Little Bit of Green

Baby bedding for girls: pink and frilly. Crib bedding for boys: baseball or football. Just hold on a second! Choosing baby bedding is about more than just a fashion statement.

You are aware of your own allergies and avoid any irritants – but what about your new baby? The fabric of your baby’s bedding is very important, and should be considered before looks. Any decent nursery bedding should list some vital facts – namely, cover fabric, fill material, fill power (higher is better), and thread count (again, higher is better). The first thing you might consider is the warmth of the bedding, especially if you’re having a winter baby, but it should also be lightweight and breathable. Research on the Internet is easy, so take advantage of the resource to investigate potential bedding choices.

To reduce the chances of sensitivities, try fabrics like wool, cotton, or down. Avoid synthetic fabrics, as many of them don’t breathe and they may break down as they age, cause the release of toxic gases. If you are considering a bedding set like the Max 4 piece crib set, that contains some amount of a synthetic fabric (polyester), but mostly cotton – then you need to think about how much you want the bedding vs. how much this small amount of polyester could cause a problem.

Wool is a great choice for a baby blanket – it’s both soft and comfortable. Choose unbleached or organic cotton flannel as the backing for a wool blanket. Smaller blankets are perfect for swaddling; larger ones are just right for car trips and naptime.

Because down is a natural material, it provides warmth while remaining light and breathable at the same time. Babies and messes go together like jam and peanut butter, so be sure to get one that can be washed in the machine. The cleaner the down inside the comforter, the less likely it will cause sensitivities. Filler material is checked for cleanliness using two tests: oxygen and turbidity. For the oxygen test, a lower number is better – with 10 being the government standard. The turbidity test works in the opposite way, with a higher number being better.

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