6 Month Old Baby to Now Sleep in His Crib

I had the same worries when my daughter started sleeping in her crib. I found mesh crib bumpers at Toysrus.com that she can breath through. Her arms and legs no longer stick out and i know shes safe.

Hello H.,

I suggest using breathable bumpers. They are mesh and do not contribute to the SIDS issue. As for hitting his head-He will get it really quick that hitting his head isn't fun.

Take care and good luck! A.

Wow he's been in bed with you all this time?! No bassonette or crib at all!?? What SIDS issue w/bumpers?
Baby's are supposed to sleep in their own bed- thats why they make cribs ,they need to learn autonomy.. Iam a mother who firmly believes in not sleeping w/kids.Mine went into their cribs immed. (w/a monitor). Good Luck

Months have gone by now. How are things going? Are you still concerned about letting you child sleep in the crib? Have you let go?

Your baby is sitting up, standing up, and ready to walk. How is that going?

The bumpers are good. Make your own; something you can trust. 11th was my birthday. My mom probably used bumpers.
____@____.com
marykay.com/vlawson7

One step ahead has breathable bumpers. I wish I had seen them and registered for them when I needed them!
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...

HI H.,
I used bumpers with my first two children, with reservations, but found my 2nd child with his face buried into the bumper one night when he was around six months old and newly moved into the big crib. Never used them after that and had no problems for him or my third child. Like one of the other mothers said, it's most likely they'll move themselves or make noise for you if they need help. But to give you that extra reassurance, I suggest squeezing the crib into your bedroom. Since you're already used to sharing your bed, you may find this works for you. We had our third child in a crib in our room until she was about 16 mos. old. It worked out well. She was used to our typical noises and we could even turn on a dim light without waking her up. It was easy to check on her without even sitting up and I slept better knowing she was peacefully asleep right next to me. I wish I'd have done that with all three...

Best wishes from our family to yours.

Hi!! I have a 21 month old and we have never had trouble with the regular bumpers but another suggestion is breathable bumpers! I know my sister in law used them for my nephew because he would wake up pressed against the bumper! I think you can find them in several stores but you can also search for them on line!

Good luck and congratulations on your baby boy!!!

H.,
Keep in mind that he is not going to bang his head hard enough to hurt himself. If he is dangling his legs out, all the more reason to worry about bumper entrapment (which I remember being the BIG issue with tied on bumper pads). Buy yourself a nice video monitor so you can keep an eye on him while he's in his crib. They are worth every cent. I would leave the bumpers off--my opinion--until he can sit up, stand & turnover easily. Good luck to you!

Hi H.,

We used breathable bumbers on my son's crib. They are a mesh fabric so the baby can still breathe even if his face is right up against them. They help prevent little hands/feet from getting stuck through the rails. You can buy them at any Babies store. I got mine at Babies R Us.

J.

A Mother's Boutique
Maternity & Breastfeeding clothing, Nursing Bras, Breast Pumps, Slings and Accessories.
MamaSource members save 10% off their first order (excluding breastpumps) with coupon MAMASOURCE
http://www.mothersboutique.com

I have seen a mesh bumper in the One Step Ahead catalogue (also online at OneStepAhead.com) that might solve your problem. It attaches to the crib and goes from top to bottom but air passes through it. Check it out and see if you would be comfortable with it. Hope that helps!

Hello H.,

I understand your concern regarding the use of a bumper, but I have used them for both of my children and had no problems. My husband and I actually took off the bumper when my oldest daughter was about 18 months, but she started getting her feet/legs caught in the side of the crib. After we experienced this several nights with her waking up crying, we decided to put a bumper back on. Once we did this, she no longer got her feet/legs caught in the sides of the crib. The bumper really protects them. I believe your baby will be fine. Good luck with whatever you decide, but know that bumpers really work well.

Try using one of the mesh bumper pads. They're breathable so they're not a sids risk. I got mine at Babies R Us.

Try the "breathable" crib bumper from babies r us. We have one and it works great.

