One of the most exciting things about planning your baby’s nursery is picking out the bedding set.  Often times the bedding will set the tone for the entire room.  Cute quilts, and bumpers, even pillows, in addition to sheets and bed skirts.  And they are all so cute!

Now we all know that you aren’t supposed to put blankets into a crib until your baby is 12 months old, some ever recommend 24 months!  Eventually you will get some use out of that blanket.  What you may not know is that the Pediatricians now recommend never putting bumpers into a baby’s crib.   What is the point of bumpers anyway?  They help keep baby from getting their limbs stuck between the crib slats.

In my experience kids rarely get to the sides of the crib and get stuck.  But I can see them squirming their way up there and getting their heads next to the bumpers.  Research shows that babies could suffocate on the cute fluffy things, so they have got to go!

What do you do then, if you happen to have an extra mobile baby who does get their little legs or arms stuck between the slats?  Opt for a mesh bumper instead of the cute ones.  They may not be so fashionable, but the mesh allows air to flow so that your baby will not suffocate.  And they will be protected from getting stuck.  Around here, we just skip them all together.  My kids have yet to get a limb stuck.  By the time they are old enough for me to not worry about suffocation and SIDS, they are old enough to attempt to use the bumper for a much more sinister purpose; climbing out of the crib!

All this being said, save your cash when picking out baby bedding.  Go a la cart instead of buying the huge package that comes with stuff you don’t need, or shouldn’t use!

-Stephanie Wright