Wonder Bumpers Review

The original review can be seen here

Wonder Bumpers Review by Go Mama Go Designs - Safe Crib Bumpers by The Eyes of A Boy

I received a set of Wonder Bumpers in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own, and have not been reviewed by the company prior to posting. 

Unless you live under a rock, you are most likely aware that traditional crib bumpers are NOT recommended for use in a baby's crib anymore. Many children have suffocated on the thick, padded bumpers that tie around a baby's crib rails. So many parents faced a difficult decision of finding a balance between wanting to keep their child safe, but also wanting their baby to feel comfortable in their crib.

Last month I attended the Mother of All Baby Showers here in South Florida. I had the pleasure of meeting Catherine of Go Mama Go Designs and checking out their wonderful (pun intended!) product - Wonder Bumpers. Catherine sent me home with a beautiful gray and yellow set of Wonder Bumpers to try out.

Wonder Bumpers are an innovative new product that parents and babies alike will love! They are a great alternative to old school tie-on bumpers. They are breathable...since they go around each crib rail individually, they don't obstruct the air flow in-and-out of the crib. 

Set of 24 Wonder Bumpers on crib

I wanted to wait to write this review until we had a chance to really see them in action. 

I installed them onto Little J's crib and have been using them for a few weeks. Installation was pretty easy. All you do is wrap the bumper around the crib rail, and pull the zipper down to secure the Wonder Bumper. The zipper ends up at the bottom of the crib, out of the reach of your child. There are no dangerous ties, like on traditional crib bumpers. 

Immediately, after putting them on the crib I fell in love with how they made the room look and feel, by adding an element of warmth to Little J's bedroom.

Pulling the zipper down, to wrap Wonder Bumper around crib rail

More importantly, if Little J bangs his head or arms or legs into the side rails of the crib during the night, he will be protected from bumps and bruises by the soft plush Wonder Bumpers, but not unsafe because he will still be getting fresh air throughout the night. As Little J realizes that he is big enough to climb out of his crib, these will also help to avoid that, as he won't be able to get a good grip on the bars! :)

Overall, I think Wonder Bumpers are a fabulous product. Wonder Bumpers come in a variety of colors to match any nursery decor. If you are looking for a beautiful, safe way to dress up your child's crib and nursery, while keeping them safe at the same time, please check out Wonder Bumpers.

You can find Go Mama Go Designs at http://www.gomamagodesigns.com/ and keep up with them on their Facebook page. Go Mama Go is having a HUGE sale right now for Black Friday offering their best ever prices on a 38 piece Wonder Bumpers set and 50% off of all accessories! Please stop by their website to find out more and purchase Wonder Bumpers!

5 Things I'm Grateful For

by Catherine Hall

1. My children, who are and are healthy, smart and thriving in school and extracurricular activities and are all-around good kids 

2. Super supportive parents, who have always encouraged me in all my endeavors. 

3. My awesome brothers, who taught me how to do all things "boy" and always included me.

4. Amazing, hard-working colleagues that come to work with a smile and know the effort it takes to run a small business.

5. Living in a gorgeous place where I get to see amazing mountain views and experience the beauty of the four seasons!

Wonder Bumpers Giveaway!

Wonder Bumpers Giveaway by the Sleep Lady!

Sleep safety is something that every parent needs to take very seriously. Many newborns can sleep up to 18 hours a day. That’s a lot of time spent sleeping! While the amount of sleep your child needs as she grows does decrease, it’s replaced by rapid development and increased mobility-even more reason to ensure that your baby is sleeping in a safe and protected environment. 

We all know that back is best for our babies sleep, but did you know that a firm sleep surface, devoid of blankets, pillows, and soft surfaces comes in a close second? This includes crib bumpers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has initiated a national review on fatal crib bumper incidents, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has publicly declared that traditional crib bumpers are a potential risk of suffocation, strangulation or entrapment and should never be used. Even states and cities are getting involved in the ban on bumpers: Maryland has imposed a ban on the sale of crib bumpers, and the city of Chicago has an ordinance banning crib bumpers. 

This has left some parents wondering how to protect their baby from the crib rails…and the crib rails from their baby. Much of the concern about crib bumpers surrounds their ability to serve as a launching point for older children and a suffocation hazard for younger ones. Wonder Bumpers have not been affected by the ban on crib bumpers, due largely in fact to their sleeve-like design and unique ability to remain attached the crib rails, unlike anything else on the market. Not to mention the fact that they’re able to protect both your baby and the crib from harm. 

I often caution against “magical” solutions, and the truth is, most of them really don’t work. And while a crib bumper is not a necessity, is a way to add protection to your investment and your baby. That being said, even if you follow the rules to a “t” and have just a flat, fitted sheet, you still need to make sure that your baby is safe. This means that cribs should be placed in a warm, dark part of the room, away from windows. Blankets should not dangle from the side of the crib, and wall hangings need to be well out of the baby’s reach so he can’t pull them down on himself. Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of your baby’s sleep area. Don’t use pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins, or soft or pillow-like crib bumpers in your baby’s sleep area (other than the small blanket you swaddle a newborn in), and that should be away from the face, as these all pose a risk of suffocation. 

Additionally, once your baby begins to be mobile (this means as soon as she starts rocking side to side in an attempt to roll over, you need to remove any tempting items around the crib, including wall hangings and mobiles. Your baby’s crib should be safe and boring. It’s for sleeping, not for playing. 

