thread: Bed rail suggestions or alternatives?

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Mar 2008
    Nth West Melbourne
    997

    Bed rail suggestions or alternatives?

    It seems its time to take one side of DS's cot off, since he is starting to climb out. I've been looking at bed safety rails, and am wondering if anyone has any suggestions or recommendations?

    In my searching, I also came across an idea of just rolling up a blanket so it forms a long "sausage" and securing it with string, then placing that under the fitted sheet on the exposed side, so you have a 'bump' they can't roll over. I thought this sounded kind of clever- anyone tried that?


  2. #2
    Registered User
    Add Vixstar on Facebook

    Mar 2006
    Penrith/Kingswood/Orchard Hills....
    1,147

    I can't help with the cot buuut I put my boys into 'big boy beds' ....I just got one of those side rails that has two 'arms' that slide under the mattress. DS#1 needed his for a few weeks as he rolls all around his bed and DS#2 only needed his for a few days as he practically does not move in bed at all.

    A friend of mine just put some cushions from the lounge on her sons floor.....

    Sorry I cannot be of much more help.
    xxxx

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    melb
    8,498

    We bought one other day in anticipation of bed arriving soon, target had 2 on sale 1 is in catalogue. We bought the blue one, which is the one not in catalogue.

  4. #4

    Jul 2009
    Out North, Vic
    8,538

    Can't help but interested to see, we put DD1 on a mattress on the floor before putting her into her 'big girl bed' and we hadn't yet bought side rails, she fell out once the first night () but hasn't fallen out again since, DP doesn't want to buy them for her as she's going ok but i'm not sure.

    At this stage i am just wait and see but hopefully if i need to buy them you girls will give me some wonderful ideas.

  5. #5
    BellyBelly Member

    Nov 2009
    Qld
    367

    We got a rail specifically designed for using on convertible cots. We got it from Big W. Most other rails are designed to come down on top of the mattress and have a minimum height of the mattress, so most are useless on a cot.

  6. #6

    Apr 2009
    Melbourne
    1,069

    I bought one from MotherCare in Melbourne which fits on our bed (we're co-sleeping). It's blue with white netting, and I like it. You need to check that the rail is easily pulled down, if that's what you want - ours doesn't pull down because our bed doesn't allow it to, but that suits us anyway.

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Oct 2006
    Adelaide
    726

    Ooh! I used a pool noodle! Only $5!! Just put it up under DDs fitted sheet. She only really needed to feel the edge of it and knew to roll back the other way. Worked fine, apart from I think we had one incident where she either fell or got out of bed (don't know which) and we found her asleep on the floor (poor little cherub!). Similar to rolled up blanket idea, but maybe more solid (and fitted the bed length well).

    Good luck

  8. #8
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber & MPM

    Feb 2007
    Melbourne
    5,462

    I love the pool noodle idea!

    I just have a Safety 1st bed rail, just a basic one, not one that sits up high on the mattress. It works fine. I probably don't really need to use it for him anymore though, but I've been too afraid to take it off and get woken overnight with a "thump" LOL!

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Mar 2008
    Nth West Melbourne
    997

    The pool noodle idea is very cool!

    Well, last night I thought I would try the rolled up towel thing, but for complicated reasons I had to take off the whole side of the cot to see if it would work. By the time I got it off, I couldn't get it back on on my own and it was DS's bedtime. It turned out the towel thing didn't really work with cot sheets, so I was faced with DS's first night in a "bed" with no safety rail! So I just put some big cushions on the floor and talked to DS about being careful. Turns out he was great, went straight to sleep and didn't fall out once (I checked like ten million times).

    Today when I put him down for his nap he was pretty excited about being able to get out of bed on his own, but I closed the door like usual and let him play for a while. Eventually it went quiet in there and I poked my head in to see him all nicely asleep on his bed, so evidently he had decided it was time to sleep and put himself back to bed- go DS!! So I'm not too worried, and it seems I've saved myself some money on a bed rail!