How Many Mattresses Do Cribs Need?
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A baby’s crib is every parent’s best friend because they keep their baby safe and occupied while they go off to perform other needed tasks. When your baby is in a crib, they may be too low for you to pick them up. In this case, you may wonder if more mattresses are needed.
How many mattresses do cribs need? Cribs only need one mattress, since most cribs have height adjustment settings. Depending on your baby’s size, you can adjust it to a safe level. If you put a second mattress in the crib, make sure it is not too high, which may be dangerous for the baby.
If you’ve seen a crib that looks like it had more than one mattress, it may have instead been the bed skirt, and not an extra mattress. The bed skirt is meant to hide the space below the mattress on a high setting.
A crib mattress is just like any other mattress. The difference is that cribs are meant to provide comfort as a bed for babies. Just like adult mattresses, crib mattresses can be different from each other.
Choosing a Mattress for Your Baby’s Crib
Choosing a crib mattress for your baby is very important. Babies are very vulnerable, so all parents naturally want their baby to feel comfortable and safe. Additionally, a comfortable and safe baby is less likely to cry or scream, which is every parent’s worst nightmare!
The mattress & mattress support
When choosing the right mattress, always lean on new ones. Worn mattresses or ones with many tears can be troublesome and harmful, so don’t thrift your baby’s safety. Before getting a mattress, you first want to check the crib’s support, which should be firm. To test its sturdiness, you can try to shake the mattress support and give it a bit of a thump on the top and the bottom. Of course, do make sure that all the screws, locks, and clamps are tightly in place. You don’t ever want to compromise the safety of your baby.
If you want your baby to feel extra safe and comfortable in the crib, you could also purchase a quilted crib pad, which has one of its sides waterproofed. The pad will act as the extra protection for your mattress from fluids, as well as provide extra comfort for your baby to lie on.
Things to avoid
One word of advice is to avoid using plastic sheets because these can pose risks of disturbing your baby’s breathing. Instead, use a fitted sheet or mattress cover on top of the crib mattress. If your baby suffers from breathing problems, it would also be wise to avoid using sheepskins, big pillows, stuffed toys, or bumper pads as baby accessories in the crib.
These kinds of additions can block or reduce air circulation needed for your vulnerable baby. Babies are actually quite content with just using a light blanket for comfort. Regular sheets, however, are not advisable until your baby becomes a little bigger as these might tangle them up. The final thing you should know about using a light blanket is to avoid placing the tip of the blanket near the face of the baby, as this can also be dangerous.
Bedding Needs for Your Baby
A baby sound asleep is one of the most beautiful sights to see by parents, mostly because it means that they can finally rest. Having all the bedding needs for your baby can certainly make the difference in their length of sleep and in making your life as a parent much more comfortable.
1. Bassinet
A lot of parents choose to purchase both a bassinet and a crib, which is a wise decision. Having a bassinet is more portable as it is smaller than a crib and is more suited for newborns or small babies. This will make it easier to get your chores done while still keeping a close eye on your little one. But, eventually, babies won’t stay small forever, so once they outgrow the bassinet, then having a crib already set up will come in handy.
If you think a bassinet would make an excellent addition to your list of baby needs, then the 2in1 Stationary & Rock Mode Bassinet (view on Amazon) might be a perfect choice. It’s got mesh sides for easy breathing and is very portable as it can fold in half with the addition of a handle for carrying.
2. Crib
Shopping for a crib can be very exciting, especially if it’s your first time. But, the search for the perfect one that will suit your baby’s need can take forever if you’re unsure what to look for. It’s important to brainstorm with your partner about the details that might affect your baby.
What’ you’ll need to think about is the crib’s structure, size, safety, and quality. Bear in mind also that the crib will never be complete without a mattress, and these sometimes come separately.
Once you’ve chosen the perfect crib, the next thing is to find the right mattress for it or the one that’ll fit into it. The mattress to look out for should be firm and don’t worry too much if the mattress is too hard because a baby’s body is still developing, so they will be fine sleeping on it. Plus, when babies need to sleep, they will sleep.
As mentioned earlier, if you want to avoid messiness from your baby’s pee and other mess they might make, a quilted crib pad is advisable. You could also have a mattress cover as these can come in waterproof form too and are washable. For a budget, you can use crib sheets instead, but use double or triple the amount piled onto each other to have plenty of room to soak in fluids. This is an excellent trick to saving yourself from any hassles in the future.
3. Crib Accessories
What else do we think of when we think of crib accessories? As advised, you don’t want to have too many things in your crib, so you need the necessities. After all, babies don’t care whether they are spoiled with materialistic things or not. A crib bumper is a highly recommended item. Crib bumpers fill the gaps between the bars of the crib and are more breathable than bumper pads, letting your baby play without the trouble of breathing and slipping through the gaps.
This crib bumper by BreathableBaby (view on Amazon) is made of mesh, which is the perfect material for easy breathing for any baby age. This is also very easy to install and is strong enough for a baby’s foot to press on without breaking, so it’s worth to add to the list of baby bedding needs.
Tips for Your Little Ones
Aside from safety measures when considering your baby’s needs in a mattress, you should also make sure that you know how to keep them safe in the crib. Here are some for you to observe.
- A crib is a place where babies can sleep, nap, and, most of the time, act as their hang out spot for their first two years of growth. Their crib will most likely become their comfort zone, which is why parents must prepare everything, even the little details with caution and carefulness.
- Babies are advised to be kept only in their crib for their protection and safety. Never place your little one to sleep on a pillow, sofa, beanbag, or even adult beds unless being observed by an adult.
- Take note always to keep the drop-side up whenever your child is in the crib. Put away all the toys from the crib once the baby is fast asleep or unattended to avoid choking hazards or accidents.
- Babies love to grab things, so it would be best if you don’t place their crib near windows or decorative accessories, especially where long cords are present to prevent the baby from reaching them.
- Once the baby can get up to a standing position, it is safe to remove the crib bumper to minimize the tendency of the baby from stepping on it to hop out and make an escape.
Conclusion – How Many Mattresses Do Cribs Need?
Having all that you need for the safety of your baby doesn’t mean that you can take it easy. The thing with babies is that they need constant attention, and these items are just ways to make a parent’s duty easier or more assuring. So, never neglect to keep a good eye on your child, whether out or in the crib.
One last thing to mention is to make sure that you keep everything in the crib clean. Not only are babies vulnerable to sickness, but a sick baby is always troublesome due to their symptoms not being as apparent as they would be for an adult and the fact that they are unable to communicate their feelings. So the best precaution would be to avoid any mess or dirtiness in the first place. As people tend to say, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
