How to choose a mattress for a newborn

A pregnant woman closer to childbirth begins "nesting syndrome". She is actively beginning to prepare for the upcoming life with the future baby. Curtains go to the wash, wash the floors under the sofas and in other places where people usually do not step foot. It comes to the future crib of the child. A woman tries to make or buy beautiful bumpers in a crib, takes care of blankets and pillows. But any mother knows that the main thing is a mattress. It determines the mood and future health of the crumbs. Incorrectly chosen mattress can lead to problems with the spine, poor rest and, as a result, unimportant mood. In order for the baby to be healthy, vigorous and cheerful, the mattress needs to be chosen correctly.

What should be the children's mattress

To sleep a newborn baby was comfortable, long and deep, the mattress must meet certain criteria.

1. Safe. This is the first rule that applies to the mattress. The filler should consist only of environmentally friendly materials. It is very important that the mattress filler is not a food for germs, ticks and bedbugs. Many manufacturers make special antibacterial treatment to protect the inside of the mattress from various insects.
2. Hypoallergenic. When choosing a filler, you need to be as careful as possible - some components (especially natural ones) can cause an allergic reaction in a child. For example, allergies can occur on swan's down or camel wool. It is clear that the mattress for the newborn is prepared in advance. When you leave your child to sleep for the first time on a new mattress, be sure to follow his reaction. If the skin appears red, itchy, if the baby began to cough - so an allergic reaction may occur.
3. The correct size. It is very important to choose the correct size of the mattress. If the mattress is larger, it will go up in tubercles, which makes the surface uneven. On such a mattress to sleep the baby can not. If the mattress is small, a gap appears between the wall of the crib and the edge of the mattress itself.The child’s legs may fall into this gap when he learns to stand up. It is very important to choose the right height of the mattress. Usually children's mattresses do not exceed 6 centimeters in height. If the mattress is higher, the baby can roll over and fall out of the crib when it begins to rise on its legs.
4. Hard. The spine of an adult has two physiological bends - in the lumbar region and in the neck. The spine of a newborn baby is almost flat, without bends. To help the baby in shaping the correct posture, you need to choose the right things that will surround him. A good orthopedic mattress is the foundation of the unborn baby’s back. The mattress should be moderately hard, so that under the mass of a tiny baby certain areas are not pressed through. Orthopedists around the world talk about the necessary rigidity of the mattress for newborns and children in the first year of life. This contributes to the formation of a beautiful posture. In addition, a soft mattress can be dangerous - when a baby is lying on its stomach and does not know how to raise its head, the mattress can lead to suffocation.
5. Breathable. It is very important that the mattress can be dried.After all, the baby can be described if he without a diaper or on top was not impenetrable mattress pad. In any case, this is a child and an incident can happen at any time. In addition, breathability allows the mattress to "breathe", which prevents the appearance of insects and dampness inside the filler. In order for the mattress to be “breathable,” it is important to consider not only the filler material, but also the naturalness of the top fabric cover.

These are the main criteria for choosing a mattress. But what should be inside a quality mattress? What filler to choose, so that the newborn is comfortable and safe?

Mattress filler

Choosing a good mattress for the child, it is very important to pay attention to its contents. The mattress can be spring and springless. Spring mattresses, in turn, are divided into dependent and independent spring blocks. Springless mattresses can be filled with various natural or artificial materials. Let's talk about each type of mattress in more detail.

