Cribs also have a voluntary certification standard overseen by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). To be certified, crib brands must undergo extra testing for sturdiness. Certified cribs will usually have a sticker somewhere on the frame with the initials JPMA and the word certified on it. Being certified isn’t an absolute guarantee of safety. For example, some certified cribs have undergone federal recalls because of loose bars. A big price tag isn’t necessarily a sign of better safety or durability. Extremely expensive cribs may have a solid feel of quality to them but could still be recalled because of a serious flaw.

Cribs come in a variety of colors and finishes. There are pastel-painted versions in light greens or creamy whites, as well as models with wood stains such as cherry, pale blond, and natural. Lighter wood finishes are less likely to show scratches than darker cherry and mahogany stains, and often the darker stains are used to cover up visible flaws in less expensive wood cuts.

The best strategy for buying a crib is to shop mid-priced models, looking for well-glued slats, sturdy hardware, and easy-operating sides. Choose a crib with a smooth finish that goes with your home décor.

If the service is available, consider paying the store to deliver and set up the crib. It’s a two-person job that can last an hour. Make sure you set it up in the room where it is to stay, since cribs are too large to be moved out of rooms without being disassembled.

Cribs

The biggest advantage of buying a crib, rather than using other baby beds, is that they are governed by stringent federal regulations. That means that they are constantly monitored for flaws and are recalled when they fail to pass the tests and requirements. In addition, they are also covered by JPMA-certification standards, which means that those manufacturers who choose to can have their cribs tested and certified for additional safety compliance.

Full-sized cribs are so large, they can’t fit through doorways. Newborns and young babies don’t need all that room. Poorly functioning older cribs and new models with poor craftsmanship can be hazardous.

CRIB MATTRESSES

Once you’ve chosen your baby’s crib, you may be surprised to discover that even though mattresses are displayed inside cribs in stores, they aren’t included with them. And sales people are trained to immediately walk you to their mattress displays while you’re in the flush of your crib decision to encourage you to buy the most expensive version in the store.

Your baby will be sleeping on a crib mattress for two years—maybe a couple of years longer if you buy a pint-sized toddler bed the same dimensions as a crib.

Having a quality mattress is important, but there’s no need to pay extra bucks because a sales pitch tries to convince you that your baby needs extra back support. She doesn’t. Babies’ bodies are quite flexible. It’s the adults that carry them around who need the help.

Federal regulations enforced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) (see in 6. Medical and Safety Guide) mandate that all crib mattresses be the same length and width so that they will fit flush against the sides of cribs. In turn, full-sized cribs must also have identical interior dimensions, though some mattresses may be deeper than others.

There are basically two generic types of mattresses for babies: innerspring and foam. The coverings on crib mattresses, called “ticking,” come in a variety of colors and materials, such as quilted, moisture-resistant fabric, laminated vinyl, or a combination of fabric and vinyl. Ticking should be thick and resist moisture and stains. The best coverings are “triple-laminated,” meaning they offer three thick layers of material heat-welded together.

How the mattress ticking is sewn can be important. The binding around the edges of the mattress should be durable and double-stitched to prevent ripping and tearing. And, it will help to keep seams from splitting when a toddler jumps around on the mattress. Higher quality mattresses have fabric bindings all around the seams, rather than vinyl, and the seams are tightly double-stitched so they won’t come loose. Air vents—small, metal-lined holes along the side of the mattress, or pocket-style openings at both ends—allow the insides of the mattress to “breathe.” Inexpensive mattresses may have small metal vents fastened onto thin vinyl on the sides and these could be easily plucked off and swallowed by curious tots.

Sometimes manufacturers will claim that a mattress has “antibacterial” qualities. That means that an antibacterial chemical has been added to the vinyl used in the laminate to help destroy bacteria on the surface of the mattress. That’s not necessary: We suggest using a quality, washable pad to protect the mattress, turning the mattress over frequently, and following the manufacturer’s directions for cleaning (usually wiping the surface with a mild soap solution and then using a cloth dampened with clean water).

Some mattresses claim they are “non-allergenic,” or “hypoallergenic.” That simply means they’re made of foam instead of cotton and other fibers that attract dust mites and can cause allergic reactions.

Innerspring mattresses

Innerspring crib mattresses resemble miniature adult mattresses. Underneath the ticking are thick layers of padding, a series of metal coils, and thick metal wires to support the edges of the mattress. As for adults, better innerspring mattresses for babies generally have more coils than less-expensive versions, and the coils are made from higher-quality metal, such as steel.

