Newborn babies are often compared with flowers as a way to describe how delicate they are, but perhaps they are far more delicate than the flowers, since flowers are able to withstand the scorching sun, shivering winters, and heavy rains, while newborn babies cannot. There is another big difference as well. Flowers grow better when chemical fertilizers or pesticides are applied on them, but we cannot even think of putting our babies near them. Therefore, it is only natural that the place where they spend most of their time should be as delicate as they are.
The material used for the bedding, mattress, and blanket, as well as the colors used therein do not matter much when it comes to adults, but they are very important when the question concerns newborn babies. This is what gave rise to the need of Organic Baby Bedding, blankets, and mattresses. I am talking about bed and baby bedding here, which are also commonly called “Baby Crib Bedding”. The Organic Baby Bedding, mattresses, and blankets are the best choice for your newborn. Here is some additional information on these valuable items.
Organic Baby Bedding is made of organic material through organic processes. They are good for the extremely sensitive and delicate skin of newborn babies, since they are made from organic natural fibers and contain no or negligible chemicals (often, small amounts of peroxides and soda ash etc. are used in bleaching and other stages of preparation).
The Advantages: First, your baby will kept away from those harsh chemicals that often affect the skin adversely, causing rashes and dryness. Second, Mother Nature will say thanks for not encouraging the use of synthetic fibers or other chemicals, thus contributing to lowering the pollution of the planet, which has already reached horrible levels.
The Characteristics of Ideal Organic Baby Bedding:
- It must be made from natural fibers derived from organic plant sources, not from animal sources.
- The processing of the said fiber, such as washing, colouring, conditioning, and stitching, should be done organically and using organic materials.
- It should be durable, cheap, smooth, soft, light in weight, and soothing in all seasons.
- It should be easy to maintain and should have good water-absorbent properties.
- It should not be made of hard material and it should be non-allergic to all skin types.
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Material Used: The ideal material used for making organic baby bedding can only be organic cotton. Cotton is light, smooth, soft, water-absorbent, completely plant-based, and non-allergenic. It is suitable for all skin types, which silk is sometimes not. Silk can cause allergies and it is an animal product.
Preferences: Now, when you know this much about organic baby bedding, you must keep in mind a few more things before you go to the shop to actually buy the bedding.
Do not go for the costliest of the beds. You might want to provide the best for your baby, but price alone is not the certificate. If you need to change bedding frequently, which you will need to do and should do, then that will be heavy on your pockets.
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Babies often spoil the bed and although you wash it as best you can each time, it is still not advisable to use the same bedding for long periods of time.
Try to pick up the white-colored bedding. No doubt your babies will look better in the colored ones and the colored bedding will not get dirty as easily, but the white-colored bedding is more organic than the colored ones. Also, the companies might be claiming that the colors used are organic, but if you think logically, it will not be difficult for you to understand that the colors they are using to color these beds are not necessarily organic (There are many colors that simply cannot be obtained from organic natural sources, and even if they can be, not in such a bulk that all organic bedding can be colored with them). Furthermore, different colors (let them be organic for this point) have different impacts on skin and health; not all colors are good for all skins. Go for the white cotton bedding only.
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Market & Availability: Organic Baby Bedding is not very popular in developing countries in the Indian Subcontinent because in most cases, people prefer to use the old or used cotton sheets already available for preparing baby bedding and don’t like to spend much on buying new bedding for obvious reasons. The second reason is ignorance, that is, most people do not even know about Organic Baby Bedding or don’t care to know. All they care about is sterilization of the bedding used by their babies. They generally wash the bedding in hot water or with the help of some sterilizing liquid.
There is another reason for this lack of use, which is that babies in tropical or warm countries like India are more resistant to adverse effects of non-organic materials than in the cold countries. Therefore, parents never felt the need to buy organic baby bedding. Since there was almost nil demand for this type of bedding in India and its neighboring countries so far; they are still a very rare sight in the shops. You can only see a few pieces in the big shopping malls in big cities and the choices are very limited. Fortunately, the scenario is changing now and parents, particularly in big cities and who are aware of the benefits of Organic Baby Bedding, are now searching for their choice in the shops, so their presence is increasing. The situation is much better in developed countries, since people are more aware there, organic baby bedding is in higher demand and is therefore more available.
- Maintenance of Organic Baby Bedding: Now, when you have done so much brainstorming over this issue, please remember one thing. When you go to wash this type of bedding, please don’t use any inorganic or synthetic sterilizing liquids, soaps, detergents, or scents on them, because then the bedding will no longer be organic. Just use hot water and organic sterilizers (such as Margo leaves or others) and organic scents (organic essences of flowers). Dry them well in strong sun, which will kill the germs in it, or use driers, nothing else!