How do you dress baby's cot safely and help promote a good night's sleep for you and your little one?
There is lots of advice around on forums and baby advice websites, which can seem conflicting and confusing if you are a first time parent..jpg)
Simply put, your baby needs to feel secure and warm, without overheating.
The best way of achieving this when your baby is first born, is to use a top sheet and layers of blankets, depending on the outside temperature. Generally the nursery temperature should be between 16-20 degrees, with two or three blankets on the cot this should keep baby comfortably warm without a risk of overheating. The cot should ideally be placed away from the window, and always away from radiators or heaters.
Blankets should be tucked well in, and should only reach to baby's armpit/shoulder area when he or she is placed to sleep at the foot of the cot. This prevents baby's head being covered. If you are using large blankets, you might want to fold them in half so that they only cover the bottom half of the cot. Remember that a folded blanket will count as two layers. Cotton, wool and cellular blankets are great at keeping baby warm while helping to prevent heat build-up, it is best to avoid synthetic fibres in baby's sleeping area where possible. Do not use a quilt or duvet until baby is around 12 months old, as young babies cannot self-regulate their body temperature and may overheat. Similarly, pillows should not be used for the first year..jpg)
The mattress should be firm and clean. It is fine to use a second-hand cot or family piece, but current advice is to use a new mattress for each baby to use the cot. This is primarily because of bacterial build-up within the mattress.
You can use a second hand cot, and why not paint it to freshen it up? You can get nursery paint which has no harmful voc's, smelly chemicals which can cause breathing difficulties in small children. Take a look at our NEW paint range, especially designed for the nursery, which has no odour so that the nursery can be used straight away without danger of affecting your baby's delicate airways.
We recommend also using a mattress topper or protector, you can get organic toppers to use on your mattress which provide an economical alternative to investing in a wholly organic mattress for the cot, although these are widely available to fit every make and size of cot.
A waterproof protector is also a wise buy, this layer goes under the sheet and will prevent any accidents soiling the mattress, and it can be easily whipped off for washing in the night without struggling to remove a mattress cover. You can get flat protectors which you site under baby, or fitted ones which cover the whole mattress. Organic mattress protectors are available, most will have a very thin layer of polyurethane sandwiched between layers of organic cotton.
.jpg)
You can use fitted or flat sheets on the mattress, flat sheets can be a little more difficult to tuck in neatly but which you decide to use is purely personal preference. Cotton is the best option for the cot, as it is breathable and washable at high temperatures. Organic cotton is best, as it is certified free of pesticide & chemical residue, and any bleaches and dyes used are also natural and harmless. In addition organic cotton is best for the environment. 
Other naturally derived fibres, which are from sustainable sources such as bamboo and tencel are also becoming more widely available. Man-made fibres should be avoided in baby's sleeping area where possible.
Baby's sleeping area should be well ventilated, to keep air flowing around. A cot or cot-bed is quite a large space and will not restrict baby's air intake even when areas are covered such as with solid ends, or when a bumper is used to help prevent baby getting banged or bruised.
Bumpers with skirts to fit under the mattress, and 'bumpettes' to fit around one or several bars at a time, are recent innovations. American style bumpers fit all the way around a cot, these are not so popular in Britain where a half bumper, or one to fit around the head of the cot, are more common. You should avoid adding decorative items such as large soft toys or cushions to the cot when baby is resting, to avoid suffocation risk.
You may find that your baby is a wriggler, who kicks off the covers and wakes cold, or gets tangled in them, and you may be worried about suffocation risk from layers of coverings.
.jpg)
Baby sleeping bags may be the solution to these issues. You can often get matching 'grobags' or baby sleeping bags to co-ordinate with your nursery bedding. They usually come in several sizes and can be used from birth provided that baby's head cannot slip between the shoulders. They are suitable for year-round use, and can be worn over a little vest or warmer sleepsuit depending on the weather. You can get sleeping bags with sleeves too, a sort of half way house between a sleepsuit and bag.
To recap, your aim in dressing baby's cot is not only to make it look lovely, but to provide a safe and warm, restful environment to maximise settled nights from the very first night.
A constant, warm but not hot temperature is the ideal, between 16 and 20 degrees is the current safe sleeping recommendation from the lullaby trust (formerly Fsids). It is recommended to use a thermometer in the nursery, but also to check baby's temperature on the tummy to make sure he or she is warm but not too hot to your touch.
Tucking baby in well, at the bottom of the cot (feet to foot) not only promotes safe sleep, but helps baby feel secure in the same way as swaddling, as close wrapping emulates the environment of the womb.
Blankets and sheets, or a sleeping bag, are best used for the first year of baby's life. Duvets and pillows should be kept for use once baby has reached the age of one.
A clean, new mattress should be used for every new baby, and bedding should be regularly washed at high temperatures to get rid of dust mites and bacterial build up. On warm dry days, mattresses and other items which cannot be washed could be aired outside if you have the room.
Have fun in choosing your baby's nursery bedding, and remember if you need any more advice or product information, you can email or phone us. We are parents ourselves, and we will be happy to answer your queries, however silly you might think they are, if you are worried or confused call on our experience. You can call us on 01531 650974 between 9.30 and 3pm weekdays, or contact us via www.funkynursery.co.uk at any time.
