One side of the mattress is firmer for younger babies and the other is softer for toddlers. Our crib mattresses are designed for safety, first and foremost. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends a firm, flat crib surface without soft bedding in the crib to reduce the risk of choking for infants. Do not use blankets or pillows until your doctor authorizes you.
Put convertibility in the Not Necessary category. Your baby will continue to be happy with a firm mattress when he or she becomes a toddler. If you're exposed to a more lenient mattress, you probably don't want to go back. So if you buy a double firmness mattress, make sure you don't turn it over too soon.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a crib mattress should be firm enough that it doesn't conform to the shape of your baby's head. More specifically, a crib mattress should be between 8 and 10 on the mattress firmness scale. The crib mattress should be firm because babies lack motor control in their early stages of development and can sink into a mattress that is too soft and suffocate. This mattress comes with a breathable Naturepedic mattress cover, which is placed on top of the waterproof mattress cover.
When you're done using it, put it in a storage bag fitted for the crib's mattress, preferably one you can see through it (light inhibits bacterial growth). A safe and healthy crib mattress tops the list of where to invest your money when preparing for a new baby. But it's still a good idea to clean the crib mattress with a damp cloth and mild soap when it gets wet or dirty. In general, you can expect a quality crib mattress to last as long as you're going to use it, as long as the cover doesn't break or break.
The best and most expensive Naturepedic crib mattress is the Naturepedic Organic Ultra-Breathable Quilted mattress, which is fantastic but also very expensive, costing around $400. Therefore, the crib mattress is considerably smaller than the Ikea children's mattress and cannot be used interchangeably. The classic vinyl mattress surfaces that many parents try to avoid due to VOCs, are actually very good for this purpose, and many mattresses still use them for exactly this reason. Most breathable crib mattresses are made of plastic or polyester; plastic is made from petrochemicals that are highly flammable.
Therefore, without there being any proof of the idea that a breathable mattress would prevent overheating, and with some data points suggesting quite the opposite, I would take extreme caution when considering the safety information that is being marketed by breathable crib mattress companies. According to a BabyCenter article, “they argue that chemicals and industrial compounds used in standard mattresses—flame retardants are known as PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), vinyl and polyurethane foam, for example—emit toxic gases, and that the substances used to make mattresses could harm babies. Regardless of the type of crib you have, you should always ensure that the mattress fits the crib snugly; this means that you cannot place 2 fingers between the edge of the mattress and the side of the crib. Using a mattress topper or a mattress made of memory foam allows you to create a slit or pocket next to the baby's head, which could increase the baby's chances of suffocation.