As the name implies, innerspring mattresses have springs inside and the quality and price of the mattress often depends upon the number of coils, such as “180 tough steel springs and steel-reinforced edges.”

The main advantage of an innerspring mattress is that it offers variable support to different parts of your baby’s body as she grows and gains weight.

Their biggest drawback is that they’re substantially heavier and less flexible than mattresses made from foam. That makes sheet changing—which you’ll be doing once, possibly twice a day—more of a hassle than with a foam mattress. Plus, most tots like to use innerspring mattresses like trampolines, which could lead to falls and injuries.

Foam mattresses

Foam mattresses come in a variety of prices and grades. The higher the quality of foam, the heavier it weighs and the denser it is. Usually, foam mattresses are constructed from a single foam slab, but sometimes higher-quality versions will offer more than one density—a firm surface where baby sleeps, and a tough, non-springy edge to reinforce the outer rim of the mattress. Denser versions are less “squishy” when you squeeze them. Poor-quality mattresses will be lightweight; have only a single layer of vinyl for a covering; have vinyl, instead of fabric, seam bindings; and be mushy.

There are two quick tests for the denseness of a foam mattress. One is to take it down from the shelf (or out of the display crib) and to lean on the mattress with the top edge braced under your arms. A less dense mattress will bow into a curve under your weight.

The second test is to press your palms together with the mattress in between. A dense mattress will stay put without compressing inward, a less dense mattress will change shape under the pressure of your hands.

Quality foam mattresses can be really firm, almost like a brick, and that’s a good thing: You don’t want a mattress so soft that it creates unsafe air pockets. They’re lightweight, too, and have clear-cut corners that help keep fitted sheets on.

Inexpensive foam mattresses can compress and sag in the area where your baby lies. Some have only a single layer of vinyl that’s poorly bound on the sides, which can lead to tears and stretching. (Stick with a name-brand manufacturer with thick, reinforced upholstery.)

ALTERNATIVE SLEEPING OPTIONS FOR BABIES

There are a number of smaller-than-crib options for keeping your baby in your bedroom during the first months after birth.

Bassinets

Bassinets are compact baby beds on wheels. Most frames are made either out of tubular plastic or from woven rattan with wooden legs. Most have wheels or casters that make them easy to roll. Canopies are a cute extra, but models without such a topper are simpler to use and may cost less.

While a standard-sized crib can’t fit through a doorway, bassinets come with wheels and can easily be rolled from one room to another. So, bassinets are one option for keeping your baby close during that first crucial month when you are more likely to worry about your newborn’s well-being. As with full-sized cribs, a baby should always be placed on her back for faceup sleep. And soft quilts, pillows, or stuffed toys should be kept out of the bassinet to protect against baby suffocation or the potential for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

When shopping for a bassinet, look for these features:

• A quality mattress. A well-fitted, quality mattress is a must. It should be extra firm and extend completely to the edges and corners of the bassinet’s interior.

• Rigid sides. Solid sides in the baby’s sleep area are safer than soft, fabric sides that could allow a small neck or head to get trapped in pockets caused by loose fabric sides.

• Washable fabrics. Fabrics and liners should be completely washable. (Read the instructions.)

• Leg locks. Folding legs should lock firmly in the open position to prevent accidental collapse.

• Locking casters. Wheels are handy. Lockable, multi-direction castors are the best buy. They’ll keep siblings from pushing the bassinet around.

• Rocking feature. Some bassinets have a rocking option, which could be comforting for a fitful baby. Look for locks to keep the bassinet motionless for sleep; otherwise, your baby may end up pressed into one side when her weight shifts.

When using a bassinet, avoid the following:

• Using the bassinet with an older baby. Follow the manufacturer’s weight and age instructions for the best time to graduate your baby to a full-sized crib (it will usually be when she is able to roll over or pull up).

• Suffocation hazards. For safety’s sake, always place your baby on her back for sleep, and keep out soft pillows, quilts, and stuffed toys.

Bedside sleepers

These are low, small cribs with three sides and mattress pads designed to let newborns sleep directly beside their parents. They’re made to attach to the side of an adult bed by using long straps that go across the adult’s bedsprings to strap the sleeper firmly against the side of the bed. The concept of this design is to give parents easy access to their babies without the SIDS and suffocation dangers of babies sleeping in their parents’ beds.

The beds are handy and mean that the baby can be quickly moved back and forth for nursing and feeding with parents not having to get up.

