My modest cradle looks nothing like the gorgeous baby beds pictured in magazines. It’s lovely, but not plush.
All I am using by way of bedding is a simple white cotton sheet. And with bare legs and slats, the cradle is a Victorian nightmare.
After reading a handful of articles and lists throughout my pregnancy, I have questions as to whether or not plush bumper pads and blankets are OK to use in the baby’s bed.
Suffocation is the issue and reading about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and all of the unknowns related to the diagnosis is enough to scare any new parent. Regulating baby’s environment – from what’s in the crib to the temperature in the room – is one thing parents can do, although there appear to be many factors at play. (Learn more about SIDS)
In a list of safe bedding practices for infants found on their Web site, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends removing “pillows, pillow-like bumper pads, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, stuffed toys and other soft products from the crib.”
Another article found on ConsumerReports.org reads “no puffy bumper guards, no stuffed animals, no pillows, no quilts… If you insist on a blanket, keep it at waist height, and tuck the ends firmly under the sides and bottom of the mattress. There should be no loose blankets in your baby’s sleep area.”
If this is the case, why are many infant bedding sets still sold with these items included? And why are advertisers selling a plush and overstuffed image of the ideal nursery?
Am I supposed to buy the full bedding set and just not use the bumper? Will there be a refund for unused pieces of bedding?
Should I be making a list of ten things to do with pretty bumper pads besides using them in the baby’s bed? (They could be sectioned, seamed and used for potholders.)
It’s all a little confusing.
I’m cautious and plan to leave the cradle, and the eventual crib, bare and bumperless.
I even asked my mother-in-law to return the pretty pink bumper pad she purchased for our cradle and plan to stick with a mattress, waterproof mattress pad, sheet and cozy pajamas instead.
And if for some reason a photographer wants to photograph my nursery (read bedroom for the time being), they’ll just have to work with the minimalist look.
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