Congratulations! You have found out you are going to be welcoming a baby into your home and the wonderful gifts of blankets and stuffies start to roll in. They are so cute and soft and look so adorable hanging over the railing of your crib. Well meaning family members start to share their stories about what they used to put in the crib. You go onto baby sites and start to feel overwhelmed by all the options and extras that can be added to your sweet baby’s crib. But what is safe to put in the crib? Great question!
As a RN who has worked numerous years in a pediatric emergency room, here is what is safe for the crib and what should be left on the store’s shelves! Let’s start with what your crib should have in order to be safe and why!
- Firm Mattress– You will want to choose a mattress no thicker than 15 cm and fits snug in the crib leaving no more than a 3cm gap. A firm mattress is needed so that babies don’t sink in (prevent suffocation) and that they can practice the skills that they are learning to stay safe (rolling over, pushing upper body up, etc.). The spacing between the crib and railings should be minimal to prevent suffocation and injury.
- Tight fitting sheet– Make sure that the crib sheets fit well and are not too tight and pull in the corners causing larger gaps or too loose creating a suffocation hazard. The key is to know the size of your crib and buy accordingly. This is also how you can make your crib safe and adorable!
And that’s it! Yup it’s a pretty short list because your baby doesn’t need more in their crib to help them settle to safe and blissful sleep!
Here are the things that should be kept out of the crib in order to keep the crib a safe sleep space.
- Bumpers– Suffocation risk as well as can help older kiddos climb out of the crib causing injury
- Mobiles– Distraction for the baby when trying to sleep and potential of falling on baby causing injury
- Blankets– Suffocation risk. Best option is sleep sacks and dressing your baby according to the room temperature.
- Stuffies– Suffocation risk until the age of 1, then a sweet lovie can be added to the crib as a comfort.
- Sleep supports ( Dockatot, snuggle me, inclined sleeper, etc.)- These are banned in sleep spaces as they can cause suffocation and decrease air flow leading to SIDS.
- Pillows– You guessed it…suffocation risk. Pillows are not needed until 2 years of age and then finding an appropriate toddler pillow is best.
Cribs should always be set up according to the manual and checked frequently to make sure all connections are tight. No modifications should be made to the crib (ie: changing to a sidecar sleeper) that are not designed.
If you would like more information about setting up a safe sleep space and supporting your family towards better and safer sleep, please check out my sleep support offerings!
You got this parents and you are the best parent for your little one! Parenting is an adventure and I love giving you tools for your journey!
Enjoy!
Sincerely,
The Mama Coach
Feeding * Sleep * Safety
References:
https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/pregnancy-parenting/parenting-babies-0-12-months/baby-safety/crib-safety
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/safe-sleep/cribs-cradles-bassinets.html
