Caution Pays: Choosing the Optimal Nursery 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 crib set to gorillas. If it's angels you're looking for, be prepared to spend some time on your search - there are hundreds of different choices. And if you want nursery rhymes or cartoon characters, put aside a couple of weeks just to browse!

Whether it's baby boy bedding or baby girl, with so many adorable choices, your first instinct might be to just buy it all. It's natural to want a beautiful room for your baby, but don't let looks overshadow more important concerns. Here are some things that your baby actually will care about:

- If you are considering crib bumpers, be aware that they have certain risks associated with them. 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. When installing bumper pads, be sure to follow all safety guidelines. Keep ties on the outside of the bed, and secure them tightly. Even better, take the pads out of the crib for the first year.

- You won't find sheet sets for cribs, because babies don't use flat sheets or pillowcases, just the fitted sheet. Be sure to check the size of the crib sheets you're buying and confirm that they're right for your mattress. Although crib mattress are basically all the same size, there can be minor variations in dimensions. If the sheets you buy don't fit your mattress, they may come off and cause a suffocation risk for your child. White sheets are impractical because you WILL have diaper leaks. You mattress will probably be waterproof, but you may want to buy a mattress protector just in case.

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