Mattress for newborn

A mattress for a newborn is not the last thing that needs to be taken care of before the baby is born, because a healthy sleep in the native walls, by and large, depends on it. Of course, other details of the place to sleep will play an equally important role - the quality of the crib itself, bedding, the colors of the walls and additional elements such as a canopy, the microclimate in the room. But all these are separate tasks. This article will familiarize you with the types of mattresses, their advantages and disadvantages, and help you decide which mattress is best for the newborn.

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Which mattress to choose for a newborn in a crib? Main characteristics

Among the large modern assortment, it is very difficult for young parents to make a choice in favor of a really high-quality thing. In order for the impetus for buying a specific model to be not the subjective opinion of the seller, you need to know the basic properties that a good mattress for a newborn should have.

Ventilation

When choosing this item in a crib, you should definitely make sure of its ability to "breathe". For a baby, this quality is simply necessary, as:

• Good ventilation prevents the development of harmful microorganisms inside the product that can disrupt the fragile health of the baby, and also provides better mattress hygiene.
• Excessive softness of the product, combined with poor air exchange, can cause difficulty breathing while the newborn is sleeping on his stomach.

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

Rigidity

What is the best baby mattress for a newborn - soft or hard? This question always worries parents. We will deal with this moment.

The best products for the just born man will be a mattress with moderate rigidity. Often, young mom and dad react very sharply to such an answer, because they want to provide maximum comfort to their child. And in their understanding, comfort is when it is soft and comfortable, like on a feather bed.

Important! A too soft mattress will not only not create comfort for the baby, but will also be a huge mistake for parents.

Problems that may arise from a soft down mattress:

• Fluff is very allergenic, and can cause problems even in an adult. The thing is that in such a natural filler ticks are often wound up, the vital products of which pose the main threat to health, sometimes cause even a very serious allergic reaction.
• Curvature of the spine is another serious problem that may be the result of using an overly soft mattress in the crib. In this case, scoliosis develops in a child at a preschool age. This is explained by the softness of the baby’s bones, which, if they do not provide the necessary support, are bent, forming the child’s incorrect posture. Therefore, reflecting on the question of which mattress is better for a newborn, be sure to consider its rigidity.
• The worst outcome that can happen if a baby sleeps on an overly soft mattress is strangulation while sleeping on his stomach.

Therefore, in order to protect the newborn from the described problems, a mattress for him should be chosen hard. But do not go too far with this property, because the child should be comfortable sleeping on it. The best option would be a product with medium rigidity. Some spring mattresses, as well as springless models made of coconut coir and latex, meet such requirements.

Important! Pediatricians recommend choosing a mattress with stiffness 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 is a double-sided mattress. One side of such a product is soft, and the other is more rigid. Such a 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.

Environmental friendliness

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. At the same time, it must have a long service life.

Natural materials can be considered environmentally friendly:

• Horsehair;
• Coconut flakes
• Wood shavings;
• Seaweed;
• Felt;
• Straw;
• Natural latex.

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

Hypoallergenic

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

Important! The best hypoallergenic material is coconut coir.

Hygiene

If you choose a mattress in a crib, and you don’t know which one is better, then you should definitely check with the seller if this or that model is hygienic. Any harmful microbes and bacteria can harm the fragile body of the child. Of course, you should not try to make the baby's place to sleep completely sterile - just take care of its hygiene.

Important! First of all, you should refuse to buy artificial-filled mattresses, which by and large are poorly ventilated, absorb moisture well and hold it for a long time. When buying, be sure to read the information provided by the manufacturer on the product packaging.

Orthopedics

This property of a children's mattress, regardless of where the baby lies, will ensure the correct position of his body. This effect is possible with a special product design, due to which the mattress completely repeats the bends of the child’s spine - in this way it supports it, allowing all muscles to achieve complete relaxation.

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

However, for a newborn, this effect is completely redundant and is only a marketing ploy of manufacturers. The whole reason is that the weight of the child is still very small in order 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 hardness with coconut filling.

If the parents do not plan to change the mattress before the child is 4 years old, then the purchase of an orthopedic product for the newborn will be justified.

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

Quality upholstery

Looking for a better baby mattress? - In this case, we recommend paying attention not only to the product filler, but also to its upholstery:

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

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

• Upholstery should be made of natural materials.

Important! The best upholstery material is jacquard fabric. It is quite natural (70-80% cotton and 30-20% synthetic fibers), durable, hygienic and practical.

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

Right size

One of the important criteria for choosing a baby mattress for a newborn is the correct calculation of its size. Standard sizes of cribs have the following parameters:

• 80x160;
• 120x60;
• 125x65;
• 140x70.

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

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

• A product that is larger in bed parameters cannot even lie down, making bumps and depressions.
• A mattress that exactly matches the size of the bed will be difficult to pull out of it.
• A much smaller mattress is also not worth buying, because it will constantly fidget, and the gaps between it and the bed can cause childhood injuries.

