SIDS and Crib Bedding

[vespergirl]

I used crib bumpers with both of my kids, and am currently using a crib bumper & (gasp) blanket with my 3 month old. He likes to suck on the blanket. Also, now that he's rolling over, he definitely prefers sleeping on his tummy, so I let him. My older one would skootch all over the crib, and always bang his head against the sides and corners, so the bumpers were really there to prevent bruises!

Honestly, I think that the medical professionals will only be satisfied when babies are sleeping on a concrete slab, strapped down on their backs, without a shred of fabric anywhere near them. Now they know that SIDS has something to do with certain babies' brains, so it's not so much about the stuff in their crib. Besides, I think that the danger would be suffocation from stuff like pillows in the crib, and I didn't think that suffocation is the same thing as SIDS.

 

[fieryred33143]

I used crib bumpers with both of my kids, and am currently using a crib bumper & (gasp) blanket with my 3 month old. He likes to suck on the blanket. Also, now that he's rolling over, he definitely prefers sleeping on his tummy, so I let him. My older one would skootch all over the crib, and always bang his head against the sides and corners, so the bumpers were really there to prevent bruises!

Honestly, I think that the medical professionals will only be satisfied when babies are sleeping on a concrete slab, strapped down on their backs, without a shred of fabric anywhere near them. Now they know that SIDS has something to do with certain babies' brains, so it's not so much about the stuff in their crib. Besides, I think that the danger would be suffocation from stuff like pillows in the crib, and I didn't think that suffocation is the same thing as SIDS.

It's not the same. That's a common mistake. And asphyxiation is also not the same as SIDS. People get suffocation, asphyxiation, and SIDS mixed up all the time.

Suffocation is the death of an infant caused by obstruction of the breathing passages. Asphyxiation refers to breathing insufficiency leading to inadequate intake of oxygen and inadequate exhalation of carbon dioxide. SIDS is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history. (definitions from google)

It's very common to get the three mixed up.

 

[Mara]

I remember reading some story about a Mom who had a baby who would just stop breathing at night. I don't remember the outcome of the story...but 2x she found her baby sleeping but not breathing. Even a baby strapped to a slab with nothing around them could still have that issue. Actually it might have been a testimonial for the Angel Care monitor.

Last nite I tried to turn J off his belly THREE times before finally giving up because each time even if I tried to hold him there for a sec, he'd just struggle harder to roll onto his side/belly. I prefer him to not sleep on his belly but HE prefers it, he also prefers to toss an arm over his face. Do I worry about constricted breathing...yep. But he's mobile and he's unswaddled, he will do what he wants and there's not much I can do.

There are a lot of things you worry about when you become a parent. SIDS or crib safety is definitely one of them. But you have to weigh them with everything else and make the right decision for yourself. Everyone will be doing something differently.

 

[phoenixgirl]

We use a breathable bumper. At first it was useful for keeping pacifiers in the crib and blocking Claire's line of sight if we were trying to peek in at her undetected. Once she started rolling over, it was useful for keeping lets from getting stuck. She slept without a bumper at my Mom's house, and she got her leg stuck through the slats all the way up to the calf. She had just learned to roll over and wasn't able to get out of that position.

She does like to snuggle up against the bumper when she sleeps -- not with her face against it, but with her legs.

 

[ChinaCat]

Ditto to Fiery's post about the differences b/w suffocation and SIDS.

This is one of those issues where you really just have to trust your instincts and do what's best for you and your little one.

I was (like most moms) uber-paranoid about SIDS, because it was something that could happen for no reason at all. So I tried to do all of the things that were recommended to reduce the chance of SIDS BUT the thing about SIDS is that it is UNEXPLAINED. Meaning if a child dies because he can't breathe due to a blanket over his head, that is explained and that is not SIDS.

STILL. It's all so scary at first.

We kept O's room really cool and had nothing in his moses basket or crib until he was completely mobile. Once he could lift his head, roll over, get up on his knees and crawl, I relaxed.

No bumper until he was around 7-8 months and his legs got stuck up to his thigh. Painful.

Now the bumper is back on and he sleeps with a lovey and a stuffed dog. I let him have blankets for naps but not nighttime.