Hi H.! I am a mom of 3 girls, who are now 7,6 & 5 years old. My husband and I were firm believers in having the kids sleep in their cribs, consistently, once they were 3-4 months old. As helpless as your little boy seems right now, he's pretty tough when it comes to rolling around in his crib. He might bump his head a bit now and then, but he certainly isn't going to build up enough speed to do any damage. We found that giving our girls their own "space" to sleep at a young age aided in helping them get to sleep quickly and without a lot of fuss as they got older, which also helped my husband and I to grab some time to ourselves too, which is very important. I would advise against the bumpers, they're pretty but could do more harm than good, and just kiss that little boy on his head should he bump it while sleeping! Good luck.
P.S. When I was an infant, I would sleep on my belly with my legs hanging out of the crib and my bottom pushed up against the slats and I made it!!

I bought the Breathable Bumper for my daughters crib. It keeps them from hitting their heads but isn't a hazard like other bumpers, It's "meshy", instead of like a "pillow".

Hi H.,

If you are worried about SIDS, check out the mesh bumpers.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266849

We used a bumper for a couple of months until my daughter stopped getting her legs stuck. I wouldn't worry about the banging head thing. He won't be able to do it hard enough to really hurt himself.

Both my kids were in their cribs from day one - just what worked for our family. They both LOVE(d) their cribs!!
Your son will be fine. It will just take some time to adjust.

Good luck!!

M.

I'd personally be more worried about how he's going to feel since he's used to the warm and comfy support of you being in bed with him! We got a bit tired of our son being in our bed (he was getting too big, and moving around too much) so we got a crib that we could have open on one side against our bed. So, he's right next to me, I can reach over and sooth him, etc. but he's got his own space. It really works for us, and we put him in sleeping bags, so no legs get out of the crib, as they are contained in the bag. We also have a bumper on the one long side of the crib, and he does sometimes lie against it. But, we've never had any problems with it. He's 15 months now, and doing great. It just feels wonderful to sleep next to him, especially since I'm back at work during the day-time, and I can re-bond with him, and just cuddle-up etc in the morning without having to fully wake up. Every family is different, and you've got to do what's best for you... now that you've been given another view point to balance out the crib fanatics who've already written, you can make up your own mind!

Breathable bumpers.... sold at Target. The baby will be able to breathe if they get against them.

Hi H.,

We also had our daughter sleep in our bed with us for the first 6 months of her life and then decided that she was getting too big and since she wasn't nursing anymore she needed to move to her own crib!! We also were concerned about the bumpers so what I did was sowed some extra ties on the bumper and made sure it was tight up against the crib! Someone told me to try weaving the bumper in and out of the crib rails that way the babies arms and legs can't get out and there is a little protection from bumping. Also what really helped me be more comfortable with the whole idea of her sleeping alone in her crib was I turned her monitor on very loud and put it as close to the crib as possible so I could literally hear every breathe and move she made! My daughter is now 15 months and loves her crib we have a really hard time getting her to sleep anywhere but her crib!! Good luck I hope this helped a little. I know for me once I got used to her sleeping in her crib all by herself we all sleep much better at night

