Cot Bumpers - Why?

Kintarō Hattori

Hey Folks,

I'm just curious why people use these? Our little lady loves to stick her legs out of her cot (12 months old) when she's on her side. Why do people use these?

Theboinkmaster

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Hey Folks,

I'm just curious why people use these? Our little lady loves to stick her legs out of her cot (12 months old) when she's on her side. Why do people use these?

Comfort - so rolling around they don't knock their heads off bars, don't get their legs/arms stuck in between them etc.

Kintarō Hattori

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

Comfort - so rolling around they don't knock their heads off bars, don't get their legs/arms stuck in between them etc.

Are they not restrictive though?

Raytown Rocks

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Hey Folks,

I'm just curious why people use these? Our little lady loves to stick her legs out of her cot (12 months old) when she's on her side. Why do people use these?

Now Imagine that leg sticking out between the lats and you don's notice it.... Could be very painful

Kintarō Hattori

chef wrote: »

Now Imagine that leg sticking out between the lats and you don's notice it.... Could be very painful

I'm not sure what you mean by lats?

Raytown Rocks

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

chef wrote: »

Now Imagine that leg sticking out between the lats and you don's notice it.... Could be very painful

I'm not sure what you mean by lats?

The lats of wood that baby's legs stick between ( hope that makes sense )

Kintarō Hattori

chef wrote: »

The lats of wood that baby's legs stick between ( hope that makes sense )

I think so but that's the thing, she likes to stick her legs out between these when she's on her side. When she moves onto her back or stomach she takes her feet in, so I can't imagine her hurting herself... unless I'm missing something?

Digs

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I think so but that's the thing, she likes to stick her legs out between these when she's on her side. When she moves onto her back or stomach she takes her feet in, so I can't imagine her hurting herself... unless I'm missing something?

We don’t have any but, my youngest enjoys kicking around but very often gets her leg stuck in an angle she can’t remove it from and it hurts, we have to help her to remove it.

They’re not mandatory, what works for one doesn’t for another.

iamwhoiam

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I think so but that's the thing, she likes to stick her legs out between these when she's on her side. When she moves onto her back or stomach she takes her feet in, so I can't imagine her hurting herself... unless I'm missing something?

You are not missing anything ? Only that it suits some babies and not others !

Raytown Rocks

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

chef wrote: »

The lats of wood that baby's legs stick between ( hope that makes sense )

I think so but that's the thing, she likes to stick her legs out between these when she's on her side. When she moves onto her back or stomach she takes her feet in, so I can't imagine her hurting herself... unless I'm missing something?

Nope not missing anything, I would be just afraid if her leg was sticking out and someone was to push by and not notice, this could cause her some pain, if it was to get caught, but as others say it may suit some and not others.

Kintarō Hattori

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I think so but that's the thing, she likes to stick her legs out between these when she's on her side. When she moves onto her back or stomach she takes her feet in, so I can't imagine her hurting herself... unless I'm missing something?

You can walk into them, while sticking out.

They're good for blocking light. My wife used to leave the ensuite light on, so as to not to turn on main lights for feeds.

Also stop any draughts (if they kick off covers or dislike growbags)

uck51js9zml2yt

There is also the risk of the child getting its head caught in the bumper and being strangled.

https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/parents-should-remove-cot-bumpers/

AttentionBebe

They're not recommend at all due to suffocation risk.

sillysocks

You can get breathable ones which are the ones I have. They’re made from a very fine mesh rather than the padded heavy ones which are more traditional.

For me it stopped my baby getting their legs caught in the bars which was happening regularly. It also had the added benefit of stopping soothers falling out of the cot!

theteal

MrsTeal is vehemently against them, very dangerous apparently

Important part of that article...

Cot bumpers pose a threat to babies once they begin to roll and move about the cot. We know that some infants have become entangled in the ties and material, or fallen whilst pulling themselves up on the bumpers.