1. Mattress with dependent springs. This is the so-called technology of manufacturing mattresses "Bonnel".It is the most popular due to the relative cheapness of the product. Bonnel - these are interconnected springs, when pressing one, the adjacent springs are compressed. Due to this, the mattress worse repeats the anatomy of the human body, but it can withstand heavy loads and weights. Over time, such a mattress quickly deteriorates, as the baby grows and begins to walk on the mattress with their feet. From this spring blocks come into disrepair. If you decide to buy just such a mattress, pay attention to the diameter of the springs - the smaller they are, the longer the mattress will serve.
2. Independent spring blocks. The design of the mattress involves the use of independent springs. That is, each spring is surrounded by a special cover and fixed in a certain place. The springs do not interlock with each other, so when pressing on one, the neighboring ones do not contract. This makes the mattress completely orthopedic - it perfectly repeats the curves of the human body. For a newborn, you should choose a mattress with independent spring blocks of medium or high rigidity so that the baby’s skeleton is formed correctly.Among the additional advantages of such a mattress can be called its noiselessness - the springs do not creak when changing the position of the body. In addition, the spine on this mattress is really resting and completely relaxed. Among the disadvantages of independent spring units is the high price of the product, the large weight of the mattress and the relatively high height. The child may subsequently fall out of the crib with such a high mattress.
3. Coconut fiber or coir. These are coconut flakes, which are usually sold with latex. That is, the mattress turns out to be double-layered - one side is latex, the other is coir. To check the quality of the coconut fiber, you need to ask the seller for a certificate of conformity of the product. It is very important to touch the coconut fiber in the cut, if it crumbles - the mattress is of poor quality. In this case, fine coconut dust can lead to allergies in the child. In addition, it is worth to smell the mattress - if it smells of rubber, it means synthetic latex. A quality mattress made of coconut fiber is very good for a baby - it has sufficient rigidity, is well ventilated, dries quickly, does not cause allergic reactions.In addition, coconut fibers do not absorb moisture, do not swell and do not rot.
4. Latex. Latex can be natural or artificial. Natural latex is made from the sap of certain trees, simply, it is rubber. However, pure rubber is afraid of sunlight and high temperatures, so additional components are added to its composition that make rubber more durable. A good latex mattress contains up to 60% natural rubber. This mattress will serve you for a very long time, it is elastic, comfortable and environmentally friendly. In such material insects and microbes will not start. Usually inside the latex mattress there are special tunnels for ventilation. However, it is very important to choose when buying a natural latex, and not its synthetic (artificial) substitute, which is also called highly elastic polyurethane foam. In principle, it is quite a worthy analogue of natural material, well repeats the human anatomy, moreover, such a mattress is much cheaper than real latex. However, for young children, the material is not suitable - artificial rubber can be a source of an allergic reaction.
5. Vata. In recent years, wadded filler began to fade into the background, although it is often possible to find wadded mattresses, especially in homes with old interiors. It is proved that wool is an outdated material, it rolls into lumps, which creates irregularities on the surface of the mattress. In addition, harmful microorganisms can live in cotton wool, cotton wool absorbs moisture, it dries poorly, etc.

These are the most common types of fillers for mattresses, their advantages and advantages. Whatever mattress you buy, you need to know a few more nuances regarding its operation.

How to care for a mattress

When preparing the bed for the future baby, it is important to understand that in addition to the mattress you need to provide a bed with additional accessories. It is best to wrap the walls of the crib with special soft rims - they will protect the baby from injury and strikes on the hard rods of the crib. It is very important for a baby of the first year of life not to use a pillow. All orthopedists say that the use of a pillow can bend the spine and the child will suffer from an abnormal physiological bend of the cervical spine.Also, the baby should buy a warm blanket made of natural fabrics, which will cover it from the cold. It is very important to lay a mattress cover that will soften a rather hard mattress, make the bed more comfortable and cozy. Choose a waterproof mattress to prevent the mattress from getting wet during an “accident”. It is much easier and faster to dry the mattress pad than the mattress itself.

To care for the mattress is not difficult. Every three months you need to turn it over in order to avoid staleness and the formation of mounds. If the child’s mattress is double-sided with varying degrees of rigidity, it should be turned over only along the length, changing the headboard and legroom. It is possible to turn the mattress on the softer side only after the first year of life, when the child’s skeleton is strong enough. And it is better to sleep on a hard mattress for a child up to three years, to surely protect yourself from back problems.

From time to time the mattress needs to be vacuumed and aired. When spots are found, the mattress is cleaned with special means, preventing moisture from entering the mattress. If the mattress is for children, it is better to clean it with household soap, chlorine-containing agents may cause allergies in the child.The mattress can only be transported vertically so that the springs do not deform and leave their seats. And further. If possible, prevent children's games and jumping on the mattress - so the product will last longer.

Choosing a quality mattress for a child is a responsible matter. The comfort of the child, his full and healthy sleep, as well as the formation of the correct bending of the skeleton depend on this. Take care of the health of your children from birth!

Video: how to choose a children's mattress