Crib Bedding

Baby crib bedding will be a fun part of decorating your baby's nursery, but for your baby's safety, you will want to be careful about which bedding you choose. There are a lot of fun fabric and accessory options, and there are a few guidelines to help you choose which bedding is best.

• Stick with small blankets, such as receiving and baby blankets, to avoid excessive material in the crib.
• To avoid extra loose fabrics, use only a fitted bottom crib sheet made specifically for baby crib use.
• Be careful with the use of a bumper pad. Bumper pads are really convenient because they can keep a child from getting a limb stuck between the slats, but there are cons, too. One that is too soft may suffocate a baby. A firm bumper pad should cover the entire inside perimeter of the crib and have 6 straps or ties to securely attach it to the railings.
• Bumper pads should be removed from the crib when your child can stand, because some children will use this pad to stand on and push themselves up and over the crib railing.
• Do not use plastic packaging materials, such as dry cleaning bags, as mattress covers. Plastic film can cling to children's faces and should never be in or near the crib.
• To further prevent suffocation, completely avoid crib items such as comforters, pillows, quilts, sheepskins, and pillow-like bumpers or toys. If your baby's face becomes buried and is too young to roll away, then there is the risk of breathing exhaled air, or carbon dioxide, which is poisonous.
• To keep your baby warm, dress him or her in a warm body suit so that you might only need to use a lightweight cotton blanket, which is very porous and allows breathing. Tuck the cotton blanket under the mattress, to avoid entanglement, and pull it up no further than your baby's chest.

Here are some other crib safety tips for you:

• Mobiles and crib gyms should be removed when your baby is old enough to push up onto hands and knees. This will help avoid entanglement.
• Never put a baby's crib near a window. The drapes and cords can be a strangulation hazard. If there is no other place to put baby, be sure to cut or modify any long cords that could be dangerous.
• Do not hang heavy pictures near the baby crib.
• Pull the crib at least one foot away from all furniture and walls so that your child can't ever climb out and get stuck.
• Avoid placing large toys and pillows in your baby's crib. They might just enable him or her to climb out.
• And, although obvious, it does deserve to be noted: Always raise the crib sides to full height and lock them when your baby is inside.

Following these guidelines should give you a good idea of possible dangers and easy ways to avoid them. You will be able to rest easier when you know that your baby is sweetly slumbering in a safe crib.