Safety Before Everything Else: Finding the Optimal Nursery Bedding

Shopping online for baby bedding brings a vast selection. This can be great when you know what you want and you're just trying to find it. But if you haven't already got a clear picture of what you're looking for, shopping online can actually confuse you even more. If you're looking for an animal design, you can find just about anything you can imagine, from a caterpillar baby crib bedding set to giraffes. So what about angels? That shouldn't have too many choices, right? Right - only a hundred or so! The more demand there is for a particular theme, the more variations you will find. Things like nursery rhymes, cartoon characters, or very classic styles may simply be too hard to choose unless you narrow down your choices significantly.

Whether it's baby boy bedding or baby girl, you might be tempted to buy everything you can afford - after all, they're all so darn cute! Baby bedding can be incredibly cute, and every parent wants the best for their new baby. But you've got to realize that your baby isn't going to know the difference. If you're wondering what are the most important considerations, here are a few of them:

- Many people can't imagine a crib without bumper pads, but recent controversy indicates they may not be such a good idea. The idea behind a crib bumper is to protect baby from the hard bars of the crib, but if the bumper comes loose it may cause suffocation. If you decide to put crib bumpers in, be sure that they are properly secured and that any ties are on the outside of the railings. But the far better option is to just remove the pads completely, at least until the end of year one.

- Crib sheets consist of just a fitted sheet. There is no flat sheet and no pillowcase, because young babies really don't need them. When buying crib sheets, make sure they fit your mattress properly. If they are too big or too small, they may come free from the mattress and pose a suffocation risk. Diaper leaks are inevitable so consider a mattress protector and avoid white sheets!

- Since loose blankets can also be a hazard, stick to a sleep sack or warm PJs instead of a quilt. And don't overbundle the baby - he doesn't need to be any warmer than you do. Stuffed animals and pillows are dangerous so take them out of the crib.

When choosing baby bedding, make sure it's safe first, then worry about looks.