Caution Before All Else: Finding the Ideal Baby Bedding

With just about any theme, style, and color combination you can dream of available for your baby's nursery and bedding, it's no wonder that so many new parents get confused about how to decorate their nursery. Animal designs come in everything from a caterpillar baby crib bedding set to safari themes. Are you considering angels as a theme? How many different angel styles can there be? Well over 100. If you're looking for a really popular theme like cartoon characters or nursery rhymes, you may be doomed LOL.

Whether it's boy crib bedding or baby girl, it can be really hard to stick to a budget, because everything is irresistibly adorable. I know parents love to look at that perfect nursery, but quite honestly, your baby isn't going to care. So now you might be wondering what you baby actually does need. Here are some of the things:

- Think twice before installing bumper pads - they may not be as useful as you think. It is all too easy for an active infant to pull a bumper loose and get it over his or her face. If this happens at night, a parent may not even realize until the next morning. Until his or her first birthday, it is highly recommended to keep bumpers (and any other loose or unnecessary bedding) out of your child's crib. But for anyone who decides to put them in anyway, at least make sure that the ties are short, on the outside of the crib, and very tightly tied.

- Flat sheets are pretty useless for a newborn baby, so most crib sets will only include a fitted sheet. Make sure that all crib sheets you buy fit the mattress tightly. If they don't, get elastic clips to hold them in place. If a crib sheet isn't properly secured, it can pop off the mattress and become a suffocation hazard. New parents may be unprepared for the messes that babies bring with them, but those white sheets you bought won't look so adorable after a couple of diaper leaks and some spitup. If you're concerned about your mattress, invest in a waterproof cover, too.

- Loose blankets are a safety hazard for babies under one, so stick to sleep sacks or warm pajamas instead. Also, keep pillows and stuffed animals out of the crib. Babies don't need them and they can be a serious suffocation risk.

When it comes to buying a baby crib bedding set, be sure that it's safe, then pick something cute - you don't need to sacrifice one for the other.