Nursery to Toddler

Coil Crib Mattress $105 The Name Says It All A curved headboard and footboard adds understated elegance to this classic piece Numerous features such as multiple mattress positions a teething rail locking casters and a safety dropside make this crib a wise and practical choice for the nursery Better yet this crib is economically priced to please the cost conscious mom

Colgate Visco Classica Crib Mattress $250 A New Chapter in Crib Mattresses Our Visco Classica Crib Mattress takes an exciting initiative in the world of crib mattresses Among a variety of valuable features our orthopedic mattress offers two sides of firmness for infant and toddler use The firm side crafted of Colgate Classica foam provides safety for your infant while the Visco-elastic memory foam on the toddler side promotes maximum comfort for a long and sound slumber Covered with wet proof and dust mite resistant covers this lightweight mattress is specially designed for a snug crib fit A mattress so comfortable mom will wish she had one too Orthopedic construction

Starlight Support Innerspring Crib Mattress $229 Baby might be fussy the solid-hardwood Austin crib is anything but The standard white rails are supported by a frame of lacquered wood in choice of colors Functional too this Austin crib is a fusion of modern style with modern craftsmanship Fixed side rails provide safety and stability and 4 mattress positions insure that Austin grows with your child

Sealy Porta-Crib Mattress $35.99 Sealy Porta-Crib Mattress

Sealy Vibrating Crib Mattress $129.99 Sealy Vibrating Crib Mattress

crib mattress safety rating

Preparing for a New Baby: How to Create Safety in Your Home

Preparing for a new baby can be exciting. And knowing how to create safety in your home for that baby is important in your preparation.

We all tend to think of home as a safe haven for a child—a place where we can provide comfort, nurturing and learning. This is mostly true—but not always. The rate of child injuries in the home is much higher that any of us would like to think. But there are precautions you can take in preparing for your new baby to create as much safety in your home as possible.

Creating Safety in Your Home

Safe Sleeping: Make sure the mattress you choose for your baby is a firm one. It should also fit tightly in the crib so your baby can’t get trapped between the mattress and the side of the crib. Don’t plan to have anything soft and cushy, like a pillow, sheepskin, comforter, or plush toy, in the crib. This may seem counter-intuitive, but research has shown that soft objects in the bed of a newborn can restrict a baby’s breathing. Bumpers are also discouraged for the same reason.

Safe Bathing: Serious accidents can happen to babies in bathtubs. If you can, buy a baby bathtub to support your baby, with a no-slip bottom. If you plan to bathe your baby in your own tub, use a rubber mat. When she is big enough to sit up, you can use a baby bath chair. Be sure to set your water heater to 120 depress F. or lower—babies have thin skin! There are also special tub spouts you can get that prevent hot water burns.

Safe Diaper Changes: Make sure the changing table you choose has straps—even the smallest baby can find a way to roll off, if left unattended. (Of course, you should never leave your baby totally unattended on the table—but even just reaching over to get something off a shelf might give your baby room for maneuvering himself into a position of danger.)

Fire Prevention: Install and maintain working smoke detectors in your home and check them monthly. Have a fire distinguisher on hand. Make a plan for rescue and escape, if a fire does break out.

Carbon Monoxide Prevention: If you use gas or oil heat or have an attached garage, be sure to install carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in your home. Check the batteries twice a year.

Painting Your Baby’s Room: If paint is flaking or peeling in your baby’s room, have a professional remove or seal it. There may be dangerous lead in the paint. You may wish to freshly paint your baby’s room before she arrives. This is great—but be aware of the chemicals that fresh paint can release into the air for awhile afterwards. Paint your baby’s room at least a few weeks prior to your baby’s arrival and make sure to thoroughly ventilate the room, so the air quality is safe.

New Carpeting: New carpets are great, but they also outgas sometimes for at least a month. As with fresh paint, if you plan to lay new carpet in your baby’s room, do it in time for the out-gassing phase to be over by the time your baby arrives. If you plan to have area rugs in the room, be sure you have nonslip pads under them.

Safety in Your Home and EMF Exposure

A safety precaution that deserves special attention is one that is often missed by baby experts giving tips. This concerns the health hazards of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs). EMFs come out of your electrical grid and all appliances. Even more hazardous ones are emitted from all wireless devices, such as cell phones, and cordless phones, Wi-Fi–and importantly, from wireless baby monitors.

Research over the last two decades has shown that EMFs are linked to certain childhood health disorders, such as sleeping problems, allergies, and irritability. They’ve also been linked to more serious diseases, such as asthma, autism and ADHD.

EMF Protection: Don’t worry about this, however! It’s clear there’s no avoiding EMFs in today’s world. But you can protect your baby from EMFs  with quality EMF protection devices. create EMF safety in your home. There are a number of products on the market for this. Some are a little iffy-sounding—not much science behind them. But there are some companies that are reasonably reliable and have been in business for awhile.

EarthCalm is a company that’s been around for over 20 years—and they give a 90-day money-back guarantee on their products. They also have a very informative blog containing a number of articles about children and EMFs.

Preparing for a new baby can be a lot of fun. Learning how to create safety in your home for your baby is an important part of that preparation. Once you’ve taken the necessary steps, however, you can relax knowing you’ve created a safe haven for your baby.

About the Author

Shanti Rivers, is counselor, teacher and researcher and mom.
Since she’s dealt with electrosensitivity since childhood, she’s done extensive research about EMFs and childhood health and safety issues. She writes to support healthy children and happy parents. Shanti has been a writer and editor for 15 years.