Caution First: Choosing the Correct Infant 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. If you want animals, you can find everything from a caterpillar crib set to mystical creatures. Are you considering angels as a theme? How many different angel styles can there be? Well over 100. If you're looking for a really popular theme like cartoon characters or nursery rhymes, you may be doomed LOL.

Whether it's boy baby bedding or baby girl, you might be tempted to buy everything you can afford - after all, they're all so darn cute! But it's important to realize that your baby won't know the difference between a $100 bedding set and a $5000 set. Buy something cute, but don't hurt your finances in the process. So now you might be wondering what actually is important. Here are some ideas:

- You may think bumper pads are a given, but there is a growing concern that they are actually harmful. The idea behind a crib bumper is to protect baby from the hard bars of the crib, but if the bumper comes loose it may cause suffocation. It is generally recommended to keep bumper pads out of the crib until your child is at least 1 year old, but if you insist on keeping them in the crib, make sure they are secured tightly, with the ties on the outside of the crib.

- You won't find sheet sets for cribs, because babies don't use flat sheets or pillowcases, just the fitted sheet. When buying crib sheets, make sure they fit your mattress properly. If they are too big or too small, they may come free from the mattress and pose a suffocation risk. White sheets are a definite no - babies are messy and your white sheets won't stay white for long. A waterproof mattress cover is a good idea, too.

- As far as blankets go, babies don't need to be any warmer than adults, and loose blankets can also cause problems. Stick with a sleep sack instead. One other thing that you need to keep out of the crib is pillows and stuffed animals - they're a suffocation hazard.

When you're evaluating baby crib bedding, first make sure it's safe. With so many options available, you can still find something adorable.