Caution Before All Else: Choosing the Right Nursery Bedding
With just about any theme, style, and color combination you can dream of available for your baby’s nursery and bedding, it’s no wonder that so many new parents get confused about how to decorate their nursery. Looking for animal designs? You can find anything and everything - from caterpillar baby bedding to safari themes. So what about angels? That shouldn’t have too many choices, right? Right - only a hundred or so! If you’re looking for a really popular theme like cartoon characters or nursery rhymes, you may be doomed LOL.
Whether it’s baby boy crib bedding or baby girl, when you see all the super-cute options you have, you may be tempted to overspend or break your budget. To be a bit blunt, that designer bedding set you paid $1000 for is going to go through the same spitup and diaper leaks as a $200 set. So now you might be wondering what you baby actually does need. Here are some of the things:
- Many people can’t imagine a crib without bumper pads, but recent controversy indicates they may not be such a good idea. While it’s understandable that parents want to protect their newborns from bumping against the hard railings of their cribs, bumper pads can pose a far more serious suffocation risk. It is generally recommended to keep bumper pads out of the crib until your child is at least 1 year old, but if you insist on keeping them in the crib, make sure they are secured tightly, with the ties on the outside of the crib.
- The term “crib sheet” refers only to the fitted sheet, because flat sheets are unnecessary (and potentially dangerous) for newborns. When buying crib sheets, be sure you know the size of your mattress first. If the sheets don’t fit snugly, they may peel off the mattress. Not only is this annoying, it’s a serious health risk. White sheets are impractical because you WILL have diaper leaks. You mattress will probably be waterproof, but you may want to buy a mattress protector just in case.
- Don’t overheat your baby with too many clothes and blankets. She only needs as much bundling as you do. If it’s winter and she really needs extra coverage, use a wearable blanket instead of a loose one. Also, keep pillows and stuffed animals out of the crib. Babies don’t need them and they can be a serious suffocation risk.
When choosing crib bedding, first make sure it’s safe. With so many options available, you can still find something adorable.
