s designing the crib so that there aren’t slats on the lowest part, there’s a couple inches of solid wood that slope into slats. We circumvent the suffocation controversy that way, but we will still have to worry about her bumping body parts around on the wood.

The way I figure it is this: damned if you do and damned if you don’t. It isn’t necessary, but some people prefer them. It isn’t recommended, but thousands of parents use them without incident. So just go with what your gut tells you – if you’re going to be worried the whole time, don’t do it.

As for a bedding set, well, we’re boring. We ordered some sheets, a crib comforter, and about ten billion blankets, and we figure that’s about all we need. I’d love to say that we just have a simple style, but really, I’m boring. And a bit lazy – I didn’t want to drive myself batty because the sheets that matched were dirty and I’d not done the laundry, you know?

I’m not a mom yet so I don’t have any advice as far as the bumper goes. But I just wanted to say that I love the argyle set! It’s cute AND handsome, just like your little man will be

I never got a bumper b/c I was worried about possible suffocation. I actually never put anything in the crib (stuffed animals, blankets, etc.) I eventually bought a breathable mesh bumper and it’s been great. You can look it up and see what you think. Since my boys use pacifiers, it helped to keep the pacifiers in the crib, while still avoiding the risk of suffocation.

Oh, you probably don’t need a bumper. We didn’t even put either boy in the crib until 6 months or longer – they fit in a little basinette that sat beside the bed, or in the middle of the bed at first, for easy feeding access. I HATE to get out of bed in the middle of the night! haha.

Actually, with Boo, we almost didn’t even use the crib at all – only for a few months between basinette and bed with rail.

Hope you’re feeling well!

I LOVE the colors you have chosen! Bumpers: I will tell you that in nursing school and in all the early childhood classes that I have taken, they encourage parents to NOT use bumpers during the first few months. The risk of SIDS is increased with poor air circulation in the room (use a fan), extra blankets and bumpers in the crib (prevents air circulation). If you think about it, babies can’t roll or sit up to get air…and bumpers block the air flow. Once they get a little older and start moving all over the crib, I think they are a good idea from protecting them from the bars…but initially, I would not use them. Also, using pacifiers prevents SIDS because it keeps the baby’s airway open. Fyi…

Just my two cents.