cot wriggler...

[laligo]

ds has just started using his big cot for naps, not sleeping overnight in it yet. he often wriggles and pushes himself so that his head's squished up against the bars or he ends up with an arm or leg sticking out, and starts crying. is this normal? do cot bumpers help - i'm sure i've heard somewhere that they're a bad idea...

(the cot is a new one and the bars are a safe width apart)

[QueenVictoria]

Its very normal! My two were/are terrible wrigglers. I dont use a cot bumper, they are supposed to cause risk of strangulation or suffocation or something. It wont stop yoru DS jamming himself up against the sides either. i have no tips for stopping it. I just move him back down if he cries out or if i go in and see he has worked his way up the cot i move him down again whilst he is still sleeping.

[GillL]

Definitely normal. My dd is very active and was getting her arms and legs stuck between the bars several times a night and crying. I put a post on here a while back and the advice I got was to put netting or cardboard (nicely decorated) round the sides or to use a cot bumper. I always worried about using a cot bumper - although a lot of people say they are fine up to 12 months. DD has a sleeping bag but it just means both legs get stuck instead of 1.

[laligo]

thanks guys... suppose i'll just see what happens and not get a bumper.

does make you wonder about cot design though...? i had never heard of this problem before but cots could easily have a section with narrower bars or a grille around the bottom?

(ooh could become a mumtrepreneur with my fab idea - but can't be bothered)

[Lucy99]

My 7 month old dd used to do this and in the end we wedged her in with two tightly rolled up towels either side so she stayed in the centre (also stopped her rolling on to tummy) Stopped using them recently as she can now roll back from her tummy on her own and she also worked out how to unravel them! You can always wrap the rolled up towels with a strip of packing tape to keep them secure.

[lindster]

weve used a cot bumper since he went in to the cot and have never had a problem (touch wood) he also wedges his head right to the top but has never put his face against it. Some people may think they are bad but atleast his head is against that and not bars.

[melbob]

Not sure why bumpers are bad but DS is a wiggling demon and is 15 months old. I bought one a month ago and for te first night he wrestled with it but now justs snuggles up against it and doesn't wake up as much.

[gingernut]

Both mine have been wrigglers, but getting jammed in awkward positions didn't usually bother them. He might get used to it once he's more used to sleeping in the cot.

If you get a sleeping bag for him it will stop him getting his legs through the bars at least and might reduce the amount of wriggling a little. I used them from the time ds1 went into his cot because he would kick and wriggle so much we could never even get any covers over him, let alone have them stay on. I really recommend them.