Is Choosing a Crib Mattress Really Important?-Guest Post

A lot of parents fuss over how the baby’s crib is going to look, but the crib mattress usually doesn’t get as much attention. While having cute bedding and little toys for your infant to play with is important, the crib mattress is the most essential part of the crib. Your baby is going to spend a lot of time on that mattress. If you want your child to properly grow and develop, then you need to choose the best mattress for your baby.

Development
Both infants and toddlers spend the vast majority of their time in the crib. An average infant spends about 70 percent of his or her time sleeping in the crib, and a toddler can be in the crib about 50 percent of the time. Most parents think about the baby growing and developing outside of the crib, and they ensure that the house is the perfect environment for the new child. At the same time, most parents underestimate just how much time babies spend in their crib.

Not only that, but most of your child’s development occurs when he or she is asleep. If you have an uncomfortable mattress that the baby hates, then he or she won’t be able to develop as much as another baby that is comfortably sleeping.

Posture
While posture can be corrected if the problem is addressed later in life, a baby’s posture largely depends on the mattress. Babies are more flexible than adults, but they can still develop a poor posture with the incorrect bedding. Most crib mattresses are very firm to prevent this. It helps your child sleep, and it ensures that his or her posture will be as perfect as possible.

Spills and Jumps
Every infant is going to wet the bed at least once. His or her diaper is going to overfill and there will be a large wet spot on the mattress. You need to choose a crib mattress that can withstand spills. A minor spill usually won’t do anything, but a major one can ruin the mattress from the inside. Getting a mattress with a waterproof covering is usually the best.

Toddlers usually don’t wet the bed as much, but they tend to jump on the mattress. You need to get a crib mattress that has strong stitching to avoid any problems. If the stitching becomes loose, then the mattress will fall apart.

Rolling Around
Infants and toddlers tend to roll around when sleeping. While they might hit the bars every now and then, that isn’t a major issue. Your child can get injured if you choose a crib mattress that is too small for the crib. One of the reasons to have a crib mattress is to protect your child from all the crib parts. If your child gets stuck while rolling around, or if he or she puts a hand under the mattress, then it could injury the baby.

Safety
You probably don’t want to think about it too much, but you need to give some thought to safety. Many crib mattresses aren’t fireproof. This means that the fire will spread throughout the mattress. If your baby is on the mattress at the time, then this can lead to severe injury or death.

You should choose a crib mattress that has a fireproof covering. Usually the covering won’t keep fire away for long, but it should give you enough time to pick up the baby and run.

Allergies
If your child has allergies, then you might need to pick a special crib mattress. Many conventional mattresses have one or two common allergens that can make your baby sneeze for hours. It can also make the allergy worse due to the constant exposure.

There are many alternative mattresses that you can choose from. Consider getting one made entirely from cotton to avoid most allergies.

Conclusion
Buying the right crib mattress is incredibly important for your child’s development and growth. Not only that, but the right crib mattress ensures that your child will be safe while he or she is sleeping. You should focus most of your attention on the crib mattress if you want your child to have a safe environment for growth and sleep.

Author Bio
Kelly Anderson writes mattress reviews from Organic Baby Nook so parents can make the best choices for their families.

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