We used a mesh one. They're not beautiful but they do keep arms and legs inside the crib!

There is no documented case of a child dying in the new cribs because they did not have crib bumpers. Any injuries are generally mild, and consist of bruising. The very most that could happen is a broken limb (although there have been very few documented cases of this).

However, dozens of children have died as a result of crib bumpers.

Children do learn not to stick their limbs between the slats if it causes them problems. Usually it takes a couple of weeks at most to learn not to do that behaviour.

We just lived with it for a couple of weeks, and everyone was fine.

This is, in fact, a VERY good question! Very curious to hear what solutions fellow readers have.

We also used the mesh ones - both kids were tall with limbs everywhere as babies and this was the only thing that helped. They aren't pretty, but they are minimalist and didn't detract from the colorful stuff around the crib.

http://www.amazon.com/BreathableBaby-Breathable-Safer-Bumper-Cribs/dp/B0013FGWD0

I did not use a bumper either as my daughter wanted to see what was going on. What if you use a sleeping bag? It worked brilliant for me. I am living in a very hot climate. Therefore I had two different sleeping bags: A very thin one for daytime naps and a thicker one for the night (when the AC is on).

My kids figured out, as infants, how to remove/enjoy the railings. I would give it little time. There is little safety risk as it is.

You might consider a bag type sleeper...

I had problems with my daughter moving the bumper and getting her little legs caught too. What I did was take the bumper and weave it in and out of the railings all the way around. Since then, she has never gotten her leg caught, it looks great, and the bumper is taught so it stays in place. Hope this helps!

I use these - http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266849&CAWELAID=107524955

Now that she's a toddler, she even likes them and has a specific place on the rail she puts them (with a peep crack at the bottom).

I don't think it is very offensive looking either.

We did the breathable bumper - for both our girls - and plan to do the same for our next one. I did put a new boarder (simple simple sewing effort). I really just covered the silky part of the breathable bumper (it was sort of ugly and I just bought an extra sheet to make to make the little boarders). We also used sleeping bags - they have been brilliant - and the girls have stayed in them until they have been around 15 month. After that - both girls were totally crazy when we tried to put them in - so we gave up. Good luck!

We put our son in a sleep sack and that prevented him from sticking his legs out of the crib. In the summer, he would wear just the sleep sack and a diaper so he wouldn't overheat.

Our daughter could get her foot stuck even with a sleep sack (although we loved the sleep sacks as blanket alternatives and to prevent her from climbing out of the crib).

Get a breathable bumper.

Another vote for the mesh/breathable bumpers. They're not pretty, but if they give you peace of mind, it's worth it.

I don't know what you use in the US, but here in France, we have fabric bumpers. I made some myself: two sides of very light fabric, and an organic cotton mesh in the middle. That way, my son can breathe through the fabrics and not hurt himself on the crib's bars. I've never heard of problems due to that kind of bumper.

we don't use any kind of bumper on our gulliver crib. our daughter gets her legs between the slats every night, but has always been able to get them out without intervention. she's almost 6 months. is your son waking up and crying when he gets stuck? if so, breathable bumpers sound like a good option for you, though you will probably need to take them off when he gets big enough to try to use them to climb out of the crib.

We used bumpers, plain and simple. If they were so dangerous for children, there would be a ban on them like there is on drop-sides on cribs now. We stopped using bumpers when he was one so that he wouldn't use them for climbing. But there were a few times when the bumpers were off that he got himself caught in the bars and would scream his head off because he couldn't get out. At 2 he still does it sometimes (his crib converted to a toddler bed) and he gets too upset to figure out how to get himself out.

So while some parents say "He'll learn", that isn't necessarily true.

While I haven't tried this myself, perhaps a prettier option to the mesh bumpers might be a DIY lace versus...for example, what if you found a lace table runner that could be "woven" through the crib slats and secured like the mesh bumpers.

I would never use a crib bumper. They scare the jeebus out of me. Both of my girls slept in bag sleepers so it wasn't much of an issue. My youngest moves around quite a bit and occasionally bonks her head on the side. She's still awesome and none the worse for wear. Our kids are tougher than we think.

BTW, I'm not being judgy of people who do use bumpers...I'm just saying they freak me out!!

we used the bumper on the outside to help keep wiggly legs in the crib, worked great for us.

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/15/137859024/rethinking-sids-many-deaths-no-longer-a-mystery

Reasons why a regular bumper may not be safe.

i wouldn't invest in anything just yet. Our son had a short phase where he would get a foot stuck but in a few weeks he no longer got anything stuck. Kids learn really quickly and this was another learning opportunity for him. If you do get some type of bumper (breathable, mesh, cloth, etc.) make sure to remove it when your baby starts to pull up otherwise they can use it as a step to get out of the crib.

No bumpers. Sleep sacks work much better and are much safer.

Sorry, wish there was an edit function! Meant to say that sleepsacks work well and are much safer. Even if they still get caught once in a while it's no big deal.

And just fyi: there are a number of proposals to ban crib bumpers, likely only a matter of time.

