Crib Safety Issue

The pediatrician was okay with the breathable bumper, but preferred the blanket sleeper bag things (halo is the common brand but you can get generic). Then the baby is warm and doesn't need another blanket, but actually can't get the legs through the slates. Also, my bf baby has started crawling in his (out of the crib) so it won't hinder any of that.

Good Luck

Yes, I do use bumpers on my son's crib (GASP!!) and no I've never had any problems with them. My son doesn't really move around a lot in his crib either so I'm not too concerned about them and I also feel that he has enough head control to move his face away from them if he needed to. But, I am only an expert in raising my own kid and you have to do what you feel comfortable with. :) I hear the breathable bumpers work really well and I've seen them sold at Target and Babies R Us and they don't seem to be too expensive.

It is ridiculous to think that bumpers are unsafe - they have been used for generations with no problems. The blanket on the side idea is not very safe for the reason that you pointed out.

The drop down side can be a problem with new beds because they aren't made as well as the older ones were. They use cheap plastic parts where the old ones used steel. I had a friend put my last one together for my grandson and he was able to put the drop down side upside down - fortunately I have put together lots of baby beds and spotted it immediately and fixed it.

get a breathable bumper and tuck it between the side of the crib and mattress, that way the concern about getting trapped is avoided and his legs hopefully wont get stuck anymore.

I use a breathable bumper for my daughter's crib. She's almost 2, but it helps keep her binkies from escaping the bed. Breathable bumpers are safe and will help keep his legs inside the crib. Good luck!

We used a breathable bumper that was tied very tightly and tucked b/w the mattress and the cribe with no issues. We used a bumper from Day 1 and am glad that we did. My son likes to "wedge" himself into a corner when he sleeps and has banged his head more than once in the process- fortunately he "banged" into a bumper!

We did not use bumpers. It's frustrating. It's a stage to a certain extent, but our 14 mo old still gets her legs stuck from time to time. I know they make the breathable bumpers, but once they are bigger, then the concern is they will try to climb out by standing on them. But in the meantime, sleep for all is a priority! ;) I'd ask your pediatrician for suggestions.

We are using a breathable bumper because we have the same issues/concerns - ordered one from Target and it has worked beautifully so far.

I know crib bumpers are not considered safe but I used them for my kids and never had a problem. The same with drop-side cribs, it is now illegal to sell them because of safety issues. But I used them and my kids never got hurt.
I am wondering is you could make a bumper type barrier out of tule (fabric netting like a wedding veil). Find a way to attach it to the rails on the side of the crib, his leg wouldn't go through and he should be able to breath if it came off and covered his face.

I used the bumper pads until the kids started standing where they could use them to climb out. I seriously doubt a baby that can move such as crawling and rolling over is going to keep his head forced into a bumper pad and suffocate. If they aren't safe then why do they continue to make them? Also the concern when my babies were little was having no blankets in the crib but my kids also had a blanket. I for one can't stand sleeping without a blanket on me so why would I require my baby to lay there cold without a blanket. It can be 80 degrees in my room and I will still use a sheet and comforter and don't like the fan on either so if hubby turns it on, I will cover my face with the blanket to block the air lol. I haven't suffocated yet.

2 of my kids also preferred sleeping on their belly. I would rather have them sleep through the night and be comfortable than force them to sleep on their back or side and not get any sleep because they aren't sleeping well and uncomfortable. All 3 of mine started sleeping through the night from age 6 weeks-2 months old. I did use a baby monitor and it picked up so well I could hear them breathing on a low volume setting so I would get up and check on them if I didn't hear them breathing or heard something different than their normal breathing especially when they had a cold and sometimes wheezing.

As for the new rules of not having cribs that the sides slide up and down. wow how crazy. I am so short I would not have been able to reach my baby and would have dropped the baby several times if I had not been able to put the side rail down to reach them. My arms are also short and no way I could reach the mattress with the sides up to even make the bed. Some of these safety cautions are totally insane. I would check and make sure the side rail was securely locked in place when I raised it back up and make sure the crib screws were tight so the crib didn't get wobbly. If people did the maintenance and kept the cribs secure those side rails would not be falling down on their own and if they did have that problem then buy a new crib because it is probably worn out anyway. My crib was used for 5 kids as my nieces also used it after my 3 kids were done with it and the crib was very safe and didn't ever have the side rail fall when it wasn't supposed to.

I have 2 kids - 7 & 3 and used the bumper pads on their cribs until they moved out of the cribs (@ 3yrs each). We had no problems. Sometimes all of these 'warnings' can be too much. Do what you feel comfortable doing. They also have some pads that are paper thin that just go around to help prevent your problem. Check Babies R us or something. I've also seen it in a catalog - One Step Beyond - you can look them up on the internet also.