At what point do you stop using bumper pads in the crib? And when do you lower the crib mattress?
I'm trying to clarify when bumper pads are no longer useful or dangerous to have in a crib. We have the breathable kind and it has been wonderfully helpful in keeping our little one from getting his feet stuck in the bars.
Also wondering what cues I should note for helping me know when to lower the crib mattress from the top level in the crib.
Thanks for any and all information!
4 Answers
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We skipped the bumpers entirely, so I'm not sure about that. Regarding lowering the crib mattress, we did this when our son started standing in his crib at the higher level. We were trying to make it harder for him to get up and climb.
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We also skipped the bumpers with all 3 of our kids. We lowered the mattress to the very bottom when they were starting to be able to sit up. Not quite there, just struggling to be able to do it. I think that was about 6 or 7 months. I figured I'd much rather deal with the backache of having to lean over than worry about them flipping out.
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Similar to the other folks I guess... we lowered the crib and removed the bumpers when our child began to use the railings to stand up. That was accompanied by trying to step up on the bumpers to get higher. Seemed not good to trap tiny feet between the bumpers and the rails, so off they went. We went all the way to the lowest crib setting because it seemed easier than moving it to the middle and then moving it again not long later, but I'm sure it doesn't matter.
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We lowered the crib all the way down when sitting started happening, at 5 months. But we kept crib bumpers. We actually took them out, but after several naps that ended up with someone's legs hanging out of the crib and getting pins and needles, as well as someone jamming their head into the corner of the crib too hard, we put them back. At 18 months, they are still there... They provide zero assistance in trying to climb out of the crib, tho. They simply squish underfoot. So we have not seen much point in taking them out. Since they do keep her feet from hanging outside the crib.
Sure, we were spooked by some of the suffocation concerns, but... when we weighed the options, and we couldn't control what position she was sleeping in anyway, we decided we'd rather have the bumpers there.
