Mattress for the newborn

A mattress for a newborn is not the last thing you need to take care of before the baby is born, because a healthy dream in the native walls, by and large, depends on it. Of course, other details of the place for sleep will play no less important role - the quality of the crib itself, bed linen, color range of walls and additional elements like canopy, microclimate in the room. But all these are separate tasks. This article will acquaint you with the types of mattresses, their advantages and disadvantages, help you decide which mattress is best for your newborn.

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Which mattress to choose for a newborn in a crib? The main characteristics of

Among the large modern range of young parents it is very difficult to make a choice in favor of a really good thing. To push the purchase of a particular model was not a subjective opinion of the seller, you need to know the basic properties that a good mattress for a newborn should have.

Ventilability

When selecting this item in a baby cot, be sure to check its ability to "breathe".For a baby, this quality is simply necessary, because:

• Good ventilation prevents the development of harmful microorganisms inside the product, which can disrupt the fragile health of the baby, and also provides better hygiene of the mattress.
• Excessive softness of the product in combination with poor air exchange can cause difficulty breathing during sleep of the newborn on the stomach.

Important! The necessary ventilation is provided by high-quality materials. Excellent results are given by the German knitwear Green Cotton and Slip-Fresh, the Aero-Fresh mesh.

Rigidity

What is the best baby mattress for a newborn - soft or vice versa hard? This question always worries parents. Let's deal with this moment.

The best products for the newly born little man will be a mattress with moderate stiffness. Often such a response young mom and dad react very keenly, because they want to provide maximum comfort to their child. And in their understanding, comfort is when it is soft and cozy, like on a feather bed.

Important! Too soft mattress will not only not create a baby's coziness, but it will be a huge mistake of the parents.

Problems that can arise from a soft down mattress:

• Pooh is very allergenic, and can cause problems even in an adult. The thing is that in such a natural filler ticks are often found, the products of vital activity of which are the main threat to health, sometimes even a very serious allergic reaction.
• Curvature of the spine is another serious problem, which can be a consequence of using an overly soft mattress in a baby bed. In this case, scoliosis develops in the child even in the preschool age. This is explained by the softness of the baby's bone, which, if not provided with the necessary support, is bent, forming a child's incorrect posture. Therefore, thinking about the question of which is better for a newborn, be sure to consider its rigidity.
• The most terrible outcome that can happen if a baby sleeps on an overly soft mattress is strangulation during sleep on the stomach.

Therefore, to protect a newborn from the described problems, a mattress for him should be chosen hard. But do not go too far with this property, because a child should be comfortable on it. The best option would be a product with medium stiffness. Such requirements are met by some spring mattresses, as well as springless models made of coconut coir and latex.

Important! Pediatricians recommend choosing a mattress with rigidity, depending on the age of the child. The smaller the child, the stiffer the mattress should be in the crib.

An excellent option in terms of economy and rigidity will be a two-sided mattress. One side of such a product is soft, and the other is more rigid. This mattress is suitable for a newborn( hard side), and for an older child( soft side).Thus, you do not have to change the mattress for an adult child.

Environmentally Friendly

How to choose a mattress for a newborn?- It is necessary to pay attention to the environmental friendliness of the materials used.

Important! A quality mattress should not emit unpleasant odors and cause allergies. It should have a long service life.

Natural materials can be considered environmentally friendly:

• Horse hair;
• Coconut shaving;
• Wood shavings;
• Seaweed;
• Felt;
• Straw;
• Natural latex.

Important! In a mattress for a newborn, it is important not only the naturalness of materials, but, above all, their quality.

Hypoallergenic

The mattress for a newborn should be necessarily hypoallergenic, because the immune system of the baby is not yet fully developed, the metabolism is not fully formed. Therefore, it is difficult for a child to resist independently to various allergens. The baby in the crib during the first months of life is almost constant. Accordingly - parents should take care of the safety and quality of bed linen, including a mattress.

Important! The best hypoallergenic material is coconut coir.

Hygienic

If you choose a mattress in a baby cot, and which one you do not know, then it is definitely worth checking with the seller whether this or that model is hygienic. Any harmful microbes and bacteria can damage a child's immature body. Of course, do not try to make the place for sleeping a baby completely sterile - just take care of its hygiene.

Important! First and foremost, it is worth to refuse to buy mattresses with artificial filler, which by and large are poorly ventilated, absorb the moisture well and hold it for a long time. When buying, be sure to check the information provided by the manufacturer on the product packaging.

