Cot mattress

[nikkip]

Hiya Girlies

I was just wondering what mattress is best for a cotbed?

The cotbed my brother bought is 70x140 and I had a look at different mattresses and I am baffled by the different types out there.

Oh and to be cheeky what do you guys think about the bumper? I read somewhere that the padded ones you tie up to the slats are dangerous??? But I thought they were essential.

Also (sorry lol) what are the best blankets etc to buy - what exactly do you need? And are gro bags any good? If so, do you use them with a blanket? When do you start using them??

Any help would be fantastic!!!

Thanks!!

 

[PrincessSoph]

thanx for starting this thread! im in the same situation as you! completely baffled!!

 

[Vici]

And me, ordered our nursery furniture today but didn't order the matress as i was a bit baffled. Some had springs,some didn't etc.

 

[amylw1]

i personally will not be using cot bumpers as i am more worried about LO snuggling into it and suffercating than them getting an arm/leg stuck in a bar.

mattress will be a "sponge" type 1, i am going for the 8-10inch thick as i think the thin 1s will wear out/feel the base slats too easily. cant remember what i had with other 2 as cot and mattress were bought by my mum as an all in 1 thing.

 

[MummyToAmberx]

This is mattress amber was using in her cot.
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/30108264
I dont see problem with cot bumper, amber had hers on till she was over 6 months, no problems. Its not a must have though.
Blankets doesnt need be thick at all, i had a set bought from Next like this
https://www.next.co.uk/shopping/homeware/nurseryandbaby/1/8
Came with a proper little duvet Blanket and little fleece blanket which 1 at time is enough.

 

[Caramel]

Hey Nikkip.

We have a cotbed and went for the most expensive mattress we could get from John Lewis https://www.johnlewis.com/230233471/Product.aspx. We ummed and ahhed a lot because like you we were really confused. In the end we decided that it was the kind of product that rather than being ripped off by getting the priciest, it probably meant we were getting the best possible quality. However, all cot mattresses bought from legitimate outlets will be perfectly safe due to strict regulations. The good thing about buying a very sturdy pocket sprung one is that it will last a very long time. So it will either last the whole time our child is using the cotbed (including when it's transformed into a bed), or if we have another child and they use the cot instead we'll be able to use it for them. I know it's generally suggested that you buy a new mattress for every child, but providing they keep their shape and are still strong and supportive, I personally believe there's no reason you can't use it for your next child (and I did read info which said it should be fine).

With regard cot bumpers, the fsid don't consider them to be a risk factor in cot death, see link https://www.fsid.org.uk/mothercare-poll-press.html however they aren't considered to be a benefit either. As far as I'm aware the biggest risk with regard to cot bumpers is that once baby can sit up they can potentially use them to pull themselves up and over the sides of the cot, so should be taken out at this stage.

I've heard good things about the gro-bags. I think in terms of cot death they're considered good as there's no way your baby can wriggle down inside them, however overheating can cause cot death so ensure you get the right tog (they do a few different ones). You shouldn't need to use a blanket with them, and it's wise to be cautious that baby doesn't get too hot. With bedding it's better to use layers than one heavy blanket, so if you weren't going to go with a gro-bag you could buy a few light blankets, I believe cotton cellular blankets in the summer can be a good choice, and a couple of light sheets to be used on their own for very hot nights might be a good idea too.

I'm no expert though, and I'm a first time mum-to-be so I have no direct experience!! I just did a lot of reading up about bedding because I was so confused, and there's a lot of conflicting advice out there, so this is all just my opinion, based on some of the information I found.

Hope it at least helps you get started in deciding what's right for you and your little one xx

 

[sezzlebum]

hiya

we bought a 140x70 thermorest spring mattress on friday for our cotbed, i prefer sprung matteresses as foam tend to end up with a dent where baby lies after so long lol, but its your own preference, plus sprung mattresses tend to be better for cotbeds as when your using it as a bed the mattress will last longer than foam (from past experiance lol), my mattress cost £75 from toys r us

havent a clue about grobags, never used them.

i had bumpers on both my girls and never had a problems so i plan on using one again i honestly thought they were for when baby starts rolling etc so they dont bang their heads lol

 

[TigerLady]

Mattresses should be firm. If you are going with a spring mattress, the more springs the better. Looking at it from an infant's point of view -- they don't have much control over their head and neck, so if they happen to get their faces pushed into a soft mattress, they could suffocate.

The bumper debate is controversial. Some believe (strongly and with some evidence) that they are potentially more dangerous than they are helpful. If an infant gets their face up against it, they can suffocate. They probably aren't very dangerous until the baby can start to roll on their own, but at that point, they could be trouble.

There is an alternative -- not nearly as cute at the cloth bumpers, but safe. It prevents arms/legs getting stuck between slats and also prevents suffocation.

https://www.securebaby.com/crib_shields_all.html

 

[nikkip]

CARAMEL - thank you so much that was so informative rather than a plain I wont be doing this or that lol!!

SEZZLEBUM - thanks hun that really helps too

TIGERLADY - Ta hun yeah I agree with the springs theory.

I'm glad I raised this question as I didn't find much info on mattresses and anyone I asked said mine came with the cot lol that helps!!

Thanks ladies I will start looking around now!!xxx

Hope you all had a good weekend.xx

 

[Caramel]

CARAMEL - thank you so much that was so informative rather than a plain I wont be doing this or that lol!!

Lol, yep I do waffle on a bit when I get going!!! Glad it helped a bit though, I took ages researching stuff on the net, and I was still confused by the end of it, but I guess it did help us to make a decision in the end, although a lot of it was instinct in interpreting the info we found xx