"egg crate" pad: too soft for newborn?

EnviroBecca · 11-06-2004, 07:39 PM

The mattress in our nursery (which will be the family bed) is one that I chose years ago because it was inexpensive and felt fine in the store...but within 6 months, the metal grid at the top of the springs could be felt thru the outside surface of the mattress.

: I solved this problem by getting a foam rubber "egg crate" pad to go under the regular quilted-fabric mattress pad. It is now smushed to about 1/2" thick from years of use, but it still makes the bed comfortable. My question is whether this is too soft a surface for a newborn and could be a suffocation risk if baby winds up in a face-against-bed position. If so, what should we replace it with--a wool pad?

USAmma · 11-06-2004, 09:10 PM

It is recommended that you don't use any kind of additional bedding between the mattress and sheet for a newborn. I would also imagine that an egg crate that old would probably harbor dust, dust mites, and mold spores. Sorry so gross but I have allergies and am very aware of what can grow on a pillow or mattress. Yuck, huh?

My dd's crib mattress was bought used at a consignment store. It has a wipable waterproof surface which won't grow anything, either.

BTW I tried an egg crate mattress recently with my 9 mo. because she refluxes and has a hard time sleeping. I thought it might help her. It did, but she vomited on it one night and it was such a pain to clean that I just threw it away. I would think that a newborn would spit up or have diaper leaks and that thing would have to be cleaned a lot.

She sleeps much better next to us, anyway.

She starts off in the crib until we go to bed, and then we take her to bed with us at around 10 PM.

Darshani

EnviroBecca · 11-15-2004, 04:39 PM

Bumping my thread in hopes of getting more replies....

Not having anything between mattress and sheet is just not an option for this bed. It would be way too uncomfortable. I guess I will have to find a denser pad such as wool (not a sheepskin; the kind that's like a wool blanket w/elasticized edges). Also I can try to keep EnviroBaby in the bassinet (the basket part lifts out and can be set on the bed next to me) until he/she is a bit older.

Good point about things growing in the pad. I hadn't really thought about it because MrBecca and I don't have allergies, but it is gross nonetheless. Even if nothing is growing, the pad has that "old foam rubber" smell and is probably about to begin disintegrating like foam does; breathing tiny bits of rubbery dust is surely not a good idea.

So I'm definitely going to replace it with something, but I still would appreciate tips as to where to find a good wool pad or what else might be appropriate.

simcon · 11-15-2004, 04:59 PM

If at all possible, I'd replace the mattress and forgo something else (in terms of $). Do you have freecycle where you are? Maybe someone is getting rid of a mattress? Everything I've read says "firm mattress" for cosleeping (we coslept until about a month ago)--no blankets, etc--and I think any pad would make there be some sort of risk, and your mattress now doesn't sound "firm" as it is anyway. (as for the bassinette--I'd imagine that if you're open to co-sleeping, I think that solution would be hard to stick to, and may have its own risks)

Sorry not to answer in the way you'd probably hope for--I hope you find a good solution!

mother_sunshine · 11-15-2004, 11:22 PM

We used an egg crate pad on our bed for dd's first 4 years of life, though we only co-slept off and on the first year (then full-time co-sleeping after 1yr) due to bad advice. We had no problems. I know it is strongly recommended to not use cushiony pads, but a lot of people have those pillow-top mattresses which are much fluffier than our flattened eggcrate pad ever was! I just would make sure the baby never sleeps on his/her stomach.

There are mite-proof mattress covers that are made for pillow-top mattresses. I'm willing to bet it would fit over a regular mattress and eggcrate pad. I think it's http://www.nationalallergysupply.com

LadyWulf · 11-16-2004, 07:32 PM

When my son co-slept with us i had a very thick soft pad on our bed. What i always did was use a changing pad or similar thing that was plenty big enough to go a little under me and totally under him. It was waterproof that way if he did happen to get turned face down he wouldn't have been able to be smothered by the mattress pad. It also has the double benefit of if there is a diaper leak it won't get on the sheets or mattress and the pads are much easier to wash.