My son slept in our bed or his bouncy seat until he was 5 months old. Then he was too uncomfortable in the bouncy seat to sleep & we didn't want him in our bed all the time, so we decide to transition him to his crib. At first we had the bumpers on the crib, he wasn't moving around much at that point, but the bumpers are cute. We had trouble initially getting him to sleep in the crib. We wound up doing the cry it out method. In about 3 days he was going to sleep with out a problem. Around 6 months we took the bumpers off...we have a screen door to his room & we figured out it would be easier to look through the screen & into the crib w/o the bumpers. About 2 weeks after taking off the bumpers he really started to move around the crib. A couple times he would get a leg or arm stuck outside & sometimes he hit his head. He always woke up crying when he did these things. He never hurt himself & was never in pain, he was just startled. I would pick him up, rock him, breastfeed if necessary & he would go back to sleep. We were worried about him though & so we put the bumpers back on. What a nightmare. He started crying every time we put him down in the crib (at night, but not during the day). We thought he was teething. It took us 2 weeks to figure out it was too dark inside the crib with the bumpers up. We took them off & he went back to sleeping great. He bumped his head a few more times, but he was fine. Now he doesn't bump his head or get body parts stuck & he still moves around the crib a lot, he just figured it out. Looking back I wish we didn't bother with the bumpers, maybe we would have been able to avoid "crying it out".
Our doctor recommended a blanket & a stuffed animal (one with no removable parts) in the crib to help him sleep. He has both. I don't know if he needs them to sleep (I've never tried to have him sleep w/o them) but they do give him something to play with when he wakes up in the morning so I don't have to go running in there right away. I use a knitted blanket with him (I felt that since it has gaps & holes, even if he covered his face with it, he could still breathe).
Also, when we first started putting him in the crib we rolled up another large knitted blanked like a log & put it next to him. Something for him to curl up against (like a person) we no longer use that now that he moves around so much.
One more tip...If he is not napping in his crib, you may want to start with that first. It will help him get adjusted to the environment & you'll be awake, so you can check on him a lot it that makes you feel more comfortable. That said, my son would only nap in his swing. We had to train him to his crib at night & then when he was used to that, transition him to napping in the crib.
Well, good luck. If I can be of more help, feel free to contact me.

You have a better chance of rolling over onto your baby than anything you mentioned above concerning a crib. Please put you baby into the crib, he will be fine!!! They even have sleep positioners that keep your baby in a certain position. It is scary at first to have the baby in the other room in the crib and you might not sleep at first due to worry, but it is the safest place for your child.

Get crib bumpers. At 6 months old, if your baby is healthy, there is no danger of SIDS from crib bumpers. Both my kids used them and never had a problem.

We use the bumpers and haven't had any problems but I understand your concern. I hear they make breathable bumper pads now. I would suggest looking into that unless someone else has a better solution. Both of my girls are all over the place when they sleep so when I did try to remove the bumpers (with both of them) they would wake themselves bumping into the slats or getting their arm or leg stuck through the slats.

They make mesh "bumper guards" that will keep your child from sticking limbs out the crip but will allow the child to breathe if he should put his face next to it. My brother uses this for his 18 month old daughter. I am going to buy one for my 8 month old son since he is now grabbing the bumper guard and trying to eat it!! I am ordering one from Amazon.com.

Hi H.,

I would definitely get some sort of bumper. I don't think that at 6 months your baby is in any danger with adding it to the crib. He can roll over on his own by this point, right? We actually just took the bumper off of my daughter's crib about a month ago, and she turned 2 in April! We had it on so long because she slept with the back of her head against it. At this point though, I was getting concerned that she'd try to step on it to get herself out of the crib, and I'm not ready for that transition yet. Anyway, I think a bumper is fine....I'm really not sure how that would contribute to SIDS, especially at this age, but I understand the concern.

Hi. I have a 22 month old little girl. We used the bumpers but thats totally personal choice but I know they do have ones out there that are safer. It almost looks like a screen. I think I saw it in the One Step Ahead book. You might want to look into it. It wont be as soft as a true bumper but at least it would be something. I found that when I tied the bumper very tight, I had no issues with them and at 6 months, since he can move his head and roll, I think the bumper issue isnt as severe as if he was 1 month old.

I know having the baby monitor w/ a tv made us feel better since we could see her in her crib. Also, to this day, at 22 months old, we still use the Angel Care Monitor. Its a monitor that goes under the crib mattress and sounds if it doesnt detect movement after 20 second (detect breathing). It is also a sound monitor too but it is REALLY GREAT! It is very sensitive and has gone off a few times when she has been in the corner of the crib but if you make sure the sensor is in the middle of the mattress and you have the sensitity level up some, it works like a charm. We got ours at Babies R Us but they have them at Walmart and the like. Good luck!

