BUMPERS in cots

I know everywhere you read it's a huge no no to put bumpers in cots, but when my baby is born it will be still quite cold and I was wondering, did anyone use bumpers when the baby was newborn and not capable of rolling into them or becoming entangled in them?

I know the SID's experts say do not put head warmers (hats) on babies when they sleep, and I don't want her head to be cold, so surely a bumper would be fine in the very beginning to keep the cold breezes from flowing into the cot?

My SIL who is a paediatric nurse gave me the bumpers and she used them so (?) what did everyone else do?

[AmyB]

Yep, we used bumpers too. We just made sure they were tied nice and tight.

I also used them w/both ds's. I think you will be ok if they are secured tight.

[Robynn]

Count my vote as a yes, too. All four of the kids, until about six mos, when they start moving around. And I am the biggest SIDS freak anywhere, I am sure! It's more about overheating the baby, which is so difficulot to determine. They say, dress baby the way you would dress + one laayer. So if it's cold enough to wear a sweater, put baby in a blanket sleeper, and add a blanket. If baby seems too warm (sweating), then remove the extra layer. I had little caps on my guys as newborns in the colder mos. unless it caused sweating.
Now they make these things to replace blankets, that almost look like sleepers, but it goes over the PJ's. Now, that is a good idea!

[Beth]

We used a bumper pad too. Most of them have ties in several places on each side to tie onto the crib.

Also, for the hats, they put hats on the babies at the hospital here. They are made by volunteer little old ladies who crochet them. They send it home with you and the baby when you leave the hospital. If you go the the nursery at the hospital all the babies have hats on.

I always used them with my child and all the DC babies...it was against regulations in the DC's so I would surround them with rolled up blankets...the parents were ever so thankful that their babes didn't have bumps all over their little heads........Angela used bumpers until she figured out how to peak her head out from underneath...around 6mo

[tracy]

My ped said bumpers are ok till 3mos, but we kept ours in till dd started pulling on them. I got nervous and took them out. That was at about, hmmm, 9mos? I hear her sometimes bump her head at night, but it doesn't seem to phase her. I don't see anything wrong with hats, either. They barely move as newborns and they do have hats on at the hospital.

Well you know why the other reason I would like to use bumpers when they are OLDER too is because my twins were continually getting arms and legs jammed in the sides of the cot/crib. I have a perfectly safe modern cot/crib that is safety approved yet it was a continual problem which left me with a screaming upset baby too many times too often.

SO I guess if I do what everyone else did and tied them really securely (I assumed the issue here was about them becoming untied and suffocating bub???)

I generally used a growsuit and a sleeper (sleeping bag with sleeves) on my bubs and it worked like a dream since it eliminated them crying if the blankets happened to come off plus SIDS society recommends the sleepers.

[tracy]

I had to stop using them cuz dd was starting to crawl on them and I was afraid she'd try to use them as a step and "climb" over the top. I don't mean to sound bad, but you're right about the suffocating. Even when they're secure, I could see a baby sticking their head in the corner of their crib to be close to something?

wooo tracy, never thought of the baby using the bumpers as a step - thanks for the tip.