Bedding Sets and Infant Precautions
When buying the crib for your nursery, your mind will naturally turn to bedding next. The majority of bedding sets include a number of pieces – but do you really need them all? It’s really best to keep any extraneous bedding out of the crib, and this is what pediatricians now recommend. If you want to get the most for your money, skip the crib set and the useless (but cute) accessories. Instead, invest in a half dozen comfortable, high quality crib sheets.
It may come as a surprise to some, but neither crib bumpers nor blankets are recommended because they are a suffocation hazard. Winter brings worries about the cold, but wearable blankets or sleep sacks are a better choice than a loose quilt. Sleep sacks are worn like clothing, but have a closed “bag” at the legs to keep baby warm. Swaddling blankets have also come a long way, with many products that aid in getting a snug fit. Swaddling can be an excellent way to help a newborn sleep, but it is generally not recommended beyond 6 weeks because of fears it can hinder hip development. Baby will be spending much of his time in your arms, so you might want a quilt or comforter to wrap around him at those times. Just remember that you have to put your baby into the crib without the quilt.
Some people choose to use a sleep wedge, which is designed to keep babies off their tummies (believed to increase the risk of SIDS). Keep in mind, though, that babies can’t roll over until they are about 6 months old, at which point tummy-sleeping no longer seems to cause the same risk of SIDS. You should also realize that these foam wedges are themselves soft bedding, which is not recommended by most pediatricians for very young babies.
Bedding sets are more than just quilts and bumper pads, though. They often include things like wall hangings, window valances, and even a mobile. These can make the nursery look great, but aren’t necessary if you’re on a budget.
It is understandable, however, that you might want a bedding set to complete the look of your baby’s room. If so, just get unisex baby bedding like Versailles Black and White baby bedding. It’s much more cost effective because you can use it again and again, regardless of the sex of your next baby.
This entry was posted on Sunday, August 30th, 2009 at 10:00 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.