Orthopedicism

This property of a child's mattress, no matter where the baby lies, will ensure the correct position of his body. This effect is possible with a special design of the product, thanks to which the mattress completely repeats the bends of the child's backbone - this way supports it, allows all muscles to achieve complete relaxation.

Important! The orthopedic mattress has an elastic structure of medium stiffness, a comfortable and smooth surface for sleeping.

However, for a newborn such an effect is completely unnecessary and is only a marketing move by producers. The whole reason is that the child's weight is still very small to create a significant load on the surface of the mattress.

Important! The best mattress for a newborn will be a product with an average degree of rigidity with a coconut filler.

If the parents do not plan to change the mattress before the child reaches the age of 4, then buying an orthopedic product for the newborn will be justified.

Important! In order to save money, a bilateral mattress, one side of which is latex and the other one is coconut, will be a profitable acquisition.

Quality upholstery

Looking for which is the best baby mattress?- We recommend in this case to pay attention not only to the filler of the product, but also to its upholstery:

• A good cover has at least one additional layer of cotton, sintepon, wool or other material, and is quilted inside. Thanks to this, the mattress surface acquires a beautiful and even surface.

Important! The most convenient is a cover with a zipper. It can be removed at any time and washed if necessary.

• The upholstery should be made of natural materials.

Important! The best version of the material for upholstery is jacquard cloth. It is rather natural( 70-80% of cotton and 30-20% of synthetic fibers), durable, hygienic and practical.

• There are also cases that are treated with a special impregnation( antifungal, antimicrobial, dustproof, fireproof, etc.).

The correct size of

One of the important criteria, how to choose a baby mattress for a newborn, is the correct calculation of its size. The standard sizes of the beds have the following parameters:

• 80х160;
• 120x60;
• 125x65;
• 140x70.

It is necessary to measure your crib, because it can be done not according to standard parameters.

Important! It is better that the mattress for the newborn is 2 cm smaller in width and in length than the size of the crib:

• The larger the bed the product can not exactly lie down, making the mounds and hollows.
• A mattress that exactly matches the size of the bed, it will be difficult to pull out of it.
• A much smaller mattress is also not worth buying, because it will always fidget, and the gaps between it and the crib can cause children's injuries.

The gap between the crib and the mattress should not be large for 4 cm.

Mattress cover

A comfortable and practical addition to the mattress in the baby bed will be a waterproof mattress pad. He works on the principle of a diaper and will protect the product itself from unforeseen children's surprises. Such a thing will definitely extend the life of your mattress.

Important! If you use an old children's mattress, then you just need this acquisition. The mattress pad will ensure hygiene of the baby bed.

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What is the best baby mattress for a newborn?

It is necessary to compare the merits and demerits of different types of mattresses to answer this question. So, what are the mattresses for newborns?

Spring mattresses

Such products can have dependent and independent springs:

• For the newborn child, the model with dependent springs "Bonnel" is considered the worst option. The springs in this mattress are connected to each other, so when one of them fails, the neighboring ones also change their original position. The result of such a defect may be dents or mounds, which is very harmful for the child's soft backbone.
• A mattress with independent springs is the best option. Each spring in this model is in the individual bag and works autonomously.

Advantages of products with independent springs:

• Orthopedic. Such mattresses do not sag and are able to adapt to different positions of the baby, without creating a "hammock" effect. The backbone of the child on this mattress is always flat.
• During a change of body position, which is common for a child, the mattress does not produce any sounds at all. Unlike products with dependent springs, this one does not creak, providing a quiet sleep to the baby and parents.

Disadvantages of a mattress with independent springs:

• High cost.
• High height and considerable weight. This introduces some discomfort during its operation. The height of the mattress reduces the sides of the crib, and the weight makes it difficult to turn the object.
• Springs can have an electrostatic and magnetic effect on the child.

Springless children's mattresses

As a rule, such products have several layers of different fillers and fabrics - both artificial and natural origin. Let's consider the basic characteristics of the most widespread variants of similar products.

Coconut chips

When asked which mattress is best for a newborn in the crib, there is a suitable answer - a product from a coconut coir. To date, it is considered the best option in terms of quality-price. Such a product can be manufactured in two ways:

• A model of sewn coconut fiber. This option is not suitable for a small child, as the sewn coir can crumble and turn into a loose mixture that can cause the strongest allergy. Also, such mattresses are prone to rapid deformation.
• A model of coconut fiber adhered with latex. In this case, latex impregnation must necessarily be natural.