Milly33

I had them on the list as a must, for as most have pointed out if the baby gets their leg stuck in the lats it could be very sore for them.. Drove me mad trying to find ones to fit her cot as I always knew them as a set going down the sides, and the ones now seem to single ones you put at the top. Anywho sure took them off one day as I was trying to figure out how to fit them properly and that night she got her leg stuck fully wedged in between two lats and she was stuck.. So they do have a purpose, if your little lady doesn't mind getting her leg stuck then great but herself defo didn't like it and I didn't like seeing her like that. Just got a set of those air mesh bumpers and find them very good..

uck51js9zml2yt

We stuck pillows down the side of the cots.
Couldn't get caught in them and provided protection

iamwhoiam

Miya Famous Performer wrote: »

We stuck pillows down the side of the cots.
Couldn't get caught in them and provided protection

That's ok if the baby is a little older and able to move freely but a pillow near a smaller baby is dangerous as they might roll into it and get their nose blocked in the pillow .

pwurple

Depends on the cot too. Some of the vintage / family cots have turned spindles instead of lats. Babies who sleep like a helicopter, often (multiple times per night in our case) get arms and legs get caught in these and those limbs can get caught and twisted very easily. Screaming in pain / bruising / injury ensues. A limping crawl is unpleasant to witness. 
There are also under-mattress bumpers without ties. 

We used one of these for our eldest child from about 6 months to when she learned to climb out of the cot using the bumper as a stepladder, and we had to move her to a bed... around 13/14 months I think. The other child didn't need it at all. Stayed put when asleep...

Anne_cordelia

Never used them and ever will. Grobag stops legs going through the bars

sillysocks

pwurple wrote: »

Depends on the cot too. Some of the vintage / family cots have turned spindles instead of lats. Babies who sleep like a helicopter, often (multiple times per night in our case) get arms and legs get caught in these and those limbs can get caught and twisted very easily. Screaming in pain / bruising / injury ensues. A limping crawl is unpleasant to witness. 
There are also under-mattress bumpers without ties. 

We used one of these for our eldest child from about 6 months to when she learned to climb out of the cot using the bumper as a stepladder, and we had to move her to a bed... around 13/14 months I think. The other child didn't need it at all. Stayed put when asleep...

That’s where the air wrap bumbpers come in useful. They use Velcro rather than ties and the material is so light it just collapses under the baby if they try to stand on it. They’re clever these babies!!

Kintarō Hattori

Anne_cordelia wrote: »

Never used them and ever will. Grobag stops legs going through the bars

Did you not find the grobag inhibits their movement? We had been using one and noticed that she was turning to the side alot but couldn't move properly. When we took her out of it and put her in a sleepsuit we found she was very active, moving to her side, stomach, moving 180 degrees to lie upside down, then moving back to the position she was put into originally.

Anne_cordelia

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Did you not find the grobag inhibits their movement? We had been using one and noticed that she was turning to the side alot but couldn't move properly. When we took her out of it and put her in a sleepsuit we found she was very active, moving to her side, stomach, moving 180 degrees to lie upside down, then moving back to the position she was put into originally.

Don’t know about you but I’m ok with restricted movement as they are only in grobag at sleeping times!! But no I can’t say I noticed it has restricted movement too much bar standing and my kids all adore their grobags. The hot weather the last couple of weeks was a killer not being able to use one for my youngest and she definitely slept worse because of it.

pwurple

We had a grobag on ours too. She stuck her little toes into the corners and could crawl / run / climb very well in it. And still got wrapped the growbag stuck around the bars of the cot. Also, growbags have the arms out, so even if you did manage to tie their legs together somehow, they have arms too people.

Like I said, only one of my kids did this... 
Babies, like the rest of us, don't all behave identically.

Milly33

Laughing at "Babies who sleep like a helicopter"... Tis so funny watching them move around.. We use a grobag too, but in the recent warm weather there was just no need for it, she would have roasted.. Which I am more scared of her overheating that I would be of her getting a cold.