When a small cozy bed has already appeared in the nursery, it is time to pick up the right accessories in it. For someone, the thing of prime necessity will be a beautiful, but absolutely impractical canopy, someone, first of all, will think about buying protection on the walls of the bed. Meanwhile, an incredibly important condition for a full sleep of the baby is a well-chosen mattress. How to choose a mattress for a newborn? How long can he serve the child? These and other issues concern many young parents.
Mattress requirements for the smallest
It’s really responsible to consider the choice of a children's mattress, because, purchased even for a newborn, a quality product can last at least three years. Models made entirely of batting are slowly but surely losing ground in the modern market. However, even when buying the most fashionable and beautiful mattress, you always need to make sure that he has:
- Right size
A mattress designed for baby sleep should match the size of the crib. If it turns out to be smaller than the perimeter of the crib, it will constantly move out and cause the child inconvenience during sleep. The usual size is considered to be 120 by 60 cm. However, knowing exactly the length and width of the bottom of the crib, you can choose a mattress that is slightly different from the standard.
- High hygiene and safety
A newly born baby will spend a lot of time in his crib, which means that the mattress for him should be well ventilated, have, if not a moisture resistant coating, then at least a removable cover that is easy to remove and rinse or even wash. An important role is also played by the filler. The naturalness of the composition does not always mean that it will suit your child in the best way. For example, completely natural wool or felt can cause allergies in children. In addition, after several leaks missed by the mother, such fillers can produce an unpleasant odor over time.
It is also necessary to pay attention to the cover, which is mainly made of their cotton fabric. For a newborn, it is important that there are no coarse seams, snakes, buttons and other details on the cover in places of contact with the body that can cause the baby anxiety during sleep.
- Good orthopedic properties
This is not about treating an already formed curvature of the spine, but only about ensuring that the mattress for the newborn has sufficient rigidity. Then the spine of the little peanut will take a natural position during sleep.Pediatricians categorically do not advise children to sleep on too soft a surface, since in this case, a fragile spine can become deformed. In this regard, such a filler as coconut fiber, which at the same time gives the mattress both the necessary rigidity and elasticity, well absorbs odors and lets air in, has proven itself well.
After familiarizing yourself with the listed requirements for mattresses for newborns, you can safely determine the choice of model.
Types of mattresses for children
In order to figure out which is still the best mattress to choose for our newborn baby, you need to decide how long you plan to use the mattress:
1. A universal model without springs is suitable for the smallest crumbs, and for those who already have 3-4 years.
It can be based on coconut fiber or polyurethane foam, which is also considered anti-allergenic and non-toxic material. Felt or wool may be used as an additional layer. In addition, there are bilateral models. Different rigidity of the sides is intended for children of different ages: more rigid (coconut) - for newborns, more elastic (latex or polyurethane) - for children over one year old.
The mattress sometimes has an asymmetric shape (one side is thicker than the other), imitating a flue in the hospital, located at a certain angle. This is done to avoid choking the child at the time of regurgitation. Which model to choose is up to the parents. In any case, it must be remembered that laying a pillow under the child’s head for up to a year is strictly not recommended.
A cover made of natural cotton fabric (calico, calico, chintz, jacquard) can be flashed with cotton wool for extra softness. Also, this material promotes better air exchange in the heat. A snake or other clasp to remove the cover is usually located on the side.
2. Spring mattress.
It is also positioned by manufacturers as a universal model for both a newborn and a school-age child. However, it will still be more useful for children from a year who not only sleep on the mattress, but can actively frolic on it and even jump. Therefore, the size of such products is often already 190 to 90 cm (although there are also models of a traditional size). For a newborn, the presence of springs will not play a significant role due to the low weight of the child.
In addition to springs, a block of felt, coconut fiber, and also polyurethane foam may be present in the composition. An additional means of ventilation of such a mattress can be ventilation holes, called aerators. It can be frameless or have a frame that guarantees the preservation of shape for a long time.
However, if a mother decides to have a joint sleep with her baby for the first few months, then even the best mattress bought for a crib may not be needed at first. Then young parents should make sure that in their own bed there is a sufficiently rigid and at the same time elastic mattress that could support the baby in an anatomically correct position during sleep.
On this topic:
- How to choose a crib for a baby?
- A complete list of things for a newborn
- Online store of children's goods
- Room for a newborn baby boy