Important! When buying a coconut mattress, carefully inspect the certificate for the product. Also, keep in mind that the quality of the product always depends on its price.

Advantages:

• Has an orthopedic effect.
• Not prone to absorption of odor and liquids.
• The filler has bactericidal properties, does not cause allergies and does not rot.
• Has good ventilating properties.

Disadvantages:

• High cost of the product.

Horse hair

To make this mattress, pre-soaked latex hair from the tail and mane of the animal is used. By quality, the filler is very similar to coconut shavings.

Advantages:

• Hygroscopicity is possible thanks to the open core of the hair.
• Durability - these mattresses perfectly hold the form and serve very long, thanks to the high elasticity of horsehair.
• Orthopedic.

Disadvantages:

• Such a natural filler is the most expensive, therefore, mattresses with it can not afford to everyone.
• Possibility of allergies.

Natural latex

This material is produced by foaming Hevea juice.

Advantages:

• The porous structure of the product helps to restore its original shape even after a huge load.
• Long service life.
• The filler is hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly. Does not accumulate static electricity, does not contribute to the development of pathogenic microorganisms.
• Noiselessness. The mattress does not make any sounds while staying on it, thereby, keeping a quiet sleep of the baby.

Disadvantages:

• Gives an unpleasant smell of rubber, which completely disappears after some time of use.
• Quite expensive compared to its synthetic analog.
• It's too soft for a newborn's mattress.

Important! The product of latex is recommended to buy for older children, while the natural latex is combined with other material, for example, with coconut coir.

Wooden shavings, felt, straw

Mattresses made of these materials can not be called the best option for a newborn. Such a filler starts to break down under high humidity. An essential advantage of such a product is its low cost.

Seaweed

This filler is considered an excellent option for a mattress in a baby cot. It promotes sound healthy sleep and good relaxation. Unfortunately, it is very rare to meet such a product on sale, and it costs a lot of money.

Baby mattress batting

Such a mattress for a newborn can be rightly called the worst. The material of even the highest quality is too soft for the child's tender spine.

Advantages:

• Low cost.
• Filler without synthetic additives is considered a natural material.

Disadvantages:

• Increased softness.
• Quickly absorb various odors and liquid. This contributes to the development of harmful microorganisms, fungus, mold.
• Since cotton is peculiar to downloading, such a mattress eventually becomes bumpy and uncomfortable for sleeping and resting.

polyurethane mattress foam is an artificial foam filler in the form of a foam polymer.

Advantages:

• Durability and increased durability. The filler does not roll, does not form a dent, does not crumble or deform.
• Low cost.

Important! It is worth considering that a good polyurethane foam is not too cheap.

Disadvantages:

• Insufficient stiffness for the baby.

Straight Beam Matress

This filler is completely artificial, but looks like wool. It is often used in combination with a coconut coir. More suitable for older children.

Advantages:

• Has elasticity and ability to store heat.
• Has properties similar to natural wool.
• Long service life.
• Hypoallergenic.
• Excellent ventilation.

Disadvantages:

• High cost.

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How to choose the right mattress for a newborn? Useful recommendations

• It is not recommended for a newborn to purchase a spring mattress.
• Do not consider as an option product with a cheap filler - such as cotton wool or foam rubber. As a result of such savings, your baby's health may suffer.
• Make sure before buying that the quality of the product corresponds to GOST, that it is safe and hygienic. Such marking and certificates must necessarily be of a quality product.

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Mattress care

Buy a quality and good mattress for a newborn is only half the job. To keep it safe and comfortable for the child, you still need to look after it properly:

• A mattress must necessarily be vacuumed.

Important! It should be at least once a month to treat the mattress with a vacuum cleaner, since dust from bedding constantly gets on the product and accumulates in it.

• You should also regularly ventilate the mattress. To do this, you can take it to the balcony and leave it for a whole day.

Important! While the child is too small, this procedure will not work, so as often as possible, take out the mattress for fresh air for a couple of hours.

Now, knowing all the nuances of how to choose a mattress for a newborn, you will not make mistakes during its acquisition and buy a really useful, safe and comfortable thing that will last for more than one year, and possibly will also get your second child.