When it comes to shopping for little ones, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and bombarded by information about toxicity, contaminants, developmental psychology, and pollutants. It can be difficult to understand what is safe and what is baby-friendly—if the item you’re shopping for will be used often by the baby, the stress can be compounded. To help ease the burden, the following will break down a few details regarding shopping for just one crucial baby and toddler item—the crib mattress. Special attention will be paid to the common mistakes people make when shopping for crib mattresses and what can be done to avoid them.
Not Trusting Your Instincts
Before you read any guide on anything related to babies, before you take the advice of someone (friend or stranger), it is crucial that you think out and feel out the situation on your own. No one knows your child better than you do, and no one knows you better than you do. One of the most common parental regrets people have when their children are grown is not listening to their instincts and caving into the pressure they felt from in-laws, society, or other sources.
Mindlessly Following Childcare Norms
Remind yourself that norms do not need to be obeyed. There are places in the world where no baby wears a diaper, and those kids are just fine. In Finland, babies don’t sleep in cribs. Instead, they sleep in small boxes supplied by the government. The majority of the world’s babies don’t sleep in anything at all but in their parents’ beds which is called cosleeping. Ask yourself what feels comfortable for you and your baby. Maybe that’s cosleeping, maybe that’s a hybrid option with the crib in your bedroom, maybe that’s the same crib you slept in when you were their age. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing if it doesn’t feel right or it seems like there’s an easier option for you and your little one.
Putting Too Much Pressure On Yourself
It’s also worth noting that you can let go of the pressure a bit. If it helps, continually remind yourself that you can change your mind. You can try something out and find that you don’t like it and then try something else. You won’t be stuck with any choice you make.
Buying Something With Plastic In It
Yes, you’ve been barraged with information about how bad BPA is and have likely avoided plastic containing it, but did you know that BPA is only one of several carcinogenic, hormone-disrupting toxins found within plastic? BPA-free does not mean the plastic is safe. Avoid a giant handful of nasty compounds by avoiding plastic. It is worth noting that most synthetic materials contain some level of plastic which means you need to be on the lookout for:
- Polyester
- Acrylic
- Nylon
- Rayon
- Spandex
- Carbon fibre
- Olefin
- Neoprene
- Polyester Fleece
- Microfiber
- Lycra
- Acetate
- Vinyl
If you don’t recognize a material or ingredient, do your research on it first. New names for plastic-based materials are constantly being developed. When you first begin your search, you’ll likely find that this list here removes many of the conventional mattress options for your child. Have no fear. It takes a little getting used to searching online or in unusual stores, but quickly you’ll be discovering options like the Avocado crib mattress, which is made of organic cotton and wool. Once you start looking, you’re going to find that there are countless companies working tirelessly to provide toddlers around the world with safe products.
Expecting It To Stay Pristine
Of course, toddlers are messy, and this means that expecting the new mattress to stay pristine probably isn’t going to result in your expectations being met. You can seek out a mattress cover (using all of the above steps again) to help slow the degradation process, but you can’t completely protect a mattress.
Pay Attention To Your Child’s Response
Again, no one knows your baby better than you do. Take note of how your infant responds to the mattress. Do they look comfortable? Is their movement restricted? Do they cry more or less? Use these indicators to help you determine whether the choice you’ve made is right for your child.
The above mistakes are all relatively easy to avoid when shopping for a crib mattress. Once you know what to be on the lookout for, it becomes pretty easy to find things that meet your ethical and material standards that also vibe well with you and your child.