Making the Bed

[greycoral]

How can I make up my bed to protect my mattress? I was thinking I would do from bottom to top:

mattress
plastic layer (shower curtains)
nice sheets
plastic layer (shower curtain)
dark sheets we don't care about staining

Think that would protect the mattress enough? We have another fitted sheet we could use in place of the "nice" sheets just in case. Or do you think if I lined the top with pads it would be enough?

[ExuberantDaffodil]

I did

mattress
drop pads
nice sheets
shower curtain
old sheets
drop pads (chux)

there was barely anything on the old sheets because of the top layer of drop pads, so I felt like what I did was a bit overkill, but better safe than gooey mattress.

[nikirj]

I wouldn't put plastic between the mattress and the sheets you actually intend to sleep in, because that will make you feel overheated and sweaty and is not the best cosleeping scenario. It sounds good to protect the mattress, but it's just not comfortable. Kind of like sleeping on a leather couch.

[greycoral]

hmm, never thought about the plastic making it feel uncomfortable. Thanks for the advice!!

[MidwifeErika]

you know the mattress pads for cribs? The kind that are like a thick, thick, water-resistant flannel kinda thing? You could put that down on your mattress then your good sheets, then the plastic, then the old sheets. That way when you strip it down to the good sheets, there is still a little something extra on your mattress just in case your pad leaks postpartumly. It wouldn't be as hot as plastic either.

[marrymeflyfree]

I bought a waterproof mattress pad at BB&B...did (from the bottom up) nice sheets, mattress pad, old sheets. The pad was only $20 or so, and a much nicer feel than plastic. I had the setup on the bed for a few weeks before labor started, which was handy since my water broke with a major flood while in bed! And we use it now for co-sleeping since our older daughter out-pees her diaper fairly often. Good investment!

[Peace+Hope]

has anyone used wool puddle pads, like these from kelley green? they are 20x30. i was thinking of making one into my bed well before labor, like some PPs suggested with crib pads or waterproof mattress pads. and then doing xtra layering for the actual birth.

maybe it'd be better to go for something that covers the whole mattress though?

[nikirj]

I used a fleece underpad on my side of the bed. Fleece, towel, sheet. Not so much for bleeding (although it would have worked), but for the breastmilk leakage mess I'd be encountering later. The same setup had worked really well to prevent my bedwetting son from ruining his 100%-cotton futon mattress, so I figured I'd be all set. Yes, it worked really well and was comfortable - I used a pretty large fleece and towel so my body was almost entirely on it and I wasn't feeling edges. The downside is that it has to be washed when you wash the sheets, vs. a waterproof mattress cover that can just be wiped off. But since we had more than one d/t bedwetting son, it wasn't ever a real issue.

[at_the_hip]

I had my layers & bedding ready to go, clean and in a zipper bag. I made the actual bed up with the waterproofing while I was in labor...at the point where I thought if I didn't do it soon, dh would have to! LOL

I found that the paint drop sheets worked the best for the layer under the old sheet. I had two overlapping waterproof layers with our last birth because that was what I had, and the blood seeped through so we had to make the whole bed over AND clean the mattress. A serious pain!!! This time I'll make sure to get the big drop sheet again.

[cc_mama]

I will have:
mattress
felted wool blanket
nice sheets
plastic sheet or shower curtain
flannel fitted sheet from the thrift store
chux pads

I like having the felted wool blanket for after - helps with breastmilk and other liquids - although I sometimes sleep on towels too so I can switch them out easily at night.