Hellobee Boards

I'd be a bit skeptical of any website with this at the top " ~Stop Smoking Now~
~Improve Your Diet~
~Demolish Depression, Dissolve Anxiety, and Find Joy in 2013!~

The Fastest, Healthiest, and EASIEST Way to a Refreshing Night’s Sleep…
No drugs, herbal blends or expensive mattresses required! Act NOW and receive 107 FREE bonus gifts!"

haha!

But seriously I have read some more compelling information about used cribs vs. new cribs and theories on mold, etc. that might be mitigated by a certain mattress pad (complete speculation). Do they say what exactly that pad is made of/how it prevents it?? If it makes you feel better, it's worth it either way

I think if you just let your crib mattress off gas you'd accomplish the same thing. That site seems pretty sketchy.

First let me just say, I hate my laptop, as I had typed a response, and somehow it got deleted. Ugh.

Anywho. I did a lot of research about SIDS because, about a week after my daughter was born, a friend of mine lost her niece to SIDS. If wrapping your mattress eases your mind, by all means, do it. I cant say whether or not it prevents SIDS, but sometimes what we moms need is peace of mind (I bought an angelcare monitor and, knowing full well that if it went off and my daughter wasnt breathing that I might not be able to recessitate her anyways, it still helped me sleep...knowing that if she did stop breathing, id at least be able to do something).

I had the opportunity to meet with the owners of a local childrens mattress factory and he told me that, safety wise, the best place for a baby is swaddled, on a hardwood floor, with a fan going and no rugs, furniture or anything like that near them. But since thats not practical, the most important thing is to make sure that there is good air circulation (fans!) that the mattress is super duper firm (which is why a new mattress is recommended with every child-the mattresses seem to lose firmness the more a child sleeps/jumps on it) and that the room is cool.

@Princessbaby: the whole gas thing is based on the assumption that the mattresses let off a heavy toxic gas that can supress the childs breathing. Some people will put their mattress outside (which is recommended if you wrap it) to, I guess, air it out, but the whole theory of these toxic gases is that theyre created by the mixture of the flame retardant chemicals and bodily fluids, so, technically, airing it out wouldnt help.

We off gassed ours for 4 months!

@PrincessBaby: ack that scares me. - weve only had him in his crib but will be taking our first trip next month and have I use a pack and play! My dad tried to gift me a 20 yer old mattress he saved .... Yikes.

In some ways you're probably better off with a used crib mattress that hasn't been actually used. The off gassing would've already happened!

If its any consolation I spent a stupid amount on an organic mattress and pad bc I was concerned about chemicals and SIDS ... And an angelcarr monitor (but to be honest we've never turned it on bc I'm more comfortable than I thought and terrified of false alarms!

If it gives you peace of mind, by all means it's not a waste of money. I'd just make sure you're doing the things that the AAP recommends too - swaddling, on their back, fan running, in your room (if possible).

@shopaholic: it's my understanding that all mattresses have flame retardant chemicals (by law). So your mattress may be made of organic cotton/hemp/ whatever, but it must still meet us flame retardant guidelines, so it still has the chemicals.

@stiffaknee: Hmmm... so if I have already opened the packaging to let it air out over a month, and washed the mattress pad twice, do you think that's sufficient "off-gassing?"