A link to info about proposed bans on crib bumpers:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2011-04-22-crib-bumper-safety.htm

I have to say, as a father who lost his first son to SIDS at 3 1/2 months, I am so happy to see so many people have abandoned bumpers! I have been met with harsh backlash after politely commenting other on sites about bumpers. My second son is 2 now and we used no bumpers with him and he had no problems with getting stuck.

The community on this site continually gains my respect more and more.

I recently saw this product which is an alternative to a traditional bumper... made to reduce the possibility of SIDS. I have decided not to use a bumper with my second child because of the new information that has come out and may purchase one of these down the road if I have the same problem you are having.

http://www.cozywedge.com/shop.html

Good luck!

We're using a breathable bumper. I got one that closely matched the wood on the crib so you don't really see it.

The mesh bumper is great, but we had this problem late in the game. Our toddler was getting his legs stuck in the rails. He is also old enough to try to climb out, although he can't make it yet. We bought the mesh crib tent from Amazon and it serves both functions. he can't get stuck and he can't get out. He also seems to feel more secure/cozy in it when it is zipped up.

I get really annoyed with the exasperated argument I hear often from my mother-in-law about how she raised 3 kids without all these darn safety measures and they turned out fine. My opinion is that it would be remiss for people to know that something has caused repeated injuries or deaths and NOT try to share that information with new parents. I'm grateful for the information and I'm going to use it. So far, we've had no problems not having a bumper with our 5-month-old. She pretty much stays inside, but when we go in and find her against the rails, we just adjust her. She's getting really good at holding her heavy glass bottle during feeds, pulling it into her mouth when she wants more, so I don't see why she can't learn to not bump her head against the railings. I think she's capable of learning that, so I'm just not taking any chances.

the way i see it is why not just put the bumpers on when the baby is in the crib? theres no need to put the childs safety at risk because you want it to look nice

that baby in the picture is beyond adorable.

I used to be in the "what's the big deal" camp about bumpers. We used them with my first son and he never moved in his bed while he slept so with a sleep sack, he was fine, in the middle of his crib, no big deal. When he got older, he loved how cozy his crib was. BUT, my second son, from almost birth, preferred oddly to sleep with his face pressed up against the edge of his then co-sleeper (with mesh sides) so when we moved him to a crib, there was NO WAY I would put a traditional crib bumper in his bed. He also hated the sleep sacks because he moved so much in his sleep he got all tangled up in them and it actually interrupted his sleep more than helped it. With him we used blanket sleepers and mesh bumpers because he had the same problem getting limbs stuck in the crib rails. Those mesh bumpers are great, safe and add a tiny bit of cozy to the crib without affecting safety.

Another vote for the mesh bumper. I thought we wouldn't need one at all but when your baby doesn't sleep well to begin with, the last thing you need is an arm or leg through the bars at night. I don't think it looks too bad - the dark blanket pinned over the window at naptime looks a lot worse!!

We didn't have the arms and legs getting stuck issue but we did use a mesh bumper as a pacifier containment device.

bookworm - this is the exact reason we use it! We don't have ours on the crib yet since we moved and my son wakes up in the middle of the night crying because he can't find the pacifier. Haha.

Sleep sacks. Grobag makes them in various thicknesses for different times of the year, and in sizes up to 36 months. They'll also prevent your young toddler from trying to climb out of the crib down the road.

JasonfromVA, I'm so sorry about your loss.

I also recommend a breathable bumper. I got this one from Amazon and have been very happy with it. http://www.amazon.com/BreathableBaby-Breathable-Safer-Bumper-Cribs/dp/B0013FGWD0/ref=acc_glance_ba_ai_ps_t3_t_23 No worries of legs stuck in crib, no worries of SIDs issues. Also hypoallergenic. My daughter did this same thing with her legs which was awful but we have not had this issue with my son.

I had a bumper with both of my kids, but I took them out (I'm not entirely sure why I even bought one for my second. Aesthetics, I suppose) very early on. My son was a rocker, and a banger, and would bang his head against the head of his crib. This was after I had removed the conventional bumpers. More than anything, it was annoying for us to listen to him banging his head (like Chinese water torture annoying), but he survived just fine. My daughter usually slept with her face against the rails, and I would just adjust her, but they never had much of an issue with arms or legs getting stuck.

I think they're unnecessary, even though at one point I used them (also used breathable bumpers for a time). I would ask yourself this, would you rather have a child with a broken limb (a rarity, I'm sure) or a bruised leg, than no child at all?

I'm not advocating either way, because I've gone with them, and without them. Neither of my kids were hurt, however, if I think about it now, I can't imagine anything ever happening to them. We can't protect them from everything, even though we try.

Loved the look of bumpers, then found out Health Canada does not recommend the use of bumpers.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/legislation/pol/bumper-bordure-eng.php
I am really glad to see this discussion and what a good question. We are thinking when our baby arrives (in roughly a month) that when it's out of the bassinet and into the crib that we will try the sleep sacks and then look weaving the mesh bumpers if/as needed.

