If you’ve had a baby recently, you are probably well aware of the controversy surrounding crib bumpers. When Cal was a newborn we read some pretty disturbing articles connecting an increased risk of SIDS to bumpers and promptly ripped the cushy little pads off of his crib. Oh evil bumpers – we wanted nothing to do with their potential airflow restriction and banished them to the top of our closet.
In the past few weeks, however, Cal has taken to rotating around the crib at lightning speed. Not one for gentle rolling, he propels himself with true gusto across his bed and must mush himself into the most contorted position possible before surrendering to a deep sleep. Many a night I find myself sneaking into his room in the wee hours and diligently re-positioning him into the recommended “back is best” location in the center of the crib only to find that, by the time I return to our bedside video monitor, he has flipped onto his front and is sprawled on his tummy, arms out, a defiant starfish.
His nighttime romps recently became increasingly volatile. Last week, we were awakened by a panicked yelp and rushed to his to crib to find the poor guy had his arm stuck through the crib bar all the way up to his little shoulder. After a real tongue lashing from our bundle of rage, and a quick chat with our pediatrician, we conceded that a return to bumpers was necessary.
Our wild baby man can now flip himself across the crib with abandon. We have accepted that at this age - and given this baby’s activity level – the bumper is friend not foe. This supports my general assumption that, as soon as we think we’ve figured something out, our little monkey will throw us a new curve ball.
I am no expert on bumpers or the potential dangers associated with them. Please consult your pediatrician for an expert opinion on the matter!
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