Get the Crib Bumpers Out

When I was pregnant and searching for baby bedding I had my heart set on this collection here. Crazy enough that is the exact set that my baby has (I say crazy because I picked it out at about eight weeks pregnant). 

When I found this set I was in love with it but then bummed about one thing. There were no bumpers included with this set. I quickly went on a mission to find some. All I can say about baby bedding is dang- bumpers are expensive. In many sets where you order all of the matching pieces, the bumpers are the priciest piece. 

I looked high and low for some bumpers to add to the set and searched quite a bit on Etsy. Since I couldn't find bumpers I started looking at other sets where they were included. Luckily enough, I came across some research that put my bumper search to an end and saved me a ton of money. 

Apparently we need to all get the bumpers out. Well I shouldn't say we because I was more than excited to not have to purchase any bumpers; so as you can imagine we don't have bumpers. But for those of y'all planning and searching for that perfect bedding, recent research shows that bumpers are hazardous and are not even proven to really help protect the baby from bumps and bruises. 

As a new mom we all fear the devastating and always tragic SIDS. It's one of those things that just come along with having a baby and it's one of the things that make us strive to protect our child even more. With many friends recently having babies or about to have a baby, I have been surprised to know that many of them are not aware of the current 411 on bumpers. 

So I'm posting this to let you know, that hey, bumpers are a hazard. Sure some parents still use them if they come with the bedding set (it's just what you're comfortable with or a lack of knowing) but doctors and the American Academy of Pediatrics is urging us all to get the bumpers out. 

Save your money and don't purchase a bumper or take it and transform it into something else. Do like I did and purchase a breathable bumper to help keep arms and feet from getting stuck but will still allow them to breathe. Although truthfully, I don't even know if you really need that (and AAP recommends not using those too). If you're interested in those type of bumpers, here ya go. 

The following excerpts are taken from the article linked below...

The AAP now recommends that infants sleep on their backs, alone in a crib on a firm mattress, without any soft objects or loose bedding, which could also be hazardous, ideally in a room shared with a parent. Really, all that's necessary when it comes to baby bedding is a fitted sheet.

"Since then, there have been some published studies looking at bumper pads, and we concluded that if there's no reason for them to be in the crib, it's better to just have them out of there, particularly in light of the deaths that have been reported, that have been associated with the bumper pads."

To read the recent research, check out this article. 

Did you use bumpers in your crib?

Have a super, SAFE Sunday! Sasha