Great question! Thank you! I see that target sells the mesh bumper! YAH!

Wow the image of a baby's limb caught in the railing is sad to me.

I thought about using a mesh bumper but then read that any bumper can be used as a foothold for the baby to climb out of the crib. Of course, this won't happen until he/she can pull up to standing.

We didn't use bumpers until our baby could roll over. She was very active and rolled over consistently at 3.5 months. We had to stop swaddling her at that time too so she wouldn't get stuck on her face. We couldn't stop her from sleeping on her face though. She rolled a lot and bumped into the sides, so we put the bumpers on. I think we asked the doctor who said she was so good at rolling and moving her head around that she wasn't worried about it. Anyway, regardless, the bumpers don't stop them from sticking their feet out, if that is what you want. Ours still sticks her feet out above the bumpers and occasionally gets stuck, sleep sack and all.

JasonfromVA, I'm very sorry for your loss.

Erica, the fact that bumpers haven't been banned yet does not mean that they are safe. There has been an ongoing effort for YEARS to get them banned that has been fought by industry lobbyists wielding tons of money. Check out the Chicago Tribune's investigative coverage of it in particular - they've been a nationwide leader on exposing the dangers and the callousness of the industry. Here in Illinois, the Attorney General is trying to enact a statewide ban because the lack of action at a federal level is appalling.

The way I see it, the chances may be small, but they're VERY well documented - and if something did happen, I couldn't live with the tragedy, and I'd rather be safe than sorry.

My daughter has done this once or twice, and always cries for us to come get her out. She's had a bruise or two, but I am not too worried about that. Her sister really didn't have a problem with it, so I haven't addressed it myself. (I didn't use bumpers for safety reasons, but neither were rollers until they were able to get around well by themselves.)

That being said, I have considered buying tulle at the fabric store. It comes in wide widths, and could be woven through the bars all the way around to cover the whole shebang. Easy to breathe through, but would prevent this problem if you kept the tension snug. You could likely affix it to the top and bottom rails so it wasn't pulled down to be climbed. Comes in hundreds of colors, too. Might not be the most attractive option, but since our nursery isn't exactly the showplace of our home (what is? I have 2 kids. There are toys in every room of the house!), it wouldn't bother me. Just an idea. :)

Mesh/breathable ones are wonderful. We used one until our little one turned around a year old, then we bought a nice fluffy one (cause she always shoved herself in the corners...it looked very uncomfortable.) So go mesh. They're wonderful.

My daughter was getting stuck too. But I noticed she wasn't actually HURTING herself and she very quickly learned how to dislodge herself.

Now at 14 months, she actually prefers to sleep with her limbs out of the crib:-)

We tried the mesh ones but the fit was never tight enough and I felt that was even more of a strangulation risk than the regular bumper. She could easily grab it, pull it down, and possibly slip under it.

I think the thing to remember is that babies do not sleep like adults. They don't need blankets, heck, the don't even need to be laying down. They are also ok with laying against hard stuff that would be uncomfortable to us. Just my 2 cents...

You can try to use 2 sets of bumpers.Sew them securely together at the short end to make one very long bumper. Try weaving the bumper in and through the crib bars ( kind of like the pot holders we made so long ago). Weave in and through until the ends meet. Attach them securely/cut and adjust and reattach so it wont pose a choking threat. Check them throughly as well and see if it works for you .

With my first I used a mesh crib shield. It was all mesh and went up and over the rails. I can't find those for sale anymore so I purchased one of the regular breathable bumpers. I did the same thing I did with the crib shield. I sewed fabric matching the crib skirt I made over the shiny fabric that came with it. I also added extra velcro in places so that it would fit tighter.

Baby number 2 isn't here yet to try it out but I watched my friends 3 month old recently and it worked well with her. :)

The way I see it, there are several risks to bumpers:
1) Suffocation
2) Strangulation
3) Injury from using the bumper to exit a crib

Why is it that everyone here who is defending using bumpers (as in using mesh or fabric) are not addressing the other 2 risks? I'm truly puzzled...

Crib bumpers, and other products like bed netting, are not regulated by the government the way that cribs themselves and other baby equipment are. The American Academy of Pediatrics and many other organizations have decided that the safest way for a baby to sleep is on their back, alone in the crib.

I know a lot of people who use mesh bumpers, but again, there is no government oversight of these products. They are breathable, but there are other hazards, such as using them to climb out of the crib. My son did get his legs stuck in the crib quite frequently when we first moved him to sleeping there at 5 months, but since then only rarely does, and only when he's awake and rolling around in his crib while playing. I would suggest waiting to see if your child grows out of it before investing in a product that might be more dangerous than getting a leg caught. Anecdotal evidence will suggest that bumpers are safe, but statistical evidence does not.

Our first baby's sleep was interrupted by anything and everything, including limbs being stuck in the crib slats. So the mesh bumpers worked well for us. Blanket sleepers may also help, unless you end up with a kid who sticks their arm out and then freaks out (like our little guy did). Our new baby sleeps like a rock in the middle of the crib, so who knows if this will be an issue for us.