You have to be extra careful when you buy a cradle mattress because any manufacturing flaws will prevent your baby from enjoying his/her sleep and it will keep you awake all night.
Cradle vs bassinet
Cradles are beds suited for babies up to four, five months at most but there not the same thing as bassinets. The main difference between the two of them is that the bassinet is lighter and portable while the cradle is sturdier and therefore less portable. Both of them are usually made from light wood or wicker and are great for babies because they clearly feel cozier in a smaller bed but this is just for several months. When the baby is able to rollover without your help he/she should be moved to a crib to avoid any unwanted accidents.
Buying the right cradle mattress
You should be extra careful when buying any type of mattress, especially a baby cradle mattress because in their first months babies do only two major things: sleep and eat. The mattress should provide the right support so the baby’s body develops normal.
1. As in most cases if you buy various infant beds you won’t also get matching cradle mattresses. Make sure to talk to the sales representative and see if you get one or not. Sometimes the mattress is displayed but it’s just for commercial purposes.
2. The cradle mattress size is also on issue. You have to measure the cradle and make sure that the mattress will be a perfect fit as any empty corners can be extremely dangerous because the baby might get her/his foot stuck in there . Make sure that the size of the mattress is among the most popular types of mattress: 18 x 36 cradle mattress and the 15×33. This will make your job easier and have lots of models from which to pick.
3. These cradle mattresses are specially designed for small children and they are waterproof and flame retardant. Improvising a mattress with some foam and what you might have handy is the worst option you can choose because these can seriously hard the infant. Usually you can find cradle mattresses for less than $150 so it’s not worth all the hassle.
4. You might think about getting a cradle mattress pad too because it will provide extra absorption and comfort and it will also protect the mattress so you don’t have to worry about changing the mattress every time the baby messes it. These things run from bout $5 to $20 so you might think about getting more than one because in the long run they will save you lots of money and time. You just put them in the washing machine and you’re done.
5. You should consider buying an organic cradle mattress made from organic cotton or natural rubber in order to prevent your baby from sleeping in a polluted atmosphere. They protect the baby from germs and mites and they can also come with a waterproof protector. Nowadays there are so many organic products from which you can choose that you don’t have an excuse not to buy them.
Advice: Don’t use an old cradle mattress from your other kids because they will most surely decreased the level of comfort and can cause sever allergies and infections because they’re the perfect environment for mold, dust, mildew and lots of bed bugs.
The cradle mattress, especially if it’s organic helps your baby to get a healthy start and you an both enjoy comfortable sleep as sudden awakening during the night will be less often.