baby banging head on cot in the night...?

[joko]

hi, my sisters baby has just learnt to crawl and pull herself up to stand, so she is doing it a lot in her cot, bnut she cannot stand or walk (8 months) and falls and hits her head - she also keeps doing this in the middle of the night - setting of the baby sensor mat. she moves around the cot a lot too and ends up at the ends in funny position etc

any ideas why she is doing this - is it just because she can and she will get used to it and stop or something else?

also any ideas of what we can do to the cot to stop her banging her head - is there anything you can buy to go around the cot? we don't want to just stick pillows around the edges.

thanks

[curiosity]

My kids used to end up face down bum in the air in the bottom corner of the cot I remember, head against the bars. We used Cot Bumpers then, that came as part of your cot bedding set. But at the time I remember reading about babies getting stuck in them and also the ties being a problem, so even then (15 year ago) I remember putting the bumper on the outside of the cot just for decoration, so they still hit against the bars. Also the bumpers were cushioned so if stood on provided a bit of a step up and easier get out to the floor! which is worse. I liken it to now when your kids necks are flopping in the back of the car asleep and you desperately want to make them comfortable, but they wake up refreshed anyway. I always hated seeing them against the bars, no covers on, but they never got hurt or complained. I'm not sure whats on the market with cot things today, so probably not much help there, sorry.

[joko]

i suggested pipe lagging tubes, but sis says she chews things and so doesn't want her to chew this stuff

[Psychick]

There really isnt a lot you can do, Im assuming she isnt crying after hitting her head as you havent mentioned this, so chances are shes not even hurting herself. As she practices standing more and more she will soon stop falling over all the time.......not that a cot mattress is the best surface to practice on! lol She is probably doing it because it is something new she has learnt.
One thing I would avoid at all costs though if I was you, and thats using pillows. These are so dangerous to a baby of 8 months.

[VizNil]

Maybe she is a bit cold and its making her restless ? there is a website called bumpto3 and they do a product called a grobag which is like a baby sleeping bag, I used them for my children and they had a restful night as they didnt kick blankets off and get cold, plus because they are in a mini sleeping bag, they have less of a desire to try and stand up and move around when they should be getting some sleep !

[Petal~flower]

I had a baby bumper when mine were babies. Hope the link works!

http://www.mothercare.com/gp/search/ref=sr/202 -6868310-2454250?field-keywords=baby+bumper&x= 0&y=0&size=12

[boobesque]

I use a bumper for my 11 month old, you can use them up to when they start to stand on them - mine will be coming off soon!
My daughter sleeps in any position she gets into before she tucks herself down to sleep - the sensor mat isn't really suitable now with the amount of moving she is doing. the risk of cot death is significantly lower after three months of age, even more so after the age of 6 months.

[andrea81]

The baby's take a while to find their sleep pattern. They will become settled eventually. My little boy used to end up with his legs dangling out of the cot and used to bang all night!

When he was old enough to have a light duvet, he became a lot more settled, but until then, let them then wriggle!

[taichiperson]

When my oldest was learning to walk, he would pull himself up on the furniture, but when he lost his balance, would go stiff and fall over backwards, banging his head countless times. No damage was done as far as I can tell (he's 19 and just done his A levels). His brother would bend in the middle and just plump down onto his bottom when he fell........

[nutgoneflake]

Definitely try the baby gro-bags! Viznil's spot on with that. I had one for my second, and it was fantastic. So much so that I've saved it for when I'm a granny - I felt it was the best thing I could ever pass on to any future daughter-in-law I had!!

Baby's cosy, she can still move around enough but is too restricted to stand up, you'll never have to get up in the night to tuck blankets back in, the familiarity of getting in it will send her off to sleep content and also, if you go to stay anywhere, she'll have the security of her own bed wherever she is. I can't praise them highly enough!

One thing though, is to buy two-piece pyjamas aswell if you do buy a grobag, because we found it was the best way to regulate temperature. You can have just a vest, plus bag of course, or vest and top, vest and thicker top, or full pjs when it's really cold. You really won't look back! Buy a decent one and you'll get quite a bit of your money back on ebay later, too. (Extra tip!)

Good luck sis!!

[cazzz1975]

I used a travel cot for my son who doesnt feel pain(severely autistic), it has mesh sides and strong fabric ends, he enjoyed banging his head on the bars but the travel cot put pay to his fun!!

[jno]

as I recall, bones are still comparatively soft at that age and babies don't feel as much pain as you might expect when they bump themselves. So maybe this isn't actually a problem just yet? I think it quite probably is just because she can: she's learning how to use her muscles, which babies need to do. I would imagine that if something hurts her she'll eventually stop doing it (unless like cazzz's son she doesn't feel any pain at all).

[joko]

thanks everyone -

she already uses grobags - always has -but she still wriggles around in them - went through a phase of rolling over a lot, but now she can stand and crawl.
She doesn't cry or appear to be hurt.
she would use the bumpers to climb up or pull them off.

I guess we will just have to hope she settles

thanks again all