There's no doubt about it: having a baby is expensive. After buying a stroller, crib, clothing, feeding supplies, diapers and other essentials, your wallet can quickly empty out. It's natural to begin looking for ways to save money on all the items you need for baby, and one way is by buying used items. While some used items are good news for your wallet and your new baby, there are some safety concerns to consider; this is especially true when it comes to used crib mattresses. When buying a used crib mattress, you cannot be 100 percent sure of the care or abuse it went through while being used previously. An infant can be particularly dirty due to diaper leaks or spilled milk; all of these things can collect on a crib mattress and lead to moisture and mold growth if not cleaned properly. In addition, if the crib mattress was not kept in a cool, dry place, moisture can seep into the mattress, harboring bacteria and fungi growth. If you have a crib mattress that was used for an older child in your home, and you know that it was well cared for and stored properly, it likely poses no risk to your baby.
While the standard crib mattress is at least 27 1/4 inches by 51 5/8 inches and no more than 6 inches in height, not all cribs are made to these exact specifications and an ill-fitting crib mattress can pose a significant health risk. , a proper-fitting crib mattress should not have enough space between the mattress and the sides of the crib to fit two fingers snugly. A crib mattress should be firm to properly support your baby and reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. A used crib mattress might lose some firmness and could develop dips and bulges due to improper use or storage. Additionally, the condition of the mattress is vital. Do not use a mattress with tears, exposed springs or filling, or one that smells of mildew or dampness. In the November 2002 “British Medical Journal,” a study was published by Scotland researchers that provided a possible link between the use of a pre-owned crib mattress and infant death from SIDS. The study found that an infant was up to three times more likely to die from SIDS when using a secondhand crib mattress.
While the study did not find a firm cause-and-effect relationship between the use of an old mattress and SIDS, it did find sufficient evidence to warrant concern when accepting a used mattress from someone else’s home. Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound per week Lose 1 pound per week Lose 1.5 pounds per week Lose 2 pounds per week Things You Should Buy New for a Second Baby How to Paint a Baby Crib How to Convert a Crib Into a Full Size Bed How to Clean a Crib Mattress What Is Better a Trifold or a Bifold Wallet? What Is Better, a Money Clip or a Wallet? How to Turn Crib Into Toddler Bed Is Flame-Resistant Clothing Safe for Children? Safety of Crib Netting Safety Issues in Children's Clothing How to Clean Used Newborn Baby Furniture How to Use Breast Pumps for a Second Child A Hospital Packing List for an Expecting Mom
Things to Pack for a Baby When Going Into Labor The Disadvantages of Mini Cribs How to Arrange a Master Bedroom to Include Crib & Baby Storage Should Baby Cribs Be Slightly Elevated on One Side?This is part of a series that will discuss things you may want to consider as you prepare for the arrival of your second baby. While there are many things you may be focused on (like snagging your one remaining pacifier from the bottom of the fish tank) this post is going to focus on furniture, or more specifically, the crib decision. Many parents get pregnant right around the time kiddo #1 turns 2. This is result of a magical convergence of having enough time pass so that you’ve forgotten how difficult newborns can be while enjoying the sparky fun of a cool little 2-year-old kid, leading to the conclusion, “We should totally make another one!” As such they start looking at the crib, where their 2-year-old is happily sleeping, crafting clever strategies to gently wean their toddler into a big kid bed to free up the crib prior to the arrival of the new baby.
Nobody wants their toddler to feel “pushed aside” when the new shiny baby arrives, so they wisely start plotting their big kid bed transition months before their due date. But before we get too far down the path of shuffling your toddler into a big kid bed, let’s get in the Wayback Machine and check out the mischief some developmental psychologists got up to… In the 1970’s some dastardly professors at Stanford University concocted an evil scheme to torture preschoolers, called “The Marshmallow Test.” They put 4-year-olds in a room with a lone marshmallow telling them, “If you don’t eat the marshmallow for 15 minutes you can have a second marshmallow. But if you eat it? No second marshmallow for you!” Then they laughed evilly while backing out of the room to go bully puppies. Now most adults can’t wait a full 15 minutes, which is why we snarf cookie dough when there’s a batch baking in the oven. For 4-year-old kids 15 minutes is quite simply an eternity.
Unsurprisingly, 2/3rds of the kids ate the marshmallow. Frankly I’m amazed they didn’t all eat the marshmallow. This was a test of delayed gratification. Can you wait to get something you want? For most young children the answer is, “Not so much.” If 4-year-olds struggle to wait, how well do you think the average 2-year-old would do? So back to the plan to move your toddler into a big kid bed, I’m hoping you’ll consider not doing this (yet anyway). If your older child is under 3 years old, still sleeping happily in the crib, and the price of a new crib isn’t financially punishing for you, buy a second crib. If “because I said so” isn’t a convincing argument for you, I’ll elaborate. There are a number of reasons why psychically containing your toddler when they sleep is beneficial. 2 year old’s have no self control See: The Marshmallow Test. In this scenario you (or not sleeping, or both) are the marshmallow. Putting physical constraints on a toddler in the form of a lovely crib is far more reasonable then asking them to restrain themselves.2
The crib is the most elegant form of containment We’ve talked about the possibility of using the entire bedroom as a crib ; and certainly that’s a viable backup possibility to consider. But if your kiddo is already happily sleeping in a crib, that’s preferable to them sleeping on the floor next to a closed bedroom door. 2 year old’s go through some massive sleep regressions Developmentally your 2-year-old is starting to find their own power and experiment with limits. Even without changes in beds, additions of new siblings, etc. most 2-year-olds will start playing around with delay tactics and calling for you at night. It’s all part of the process of childhood commonly known as, “What can I get away with?” New Baby Bed Bounce The New Baby Bed Bounce is common to older siblings of all ages. There is a delay of typically 3-6 months between the new baby’s arrival and the New Baby Bed Bounce, which is roughly the amount of time it takes your older sibling to figure out that the baby thing is not just a temporary disruption.
The New Baby Bed Bounce typically includes: skipping naps, fighting bedtime, and demanding to come sleep with you at 2:00 AM. Because these are all effective strategies to get Mom/Dad’s full and undivided attention. And because parents are often a bit frayed at this time, or fearful of “waking the baby”, they’re more likely to give in than set firm limits. You’ll be in no position to fight toddler bedtime battles. Most of the great proactive parenting things you’re doing today will dissipate like the fog in the sun when your new baby shows up. Don’t feel bad about this, it happens to all of us. Yes you can implement strategies to beg, bribe, or otherwise convince your toddler to stay in bed. But many parents of newborns struggle to find the emotional fortitude to do so. Disclaimer: Use of a crib does not guarantee you an absence of any and all sleep struggles with your toddler. It does however provide a physical restraint for your limit-testing self-control-free toddler.
Which vastly enhances your ability to enforce limits regardless of how deeply into the new baby fog you have fallen. But…maybe you don’t believe any of these things will happen. Kids are like snowflakes (they’re all different) so maybe your little snowflake won’t fall prey to the New Baby Bed Bounce. Not all toddlers have problems with big kid beds right? So I started pondering this and my dusty math neurons started firing. Which is how this happened. Yes I used a decision tree, as people often do. The resulting calculation says that if there is a 3% or greater chance that your older sibling will have messier sleep issues in a big kid bed, you’re better off buying a new crib. And you can’t disagree with this, because math. Look, between you and me, the world is filled with kids who have successfully transitioned into a big kid bed at an early age. Clearly it can and does happen! But as a general rule, waiting until after their 3rd birthday will help you avoid potential sleeplessness, and with a new baby en route, the last thing you need is less sleep.