Babies and Infants

By the time your baby is two years old, sleeping an average of 10 hours per day, he will have slept 7,300 hours.  That is equal to 304 twenty-four hour days.  If he sleeps on a mattress impregnated with Boric Acid, his health is at risk.

Boric acid is a well-known pesticide and fire retardant.  The use of boric acid has been banned in products such as powders and creams for baby’s diaper rash and in foods because of its harmful effects.  An agency of the CDC reports that Boric Acid is one of the substances “which pose the most significant potential threat to human health”.

An organic baby crib mattress contains no Boric Acid.  Because organic wool is a natural fire retardant, chemicals are not necessary.  Mattresses made with wool meet requirements of the Federal Mattress Flammability Standard Law.

Life is full of hard decisions.  Some of the hardest decisions you will make have to do with your children.  Within reason, we all want the best for our children.  Your child will be healthier and happier if the decisions you make are based on what is best for your child. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that it’s the parents who should be making the decisions, not the child. 

If your baby is used to sleeping in the same room with you the sooner you can move him to his own room the easier it will be for both you and the baby. When your baby can sleep most of the night without a feeding, he is ready to sleep the night in his own crib.

Place your baby in his own baby crib for his naps. He will soon become accustomed to sleeping in the crib and the transition will be much easier. With a good night’s sleep, both parents and babies are, indeed, healthier and happier.

From the crib to the ceiling, reduce chemical usage as much as possible.  You can find organic baby bedding, clothing, and diapers which have no harmful chemicals.  But, what about chemicals in the carpeting?  Most carpets are made with harmful chemicals to keep them from staining and for fire retardation.  Most are made from petroleum based fibers.

To reduce these harmful chemicals, use organic or natural throw rugs on hardwood or tiles floors.  Or if you want a floor to floor carpet, buy organic or natural carpets.  Make certain to use natural or organic pads and non-toxic adhesives.

A crib skirt with a colorful print can liven up your nursery décor.  Besides helping to keep the dust bunnies away from under the crib, a skirt can keep stuff like boxes out of sight. 

 The skirt can continue to be used when your baby crib is converted into a toddler bed or day bed as your baby grows.  Add a contrasting color to the crib bedding to create a finished look for your baby’s crib.  Skirts are available in ruffle, pleated or tailored styles to suit every taste.            

One piece of bedding that comes included in many baby bedding sets is a crib bumper. It attaches to the side of a crib so that baby does not accidentally bump his tender head against hard wood or metal. If it comes with a bedding set, it will match the rest of your crib bedding, but you can also find solid-colored bumpers that coordinate with your bedding if you need to buy them separately. Like all your other crib bedding, it should be made with a fabric that is easily washable in the event of spit ups and other baby accidents.

You should always securely fix crib bumper pads to the sides of your baby’s crib so that they don’t come loose. If they do come loose, they may get pushed up against the side of your baby’s nose and mouth and increase the risk of suffocation. If you’re worried about this risk, it’s perfectly OK to not use crib bumpers inside your baby’s crib. Today, all cribs sold in the United States are required to have slats that are close enough together that it’s nearly impossible to fit baby’s head through them, so there shouldn’t be any risk of your baby getting trapped, even without a crib bumper. Plus, research shows that it’s nearly impossible for an infant to hit his head hard enough on the crib to cause injury.

I have lived in the southwest my whole life and have found that cotton makes for cool comfortable clothing.  Even babies can use cooling clothes in the summer.  Good quality cotton baby clothing should last a long time.  Consider buying the clothing a little large so the baby can grow for a while.

Cotton is also soft besides being sturdy.  Your baby will love the feel of his cotton clothes while looking cute and cuddly.  Long sleeves shirts can help protect your baby’s skin from the harmful rays of the sun.

At about two years of age, most babies are getting around pretty well.  They are curious about everything.  What does that thing taste like?  Let’s put it in our mouth and see.

Also, when a baby is teething, everything goes into the mouth.  Toys, bedding, clothing, even the baby crib itself is available for chewing.  Do you want your baby chewing on baby bedding that contains formaldehyde or chemical dyes?  Formaldehyde is used to make cotton wrinkle resistant and even though the fabric is washed repeatedly, some of the chemical remains.

Stuffed toys or wooden toys may also contain harmful chemicals.  What does your baby put in his mouth?

Did you know that cotton could be grown in colors?  Some of the organic cotton growers produce colored cotton to be used in the production of organic cotton material.  Colored cotton has been around for a long time, but it has too short of a strand for it to be machine spun.  Because of the length of its fibers and the quantity produced it is not commonly used in commercial textiles.

Growers are experimenting with hybrids to be able to lengthen and strengthen the fibers to make them usable for commercial textiles.  This would reduce the need for using harsh chemicals to whiten the cotton before dying.  Dyes would not be needed, so again this chemical would not be used.  Finally colored cotton has natural insect and disease resistance and so can be grown organically.  So, crib sheets and other baby items can have natural color and help reduce their exposure to chemicals.

When it is time for your baby to nap, she might wake and complain after being placed in her bed.  For the health of your baby it is best to place them in their baby crib.  When the baby stars to fall asleep, place her in her bed and then leave the room.  Expect your baby to cry and fuss for a few minutes, this is natural, but hold strong.  After a few times your baby will realize that she needs to sleep in her bed not someplace else.

Having set times for your baby to nap also helps reduce the fuss.  The baby will get used to the schedule and will be ready to sleep when set down.  As with any behavior you will be teaching your baby, naptime can be a challenge for both you and your baby.  It is one of the first learning points for both of you, so be patient and steady.

Babies grow up so quickly.  As the song says, “Turn around and they’re grown.”  Your baby will outgrow his crib, but if you have a toddler mattress, he can continue to sleep on it until he is about 6 years old.

Most crib mattresses are made for smaller babies and are not meant for toddlers.  A toddler mattress should contain extra support for the older child.  Some cribs can be converted into a toddler bed and can use the crib mattress if it is sturdy enough.  I recommend an organic mattress because there are no harmful chemicals and your child will be using it for a long time.