Who knew picking a crib mattress would be so hard??

[kat.c.stevens]

Hi everyone!

I have a slight dilemma. We have a crib, we have linens, but we don't have a mattress! I know we've got a little bit of time yet (baby is due May 4th), but I don't like waiting until the last minute on these things. So here goes...

This is our first baby. I read somewhere a few months back that if you're going to by ANYTHING organic, the mattress was an important one to splurge on, so we registered for an organic mattress that runs about $199. I was secretly hoping someone (or a few people as a group) would buy it for us, but I am now thinking that's not happening.

The rationale that I heard was that for babies who may be prone to breathing problems or allergies, an organic mattress would prevent any leaching of chemicals, and that since they spend so much time with their little mouths within inches of that mattress for the first few years, that can really make a big difference. I have no breathing troubles, but I have food sensitivities, and my husband has some food sensitivities and "situational" asthma (not the right term for it, but basically he wheezes for a few hours after too much physical exertion, and dairy can make his airways tighten up).

The problem is that anything organic is super expensive, and we are on a tight budget. I am willing to spend the money if I know it's worth it, but I can't seem to get any good information on this from real parents. Plus, there are all of the options... organic mattress with regular mattress pad, normal mattress with organic mattress pad, spring mattresses, foam mattresses, and so on, and so forth. It's enough to make my head spin!

Has anyone done research into this or had experience that might help me decide what to do? Please, please share!

[organicpapayamama]

I too did the research when I was pg with DS. I wanted to get the organic mattress. (i had read the articles about the chemicals with the fire retardant and that contributing to SIDS) at any rate. I didnt have the money for it and it was a good thing I didnt get it. DS never slept in the crib. He didnt like it. even though cosleeping was not in the plan thats what we ended up doing. Had I bought it, it would have been a waste of money. Maybe wait and see what arrangement works best for you. Is there another mattress you can borrow from someone for a trail period first to see if your LO even likes being in the crib? If he/she does then Id say invest in it, but if not then find something else that may work.

[tempestjewel]

We co-sleep, so I don't worry about crib mattresses, but I did splurge to buy each of my DD's chemical free twin sized mattresses (bought one three years ago with our tax refund, and then another one just a month ago with this years tax refund). I think they are worth every single penny. If I thought I'd be using a crib, this is something I'd insist on as well.

As a secondary option, wrapping an ordinary mattress in polyethylene is what has lowered the rate of SIDS in New Zealand. I would do at least this if buying a non-toxic mattress was completely out of the question, because I do think it is better then nothing.

I've ordered from www.organicgrace.com - she has a ton of info on her site about the importance of non-toxic mattresses that first started my research into it. Not all organic mattresses are created equal- just because it has the label "organic" does not mean there isn't anything toxic in it, so you have to be careful to evaluate the source.