As for monitors- Lanie, if you have your kid on a different level than you, you'll probably want the video monitor. I thought they were overkill, I know moms that stare at their babies all day long and it seemed neurotic. BUT the best thing about it is I can check on O and not have to go in and wake him up. Also, when/if he fusses or makes noise, I can look and see if it's something that I need to go in for, or if he's just making noise and needs to be left alone. I don't keep it turned on at night, I turn it on to look at him if I need to.

NOW. Reading this yesterday started my mind spinning last night with the what-ifs?

O went to bed as usual. I checked the monitor before I went to bed around 11 pm. He was on his stomach, head against the bumper, with his lovey really close to his face. I tried to let it go, but with this thread running through my head, I just couldn't. So I go up and try to move him down just a little bit so his face/head isn't near the bumper.

No dice. O popped up on his knees and wanted to play. So then I tried to get him to go to sleep for 20 minutes and finally just put him down. He fussed for a few minutes and then played in his crib for another 30 minutes before falling back asleep. IN THE SAME POSITION.

So lesson learned. He knows how he wants to sleep, he is capable of moving things away from his face. I need to trust him, but man it's hard.

No moral to this story, just shows you how you can't control everything and at some point you have to let go and trust your instincts.

 

[Mara]

LOL china that is basically same situ as what happened to me last nite. J is on belly with what looks like his face stuffed into the mattress. I roll him over. He fusses and rolls over again. I roll him over again. He starts fussing and rubbing eyes, essentially starting to wake up. I start sshh'ing and he tries to roll over again, I hold him in place, he keeps fussing. So I let go, he fusses, I put paci in because I don't want him to totally wake up. He takes paci. Rolls over.

Done. Where's that concrete slab??

 

[MonkeyPie]

LOL china that is basically same situ as what happened to me last nite. J is on belly with what looks like his face stuffed into the mattress. I roll him over. He fusses and rolls over again. I roll him over again. He starts fussing and rubbing eyes, essentially starting to wake up. I start sshh'ing and he tries to roll over again, I hold him in place, he keeps fussing. So I let go, he fusses, I put paci in because I don't want him to totally wake up. He takes paci. Rolls over.

Done. Where's that concrete slab??

Bwahahaha! Micah does the SAME THING. I gave up the moment he started rolling in his sleep. If it doesn't bother him, then I can't let it bother me.

 

[Laila619]

We'll be using only a breathable bumper or nothing at all...haven't decided yet.

Also, just a note about layering in the crib: the mattress should be as firm as possible, and there should be minimal layers. To be safe, I've read that all you really should have on the crib is a waterproof pad OR mattress pad plus a fitted sheet. That's it! Multiple layers defeat the purpose of the firm crib mattress because they make it softer and mushier.

 

[Mara]

LOL china that is basically same situ as what happened to me last nite. J is on belly with what looks like his face stuffed into the mattress. I roll him over. He fusses and rolls over again. I roll him over again. He starts fussing and rubbing eyes, essentially starting to wake up. I start sshh'ing and he tries to roll over again, I hold him in place, he keeps fussing. So I let go, he fusses, I put paci in because I don't want him to totally wake up. He takes paci. Rolls over.

Done. Where's that concrete slab??

Bwahahaha! Micah does the SAME THING. I gave up the moment he started rolling in his sleep. If it doesn't bother him, then I can't let it bother me.

Most of the time I just let him be, but sometimes I just have to TRY even though I probably know what the outcome will be. When will I learn??

 

[ChinaCat]

Seriously, Mara, I knew better. He's been sleeping like this for months now but I just started with all of the "what ifs"? Being a parent and letting go is hard!

The funniest part to me is that he ended up right back where he started after I so rudely awakened him!

 

[fieryred33143]

Seriously, Mara, I knew better. He's been sleeping like this for months now but I just started with all of the "what ifs"? Being a parent and letting go is hard!

The funniest part to me is that he ended up right back where he started after I so rudely awakened him!

Well, all of my worries about infant death led me to extreme anxiety and OCD behavior so...............

Talk about taking it to the extreme. Exaggerate much At least Sophia tolerates me

 

[Mara]

yup ladies i hear ya... most of the time i have to tell myself 'don't worry he will be ok'...but other times i do mentally give in and go try to do something but in the end YEP china he ended up in the SAME position. i am lucky that for the most part after i bug him he falls back to sleep, for now!

if i didn't have the video monitor it might be worse actually!!!