All products mentioned in this blog are available to purchase at www.funkynursery.co.uk
For safe sleeping advice visit lullabytrust.org.uk
There is lots of advice around on forums and baby advice websites, which can seem conflicting and confusing if you are a first time parent.
Simply put, your baby needs to feel secure and warm, without overheating.
The best way of achieving this when your baby is first born, is to use a top sheet and layers of blankets, depending on the outside temperature. Generally the nursery temperature should be between 16-20 degrees, with two or three blankets on the cot this should keep baby comfortably warm without a risk of overheating. The cot should ideally be placed away from the window, and always away from radiators or heaters.
Blankets should be tucked well in, and should only reach to baby's armpit/shoulder area when he or she is placed to sleep at the foot of the cot. This prevents baby's head being covered. If you are using large blankets, you might want to fold them in half so that they only cover the bottom half of the cot. Remember that a folded blanket will count as two layers. Cotton, wool and cellular blankets are great at keeping baby warm while helping to prevent heat build-up, it is best to avoid synthetic fibres in baby's sleeping area where possible. Do not use a quilt or duvet until baby is around 12 months old, as young babies cannot self-regulate their body temperature and may overheat. Similarly, pillows should not be used for the first year.
The mattress should be firm and clean. It is fine to use a second-hand cot or family piece, but current advice is to use a new mattress for each baby to use the cot. This is primarily because of bacterial build-up within the mattress.
You can use a second hand cot, and why not paint it to freshen it up? You can get nursery paint which has no harmful voc's, smelly chemicals which can cause breathing difficulties in small children. Take a look at our NEW paint range, especially designed for the nursery, which has no odour so that the nursery can be used straight away without danger of affecting your baby's delicate airways.We recommend also using a mattress topper or protector, you can get organic toppers to use on your mattress which provide an economical alternative to investing in a wholly organic mattress for the cot, although these are widely available to fit every make and size of cot.
A waterproof protector is also a wise buy, this layer goes under the sheet and will prevent any accidents soiling the mattress, and it can be easily whipped off for washing in the night without struggling to remove a mattress cover. You can get flat protectors which you site under baby, or fitted ones which cover the whole mattress. Organic mattress protectors are available, most will have a very thin layer of polyurethane sandwiched between layers of organic cotton.
You can use fitted or flat sheets on the mattress, flat sheets can be a little more difficult to tuck in neatly but which you decide to use is purely personal preference. Cotton is the best option for the cot, as it is breathable and washable at high temperatures. Organic cotton is best, as it is certified free of pesticide & chemical residue, and any bleaches and dyes used are also natural and harmless. In addition organic cotton is best for the environment. Other naturally derived fibres, which are from sustainable sources such as bamboo and tencel are also becoming more widely available. Man-made fibres should be avoided in baby's sleeping area where possible.Baby's sleeping area should be well ventilated, to keep air flowing around. A cot or cot-bed is quite a large space and will not restrict baby's air intake even when areas are covered such as with solid ends, or when a bumper is used to help prevent baby getting banged or bruised.
Bumpers with skirts to fit under the mattress, and 'bumpettes' to fit around one or several bars at a time, are recent innovations. American style bumpers fit all the way around a cot, these are not so popular in Britain where a half bumper, or one to fit around the head of the cot, are more common. You should avoid adding decorative items such as large soft toys or cushions to the cot when baby is resting, to avoid suffocation risk.You may find that your baby is a wriggler, who kicks off the covers and wakes cold, or gets tangled in them, and you may be worried about suffocation risk from layers of coverings.
Baby sleeping bags may be the solution to these issues. You can often get matching 'grobags' or baby sleeping bags to co-ordinate with your nursery bedding. They usually come in several sizes and can be used from birth provided that baby's head cannot slip between the shoulders. They are suitable for year-round use, and can be worn over a little vest or warmer sleepsuit depending on the weather. You can get sleeping bags with sleeves too, a sort of half way house between a sleepsuit and bag.To recap, your aim in dressing baby's cot is not only to make it look lovely, but to provide a safe and warm, restful environment to maximise settled nights from the very first night.
A constant, warm but not hot temperature is the ideal, between 16 and 20 degrees is the current safe sleeping recommendation from the lullaby trust (formerly Fsids). It is recommended to use a thermometer in the nursery, but also to check baby's temperature on the tummy to make sure he or she is warm but not too hot to your touch.
Tucking baby in well, at the bottom of the cot (feet to foot) not only promotes safe sleep, but helps baby feel secure in the same way as swaddling, as close wrapping emulates the environment of the womb.
Blankets and sheets, or a sleeping bag, are best used for the first year of baby's life. Duvets and pillows should be kept for use once baby has reached the age of one.
A clean, new mattress should be used for every new baby, and bedding should be regularly washed at high temperatures to get rid of dust mites and bacterial build up. On warm dry days, mattresses and other items which cannot be washed could be aired outside if you have the room.
Have fun in choosing your baby's nursery bedding, and remember if you need any more advice or product information, you can email or phone us. We are parents ourselves, and we will be happy to answer your queries, however silly you might think they are, if you are worried or confused call on our experience. You can call us on 01531 650974 between 9.30 and 3pm weekdays, or contact us via www.funkynursery.co.uk at any time.
All products mentioned in this blog are available to purchase at www.funkynursery.co.uk
For safe sleeping advice visit lullabytrust.org.uk
