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Crib Accessories
Home » Nursery » Cribs » Crib AccessoriesPurchasing the actual crib is just the beginning of getting your baby’s bed ready. There are several accessories that can be purchased to make the crib more exciting and inviting for your little one.
• Hanging Crib Toys and Mobiles: These stimulating toys are intended to waken the senses of your infant. However, mobiles and crib gyms should be removed from the crib by the time baby is five months old or can push up on his hands and knees, whichever occurs first.
• Mattresses: Buying a good mattress means buying good support for your baby’s growing bones. There are two types of mattresses that are on the market today: Foam mattresses and Innerspring mattresses.
o Foam: Foam mattresses come in various levels of thickness. Although thickness is not necessarily important, the density of the mattress is. Look for a foam mattress that claims to have a density of about 1.5 pounds per cubic foot. Foam mattresses tend to weigh less than Innerspring mattresses, and are therefore easier to flip and flop when changing the sheets.
o Innerspring: Innerspring mattresses are made up of coils, and tend to keep their shape better for longer periods of time. When shopping for an Innerspring mattress, consider the higher number of coils to be better, and a number close to 150 is best.
Neither type of mattress is “better” than the other – just pick the mattress that offers the most convenience, comfort and best cost for you. Another consideration would be to find a mattress with venting holes that allow odors to escape easily. You can expect to pay between $80 - $100 for a Foam mattress and up to $140 for an Innerspring mattress. Once you have chosen your mattress, remember that the gap between the mattress and the crib frame should be less than two finger widths.
• Bumper Pads: Bumper Pads are another type of popular crib accessory. This decorative type of padding is designed to keep baby’s arms and legs from getting stuck in the spaces between slats. They should cover the entire perimeter of the crib and have last least six straps or ties to hold them in place. If a bumper has excessively long straps or ties, the length should be shortened. It is recommended that bumper pads should be removed from the crib as soon as baby is old enough to pull himself up to standing position, so as not to use them as a stepping stone.
• Teething Rails: When babies start to get teeth, any and every object becomes a teether. Babies will chew on anything, including the rails of a crib. Teething rails are plastic devices that fit over the top rails of the crib so that baby can safely chew on them without the parents worrying about chipping off paint into their mouths or damaging the crib. Teething rails should be removed as soon as damage starts to show.
• Blankets, Quilts, Pillows, Stuffed Animals: These decorative soft-line items should never be placed in the crib while baby is sleeping to prevent the risk of suffocation.
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