I am excited to have partnered up with Wonder Bumpers for a huge giveaway! We’re giving away not 1, but 5 prizes! The first place winner will receive a $100 Gift Card to Wonder Bumpers The 4 runners up will each receive a $25 Gift Car to Wonder Bumpers - See more at: http://www.sleeplady.com/baby-sleep/wonder-bumpers-giveaway/#.UnhWKvmRAjQ

The Sleep Lady’s Secrets of a Sleeping Baby

A guest post by Kim West, the Sleep Lady

If you've read my book, you know that sleep is a fascinating subject (or at least it is to me). It’s a developmental area that undergoes an incredible metamorphosis as your child grows. Sleep is amazing, and it’s something that we all need to function. Interestingly, the ability to put yourself to sleep is also something that isn't ingrained in us. This ability has to be taught to our children. Although sleep is a natural ability that we are born with, the falling asleep part needs development. This is why newborns need so much help falling asleep.

Understanding that knowing how to fall asleep is a skill we are not born with goes a long way to understanding why parents sleep coach. There are a few facts that will help you to understand why babies need to learn to fall asleep on their own, and when you can start to sleep coach.

Newborns Sleep A LOT

Newborns sleep a majority of the time, and this sleep is necessary to their development. In fact, your baby doesn't even begin to develop adult sleep patterns until sometime between 4 and 5 months. Interestingly, a baby’s sleep patterns don’t mimic an adults until they are 2 years old. For this reason, I do not recommend sleep coaching a baby younger than 6 months. In fact, I encourage parents to follow the baby’s lead, and allow her to sleep as much as possible to help her growth.

Remember that sleep is a learned skill, and your newborn baby does not know how to fall asleep by himself. You will need to help encourage sleep by promoting a dark, quiet room for your baby to sleep in (including naps).

Your Baby’s Bedtime May Be Earlier Than You Think

I cannot count the number of families who have contacted me for help, and are at their wit’s end with their baby’s sleep habits-especially an extremely late bedtime. Many parents think a late bedtime (such as 9:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m., or even midnight) is normal or will help their baby sleep better during the night or sleep later in the morning, when in fact a much more biologically appropriate bedtime for our children is between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m., depending on your baby’s age and amount of daytime sleep he gets. In fact, children who fight sleep, or resist bedtime are often overtired, and lacking daytime sleep.

Naps are Necessary

We all know that babies need both daytime sleep and nighttime sleep. Many parents don’t realize that naps actually allow our children to sleep well at night. If your child is not napping during the day, she may be overly tired, cranky and an outright handful.

Make sure that you aren't exceeding your child’s wakefulness windows during the day, which will help reduce resistance to nighttime sleep and naps. Having extended wakefulness windows may actually contribute to early rising, so if your child has been waking up at 5 a.m. on the dot, you may want to adjust his naps and bedtime to better fit with the average wakefulness window according to his age.

Crying is Normal

I think that it’s important to note that the following thoughts about crying does not apply to newborn babies (newborns really should not be sleep coached).

It’s sad, but true. I think that many parents judge their parenting worth based on whether or not they can keep the baby calm. What we forget is that crying is a normal part of development, and we sometimes overcompensate by attempting to stop our babies cries by any means possible-with sleep, this often means creating a sleep crutch, which really just teaches your baby that if she cries, you’ll come running and then she gets held.

As I stated in my article about Attachment Parenting and Sleep Coaching: “Sleep coaching does not mean letting your child sob for hours on end. Crying is a normal part of childhood, and some children do fuss a bit during gentle sleep coaching, but you are right there to calm and soothe your baby as they learn how to fall asleep with both verbal and physical reassurance.”

While snuggling with your baby is a great way to bond, immediately responding to frustrated cries by attempting to replace them with an inadvertent sleep crutch is only going to prolong the crying.

A note from The Sleep Lady: Crying is a tough topic-and as a parent, I hated to hear my girls cry. Remember, it’s what you do when you respond to your baby’s crying that matters: if you can find the source of the tears, such as frustration that she can’t reach her blankie, or a wet diaper, you can determine how to respond, and avoid creating a sleep crutch.

At some point, the sleep crutch is going to stop working, and your baby is going to expect you to figure something else out, or you’ll want to break the sleep crutch. Maybe if we remember that crying is simply how our baby is able to communicate, we can remind ourselves that instead of just focusing on stopping the crying, we need to figure out why. If we can find the reason behind the cries (such as exhaustion, a lost pacifier, or trouble falling to sleep), we can help her to problem solve with reassurance and support, rather than doing it for her.

Routines are Important

I am constantly stressing the need for a soothing, relaxing bedtime routine, but having a predictable daytime routine is just as important. Your baby thrives on routines and consistency, so having a flexible schedule for your baby’s meals, playtimes, and naps is just as important as a good bedtime routine.

Explain The Coaching Process

We often forget that our children understand far more language than we give them credit for. Talk your child through upcoming changes, and explain what’s going to happen before you make a change to the schedule or routine.

Additionally, remember to be available and accessible to your child at naptimes and bedtime while she’s learning to fall asleep. That means that you will have a supporting role, and are available to help teach and encourage through positive words and touch.

Open Hands : Wonder Bumper Review

Super Baby Shower Event in Florida!

Catherine Hall showcased Wonder Bumpers at this exciting event and here is a review of our product!   
http://www.youaretheroots.com/2013/10/the-mother-of-all-baby-showers-south.html?m=1

Super Bowl Commercial!!!

We still need your help! Please vote on our newest video and information!! We only have ten days left for this round! You can vote every day!

https://www.smallbusinessbiggame.com/TX/Go-Mama-Go-Designs/373582/

Thank you to everyone who played a part in the making of our video:)

xoxo,

Georgia and Catherine