Baby Keeps Getting Stuck in Corner of Crib

A few of my babies did this. We used a soft-sided pack and play instead of a crib. Their heads just pushed the side out a bit, and they slept comfortably!

Do you use the crib bumper pad? My girls only had that issue when I took the crib bumper off. I know some people don't use them due to fear of crib death but I never had a problem and at 5 months they can move their head and the risk is greatly reduced compared to say, a three month old.

Agreed with the breathable bumper. He can hold his head up and roll over so he can move his head to breath. It is probably more cozy in the corner. My daughter still likes to cozy up in the corner of her big girl bed. I think he will be fine once you put the soft bumper in.

Do you have a pack-n-play? The sides are not hard like a crib so you would not need bumpers, and then it would not matter how much he moved around. When he gets a little older you could move him back into the crib.

I had a similar problem and when he'd scoot to the corner, he'd get an arm or leg stuck between the rails. I bought a Breathable Bumper crib bumper- it was like $25 and is approved by whatever source that says it's not a SIDS risk-and it did the trick.

K.,

Had a same problem, we got baby bumpers that went all the way around the bed. This way no matter where they rolled they couldn't get stuck. I wish you well.

I agree with what many people wrote. I was freaked out about the whole SIDS thing and so I didn't have bumpers in the crib for my kids. But once they had the ability to roll over, we put in a stuffed animal (bear) that sat with his legs on either side of the baby's head. This seemed to make the baby feel more secure and he/she (I have one of each) would stop scootching towards the rails.

Still, I would find the humor in this - and if you take picture, your little boy will have something to laugh about and take in for show & tell when he is 5/6/7!

Your baby is searching for the security he felt in the womb. My son went thru this. I would take a receiving blanket, fold it in half, roll it up and form it around the top of his head. Once he felt that security, he was fine. Good luck!

Do you have a bumper around the crib. At his age I would not worry about suffocation, But invest in a plain thick bumper so it doesn't hurt to hit his head. If nothing else see what your pediatrician says.

Perhaps he wants the same security he felt in the womb and he doesn't like sleeping in the crib. I am guessing you cannot get a much bigger crib...they do make larger than normal cribs. Have you considered co-sleeping? There is lots of great advice out there from Dr. Sears. Co-sleeping is really wonderful and helps children sleep on their own in a gentle, safe way.

Honestly, at your son's young age-being a mother- you have a need to protect and help him in every way possible.........it's a 'thing' with mothers; and inherent protection instinct that comes from loving someone more than yourself.

Children are VERY adaptable creatures and learn quickly the 'easiest route.' As long as you have a safe and 'breathable' bumper pad, your little boy WON'T hurt himself and will learn how to adapt (aka move to get out of the corner.) IF you allow him to do it.

It's hard to take the crying, but he's already learned that if he cries, YOU will do it for him.

If you teach him he is capable of solving the problem by letting him cry and figure out how to get out of the corner on his own, it's his first lesson in his own independence.

I know this sounds harsh (and you can bet I'd be standing outside his vision range to make sure he was safe!) But the hardest part about being a mom is knowing that we can't make everything better all the time-but we can teach our children how to make it better for themselves. (and yes, even at 5 1/2 months he is capable of learning that.)

Im a mother of two and one on the way it can be very hard when they do things like this. And its frusterating, when you dont know what to do i agree that maybe putting a blanket under the bed will prop him up and then he wouldnt be able to go into the corner as easily. i will soon be having another girl in july they are fun and quite a hand full as you know well hope this helps.

If he doesn't turn around, have you tried putting something under one end of the matress?

He's just about out of the window for sids he's moving around like that I'd get a crib bumper.

And donot go in there unless he's screaming. He will have to learn to self soothe and put himself back to sleep.

I knew a 3 year old little boy at daycare that had a mother that jumped at everything this little boy would moan at nap time if his toes became uncovered until we went in there and covered them back up. He didn't learn how to do for himself.

Please don't use a crib bumper. They are dangerous for babies and toddlers. Kids can get stuck under them, unless they are the breathable kind and then they aren't soft and wouldn't solve your problem.

My only other suggestion is to get one of those positioner things. It's like two velcro pillows on a mat that you position for the baby to fit into. I laid my son on his side and he'd roll on his tummy, too. I had one that had a little head pillow and that might help cushion his head. You can get them at Target.

my daughter started scooting around in her crib around 2 months. she would wedge her face into the bumper...making me nervous so i took the bumper out and she then would wake up from bumping her head on the crib rails. so i put the bumper back in. now when i lay her in bed i lay her so the top of her head is touching the bumper. she really enjoys things touching her head and face while she sleeps. she is now 6.5 months.

good luck

he is probably just cozying himself up to the corner...

both my boys would have rather slept with their head crammed in between the bars if they could have gotten them through there...

my youngest son will not go to sleep without the blanket covering his head...no matter how many times I would move it off his head, it would be right back there in minutes...

My daughter does this too - I never know what position I will find her in when I get her up! I agree with a couple of the other posts - put him down so he is touching the side of the crib and put in the crib bumper. I also just gave in and put my daughter to sleep on her belly - she is going to roll over anyways. She seemed to be a little less likely to move around that way. And try letting him cry it out for 5 minutes - he might just sooth himself back to sleep. It is tough, but if it works it will be better for both of you. Good luck!

How funny that my husband and I literally solved the same problem just yesterday! Our son is 6 1/2 months old and was doing the same thing in his crib. I found a sleep wedge at BabysRUs. It is The First Years brand. I shopped everywhere yesterday, and this was the only one I found that was adjustable for growth and was also positioned only at his sides, so he wouldn't feel too enclosed. Also, it was only $10.99! He slept in it last night and didn't wake up once from 8:30pm to 8:30am! I felt knid of bad about restricting his movement in his crib, but figure that he gets more than enough time to move freely during the day, and safety first in bed right?
I hope this helps with your problem--good luck with whatever you decide!

K., he might just want to be cuddled, or swaddled more to feel close to something, it might be warmer by the edge up against something, try wrapping him in blanket before sleep, like the nurses swaddled him at the hospital, ? he may feel secure near the edge, ive not had that problem, but i know how frustrating it can be, we want to make sure they are ok, you are doing a great job, and keep up the mothering, D. s

My son did the same thing (and still moves around a LOT) at night and we put the bumper pads back in the crib so he wasn't banging his head against the wood. That helped a little, at least keeping him asleep.

Dear K., Perhaps a bumper pad around the inside of his crib would help. Love to you and your baby, K.

Hi K.,
My 6mo old daughter went through the same thing. I bought her a sleep sack (2 sizes up) that way she stays warm at night and because it's longer than her, it's harder to scoot with it...problem solved! Also, if you're worried about the bumper thing, take the bumper and press your face into it, if you can breathe fine, than so will your baby.

for my gr-daughter i put some big stuff aminals in the crib so she staies away from the edges. so far it works

Just get some crib bumper pads. He probaly feels more secure when he's touching the crib, so I wouldn't worry about it. =)

K.,

Make sure you have a good baby bumper in there to protect his head. Then leave him alone. He will learn to get himself out on his own.

L. :)