Little Bit of Green

Being a part of a throwaway society, something about our baby things tells us to hang on to them. During pregnancy, many people will offer their old nursery furniture and crib bedding. When family and friends donate bedding and cribs for your baby, respond with gratitude. After all, adding a baby to the family is expensive. Before using any baby bedding, be sure that it is completely safe.

Whatever you decide, a Moses basket or crib, the first bed belonging to your baby will no doubt be something special and a keepsake. While you are refinishing your used baby crib, take the time to make sure it will be safe for your baby. Even if the baby bedding looks untouched, when you receive it you should inspect it for safety. If the cradle is of wicker, check up the joints and remove any loose things. The mattress must be replaced as it would have definitely become bad. The baby might shove loose threads or pieces of material into his mouth, so when fitting the skirt make sure to remove them.

Any loose threads or pieces of material may end up in the child’s mouth, so when the drapes have been fitted, be sure to pick these things up. Purchase new bedding for your crib if you are able to because the majority of organizations that are concerned about the safety of baby furniture, such as the Juvenile Products Manufacturer’s Association (JPMA) in the United States and British Standards (BS) in the UK have advised consumers to purchase new furniture and bedding, if at all possible. Look out for products which either display JPMA seal of approval or the BS ‘Kite’ mark, as they have been tested painstakingly to meet all the safety regulations.

I have no problem with second-hand baby things as long as you make sure that they are perfectly safe - it isn’t environmentally sound to throw away good furniture and baby bedding. As your baby will spend quite a good time in the crib, it is worth spending time on it to see whether it is safe and comfortable. Please remember the following points when you check your baby equipment for safety. First off, always make sure to check for spots where a child’s clothes might get caught and any chipped, loose, or toxic lead paint. The bars of the crib must be closer than 2 and 3/8 inches apart and the header and footer boards should not have any holes. Then the baby is free from any accident. A sturdy crib requires tight joints and fixings. You will want to make sure the side rail can be lowered or raised using one hand and when it is all the way up is is securely in place. 22 inches is the height recommended for the top of the side rail to extend over the crib mattress, and for heavens sake make sure the mattress is not only firm but clean.

A new mattress that would fit in the crib is always better. Nursery bedding can lead to a possibility of suffocation; to reduce this, remove the bumper or keep it very tightly tied so that the baby cannot grab it and pull it down. Don’t use comforters, quilts or other heavy bedding for babies that are under a year old since this can cause overheating. Put something to measure the temperature and utilize blankets and sheets in the room. Keep the crib away from cords on lamps, window blinds and curtains and also keep the crib away from other furniture the baby can climb on, babies are very good climbers!

You can have a wonderful time with your baby that is growing fast.

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