Crib Notes

When my first son was born, I was pretty clueless about what a baby really needed. Sure, you buy things like body suits, diapers, and a crib, but then there are those things that you’re “supposed” to have, like a wipe warmer (really??) and crib bumpers. Isn’t your crib, the superstar of the nursery (second of course to the baby), supposed to look cute?

It turns out that those bumpers aren’t so safe for your wee one, particularly when they start moving about in the crib. There have been infant deaths related to suffocation and crib bumpers, which obviously is not worth the risk of “pretty-ing” up a baby’s sleeping space. In Chicago, there is actually a law banning the sale of crib bumpers for reasons of safety.

My second child, Jude, 9 months, sleeps in a bumper-less crib. While his crib is pretty bare--no toys, no blankets, just a mobile above the bed--at least I can rest comfortably knowing that he’s not going to wedge his face up against the bumpers and possibly suffocate. There have been a few times when he was caught with his legs between the rails (and he certainly let me know about that), but to me that’s a small price to pay for peace of mind. However, when we use a SleepSack wearable blanket, it prevents him from getting caught in the crib bars, since it keeps his feet from slipping between them. At the same time, the SleepSack keeps him stay cozy without the use of a blanket, which also can be a suffocation hazard.

While Jude’s crib may be bare, it’s far from being boring. The decor of the nursery is spread throughout the room, including a colorful quilted wall hanging that I made, a felted mobile and some eye-catching wallpaper behind the crib.

About Kathleen Walk

Kathleen Walk is a mother and author of the blog Katy Did and Kid. Read more from her at http://www.katydidandkid.com/.