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

Mattress cover

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

Important! If you use an old children's mattress, then such an acquisition is simply necessary for you. A mattress cover will provide hygiene to a children's bed.

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What is the best baby mattress for a newborn?

It is necessary to compare the advantages and disadvantages of different types of mattresses in order to answer this question. So, what are the mattresses for newborns?

Spring mattresses

Such products may have dependent and independent springs:

• For a newborn child, the Bonnel model with dependent springs is considered the worst option. The springs in such a mattress are connected to each other, so when one of them fails, the neighboring ones also change their initial position. Dents or bumps can be the result of such a defect, which is very harmful for the baby’s soft spine.
• A mattress with independent springs is the best option. Each spring in this model is in an individual bag and works autonomously.

Advantages of products with independent springs:

• Orthopedics. Such mattresses do not sag and are able to adapt to different poses of the baby without creating the effect of a “hammock”. The spine of a child on such a mattress is always flat.
• During a change of body position, which is not uncommon for a child, the mattress makes absolutely no sounds. Unlike products with dependent springs, this one does not creak, providing a quiet sleep for the baby and parents.

Disadvantages of a mattress with independent springs:

• High price.
• Great 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 subject.
• Springs can have an electrostatic and magnetic effect on a child.

Springless children's mattresses

As a rule, such products have several layers of various fillers and fabrics - both artificial and natural origin. Consider the main characteristics of the most common variants of such products.

Coconut flakes

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

• Stitched coconut fiber model. This option is not suitable for a small child, since a stitched coir can crumble and turn into a loose mixture, which can cause severe allergies. Also, such mattresses are prone to rapid deformation.
• Coconut fiber model bonded with latex. In this case, the latex impregnation must be natural.

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

Benefits:

• It has an orthopedic effect.
• Not prone to absorb odors and liquids.
• The filler has bactericidal properties, does not cause allergies and does not rot.
• It has good ventilation properties.

Disadvantages:

• The high cost of the product.

Horsehair

For the manufacture of such a mattress, hair pretreated with latex from the tail and mane of an animal is used. The quality of the filler is very similar to coconut.

Benefits:

• Hygroscopicity - possible due to the open core of the hair.
• Strength - such mattresses keep their shape perfectly and last a very long time, thanks to the high elasticity of horse hair.
• Orthopedics.

Disadvantages:

• Such a natural filler is the most expensive, so not everyone can afford mattresses with it.
• The possibility of an allergy.

Natural latex

This material is obtained by foaming hevea juice.

Benefits:

• The porous structure of the product helps to restore its original shape even after a huge load.
• Long term of operation.
• 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 preserving the baby's calm sleep.

Disadvantages:

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

Important! It is recommended to buy a latex product for older children, while natural latex should be combined with other material, such as coconut coir.

Wood shavings, felt, straw

Mattresses made of these materials cannot be called the best option for a newborn. Such a filler at high humidity begins to break down. A significant advantage of such a product is its low cost.

Seaweed

This filler is considered an excellent option for a mattress in a crib. It promotes good healthy sleep and good relaxation. Unfortunately, you can rarely find such a product on sale, and it costs a lot of money.

Baby batting mattress

Such a mattress for a newborn can rightly be called the worst. Material of even the highest quality is too soft for the baby’s delicate spine.

Benefits:

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

Disadvantages:

• The increased softness.
• They quickly absorb various odors and liquids. This contributes to the development of harmful microorganisms, fungus, mold.
• Since cotton wool is prone to download, such a mattress eventually becomes bumpy and uncomfortable for sleeping and relaxing.

Polyurethane foam mattress

PUF is an artificial filler in the form of a foamed polymer.

Benefits:

• Durability and increased strength. The filler does not roll, does not form dents, does not crumble, and does not deform.
• Low cost.

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

Disadvantages:

• Insufficient stiffness for the baby.

Stratofiber mattress

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

Benefits:

• It has elasticity and the ability to store heat.
• Has properties similar to natural wool.
• Long term of operation.
• Hypoallergenic.
• It is well ventilated.

Disadvantages:

• High price.

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How to choose a mattress for a newborn? Useful Tips

• For a newborn, it is not recommended to purchase a spring mattress.
• You should not consider a product with a cheap filler such as cotton wool or foam rubber as an option. As a result of such savings, your baby’s health may be affected.
• Before buying, make sure that the quality of the product complies with GOST, that it is safe and hygienic. Similar marking and certificates must be with a quality product.

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Mattress care

Buying a quality and good mattress for a newborn is only half the story. To keep it safe and comfortable for the child, you still need to properly care for him:

• The mattress must be vacuumed without fail.

Important! You should clean the mattress with a vacuum cleaner at least once a month, as dust from bedding constantly gets on the product and accumulates in it.

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

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

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Stock footage

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