It is always hardest with the first. Take a deep breath and relax a little. First of all, it is very unlikely that your little one will be moving with enough force around his crib when sleeping in order to hurt his head if he hits the side. It may startle him and wake him but it is unlikely that he will be hurt badly from rolling into the side.

Also, check around. If you are really concerned about him sticking his feet out, I think that there is a company that makes a type of netting to go along the sides of the crib so that they can't put their feet out the sides. I think it may be at the One Step Ahead site but I'm not sure.

We are on number 3. Our oldest is 8 1/2. When she was a baby, I was so concerned, I slept on a bed in her room most nights until she was 2. With each child it gets a little easier because you learn that they aren't quite as fragile as they look. This doesn't mean that they can't get hurt or aren't fragile. Just that they are resilient and it takes a little more than most first parents think to hurt your baby.

Anyhow, I hope this helps. Good luck with your little guy.

sounds like he should be in his crib with a mesh bumper. the reason they don't like bumpers after 6 months is that some kids can pull up on them at around 8 months and they might use them to stand on and fall out of the crib, but i don't think the mesh ones could stand having a baby standing on it? try the mesh for now and if he doesn't need it in a few weeks or months, then take it out. good luck!

Hi H.,

Sounds like you'll need to put the crib bumpers up now. They tie at all points so it doesn't move much and he is 6 months now so I wouldn't worry about SIDS. The bumpers really work to keep babies from hitting their heads, especially if they move around at night. I know they worked great for me, my son always moved and when I would come and get him from the crib, his head was always against the bumper. Good luck and best wishes............E.

There are new studies out about SIDS, please look it up on the net. My son is 16 months old and still has his bumpers due to the reasons you listed. We have had them since day 1. Your son will be fine, get him some bumpers!
It is amazing how we survived 40 years ago when they didn't even have proper car seats and we had tons of stuffed animals in our cribs. I understand your concern, but bumpers at his age will be fine.
good luck
Chris

Hi H.,

I too share your fear of the crib bumper, but we do use one. I get my peace of mind from our "Angel Care" baby monitor. It monitors sound as well as your baby's small breathing movements. It sounds an alarm in your room if it has not detected breathing for 20 seconds. I have used it for five months now and I LOVE it. We actually had to turn down the sensitivity because it was so quick to pick up pauses in breathing. I highly recommend it!!!! We got ours at Babies r' us.

Best of luck,
M.

Hi H., I have to ask, what SIDS issue with bumpers? I used bumpers with all three of my girls and the children I babysit. It was normal to find my girls asleep in a corner of the crib with their head nestled in a corner up agains the bumper...I think it gave them a sense of security in that great big crib. We moved them to a crib when they were too big for the cradle that we kept in our room.

They really have NO idea what casues SIDS...you have to use common sense and reason when you deal with this issue and all the do's and don'ts that surround it. When my oldest was an infant they said put baby on tummy to sleep. Then 2 yrs later (when we had #2) is was put baby on back, then 3 years after that (it was #3's time) it was have baby sleep in their sides. Really after than one I just asked my doctor what his opinion and recommendations were and I quit paying attention to the media. This isn't right for everyone, but it was the only way I could filter out all the junk information from stuff that was real and made sense. My suggestion for you is to talk to your doctor, and use your common sense. Let your instinct be your guide as you parent your child. 99 times out of 100 your going to be right. No one is perfact and bad things do happen to good people, but you can't let fear of that 1 time rule your life. Good luck and best wishes.

try using a pack n play

I am with you and since the recommendation is against bumpers, first for the air flow issue and then later for it's ability to aid in climbing out of the crib, I never used one. My daughter will turn two in the next couple of weeks. She sometimes sleeps with her feet hanging out of her crib, or her head close to the sides. It has never bothered her. Sometimes when she was younger I would try to reposition her, but now I just realize that she will eventually move herself again if she is uncomfortable, or cry if for some reason she gets stuck (I don't think she ever has).