The beds take up a lot of space on the side of an adult bed, and make it difficult for the adult to get in and out of bed. Babies tend to fall asleep at the breast, and arousing them by removing them from the warmth of the parent’s body to put them onto the cold sleeper surface is likely to awaken them in the same way that lifting them and placing them in a crib or bassinet will.

Cradles

Cradles are the traditional bed for newborns. They come in two basic styles: those with rockers on the base, and those that rock by being suspended on a footed frame by a hook or rocking mechanism at the top.

Unfortunately, small babies have little body control, and they may be rolled back and forth with the rocking motion, or become trapped.

 

“We hated our bedside sleeper, a ‘half bed’ that strapped on to the side of our bed. It took up a lot of space, made it hard to get in and out of the bed, and the baby woke up every time we tried to lower her into it.”

Heirloom cradles with widely spaced bars (more than 2 inches apart), and those with soft, poorly fitting mattresses can be life threatening. Young babies can slide through the bars leaving their heads behind, causing strangulation, and they can also get wedged between the cradle side and the mattress, causing suffocation.

They have a romantic, all-baby feel to them. They offer rocking that should be soothing to a baby.

Unfortunately, most cradles simply roll a baby’s body back and forth from one side to the other, and babies can get trapped against the side that’s lowest.

Portable cribs

An alternative product option is a small-scale crib with wheels. These are actually a safer choice since many models from major manufacturers have passed special safety and durability tests to earn a Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA)-certification sticker.

These are simply miniature cribs, small enough to roll through doorways. They tend to be safer than other bedding alternatives because of the strict regulations they have to follow. Legs may lower to allow the portable to sit on the floor like a playpen for use later.

Most do not have lowering sides, so you will have to bend down to put your baby in or lift her out. They use nonstandard-sized sheets. They may offer only one mattress height. Some models have soft instead of rock-hard mattresses. Babies should only sleep on extra-firm versions.

DIAPER BAGS

Going out in the world with your baby will require toting a humongous load of baby gear. The list of what to pack includes spare diapers, a change or two of clothes, baby bottles, toddler snacks, diaper wipes, and a distracting toy or two.

Diaper bags come in a huge variety of sizes and designs. Outer finishes range from colorful, baby-friendly quilted fabrics to serious, down-to-business black and navy bags that fit well in the office. Most bags offer a wide range of pockets and extras, including removable diaper-changing pads, moistureproof storage pouches, insulated bottle holders, and even loops to hold car keys or snap-on toys.

DIAPERS

A typical baby will use about sixty diapers a week in the early months. That rate will gradually slow down as your baby’s digestive system matures, and by about age three, your child will begin to be ready to use training pants or a pull-up at night. But in the meantime, over the course of your baby’s diapering career, you’ll change about 6,000 diapers.

Though 90 percent of American households use disposables (for pretty obvious reasons: They’re convenient, time-saving, and less messy), they aren’t the only option. Other choices, like reusable fabric diapers or a diaper service, may be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

Fabric reusables

It can be argued that just as you wouldn’t voluntarily choose to wear adult incontinence briefs unless you had to, your baby would probably choose soft fabric diapers over paper and plastic if she had a choice. Plus, disposables with their slow-to-degrade plastic liners continue to cause a major pollution problem.

Laundering your own diapers will help to keep costs down, and can save you several thousand dollars when compared to disposables, which typically cost between 15 and 25 cents a piece. But, in figuring out your costs, also factor in the wear and tear on your washing machine, the rise in your utility bills, the cost of laundry detergent and, of course, the price of your sanity.

If you choose reusables, a sturdy washer and a dryer are essential. Gear yourself up for a regular, daily laundering schedule to keep on top of the dirty diaper pile. For the most efficient diaper cleaning, it’s best to use unscented liquid detergents that won’t leave a residue behind. Don’t use a fabric softener, as perfumes can be irritating to a baby’s nose and skin (they also tend to clog the vent screens of dryers, which can slow down the drying process).

Since cotton is more absorbent than other materials, it’s the material of choice for reusable diapers.

Standard, old-fashioned diapers are usually packaged by the dozen and come in one of three basic models: unfolded, folded, and shaped. Unfolded diapers are simply a single, large square of fabric. The packaging usually gives instructions on how to fold them to fit your baby so that absorbency is concentrated in the middle of the diaper, where it’s most needed. Usually they’re folded in a triangle: one point for each side of the baby, and a point to fit between the legs. Then the three points are brought together at baby’s middle and pinned.