Baby Bedding

One of the most exciting aspects of preparing for a new baby is organising their nursery. Thinking about where your baby will eventually sleep and what they are going to sleep in takes some planning and discussion. Practical factors such as the size of your house and the number of children will determine whether the new baby will have their own room, or need to share with an older sibling. There is too much individual variation in families and homes to say what the best option is. Parents generally make their own decisions based on what will work in their home and what suits their own family.

No matter how much planning is done though, most parents want their newborn to sleep in the same room as they do. The parent’s bedroom is actually recommended as the safest place for babies to sleep for the first 6 to 12 months of their life. Placing your baby’s cot or bassinette next to your bed will allow you to see them and feel reassured they are safe. Parents and their newborns are not meant to be physically separated and they need to be close to each other. After 12 months, most parents are ready to move their baby into their own room or nursery.

Cot or Bassinette – Which is Better?

This is really about personal choice. Some parents prefer the size of a bassinette because it takes up such a small amount of space and is portable. Mothers particularly, can feel a bassinette creates a cosier sleeping atmosphere for their small baby. Other parents like to use a cot from birth and avoid the inevitable transition to one when the baby is around 3-4 months old.

The major considerations are the safety aspects of both. If a cot or bassinette has been handed down in a family and has not been bought new, it needs to be checked as safe so it does not pose a risk of harm.

Bassinettes look sweet, though parents need to be careful about using bumpers, ribbon ties and lots of loose bedding in them. Those that have a rocking function can be risky, especially with young toddlers in the house. Bassinettes with wheels need to have a locking mechanism as well.

Safe Sleeping Guidelines

• Sleep your baby on their back from birth, not on their tummy or side.
• Sleep your baby with their face uncovered. Don’t use doonas, pillows, sheep skins bumpers or soft toys in their cot.
• Don’t let your baby near tobacco smoke before they are born or afterwards.
• Make sure your baby has a safe sleeping environment with a safe cot, safe mattress and safe bedding.
• Sleep your baby in their own safe sleeping environment next to your bed for the first six to twelve months of their life.

Co-Sleeping or Bed Sharing

In many societies, parents co-sleep with their children. Co-sleeping is thought to help with bonding, successful breastfeeding and to promote better sleep. Some experts believe co-sleeping is protective to children; and even when they’re asleep parents retain a sense of surveillance over their child. If you do co-sleep, it is important that you never go to sleep with your baby lying on their tummy, on your chest. 

If parents do choose to co-sleep, there are some important safety aspects they need to consider.

• Babies are at great risk if they sleep on their tummies or sides and their face is covered by bedding.
• Babies must not share their bed with other children or pets.
• Parents who smoke, take medication which interferes with their sleep, have drunk alcohol or who are obese should not co-sleep with their babies.
• The bed needs to be firm and safe, with a firm fitting mattress and no gaps where the child could fall through and be trapped. Waterbeds, sofa/couches, lounges, bean bags, pillows, doonas and quilts should not be used.
• There is a risk of a child falling onto the floor from a bed or becoming trapped between its parents, particularly if they are overweight or heavy sleepers. Even pushing a bed up against a wall is not protective as babies can get trapped between the wall and the bed.
• If you do choose to co-sleep, position your baby at the side of one parent, not in between you both.

The major issues to consider with bedding are usually safety and hygiene.

Factors that are worth considering

• How practical and easy is it to wash bedding. Being able to throw sheets and blankets in the washing machine and then line dry them will save you a lot of time and energy. Avoid harsh detergents with strong perfumes; these can irritate a baby’s skin.
• Try to have enough bedding so you do not have to constantly wash. Babies aren’t careful about where they vomit and don’t “hold on” until there is a nappy underneath them.
• Aim for 100% cotton and natural materials where you can. Babies’ skin can easily be irritated by artificial fibres. Static electricity builds up in nylon blends and cotton, wool and linen blends feel better.
• Avoid using pillows until your baby is in a bed. They are a safety risk for small babies who can wedge their heads under them. Older babies can also use a pillow as a step to hoist themselves up and out of their cot.
• Layering is the secret to warmth, rather than one heavy blanket. It is better to tuck your baby in with a lighter weight blanket over the top, rather than use one blanket on them.
• Aim to position your baby in the lower end of their cot rather than towards the top. Resting their feet on the bottom cot rails will stop them from sliding under the covers and their face being covered.