When I had my first baby, I wasn't too conscious about eating organic foods, harmful chemicals, and toxins. He slept the first year of his life on a regular old Serta mattress we purchased at Babies R Us.
During my infancy of parenthood, while breastfeeding my son I started reading more and more about eating organic foods. I read that most commercial foods consumed everyday contain harmful toxins (think pesticides and herbicides, growth hormones and so on) that can be passed through breast milk to your tiny baby! I started my research and armed with factual evidence, I slowly started making changes.
I made the switch from commercial foods, to all organic (yes it is spendy, but so well worth it)! I started making my own baby foods out of organic produce! I went through plastic surgery. Not the kind of plastic surgery you think, but I started getting rid of ALL plastic items in my home. From food storage containers, to the baby's plastic toys! Is our home totally plastic-free? No, but we will slowly get there!
As I continued to research and make changes I came across many articles that addressed the issue of mattress off-gassing! One of my most favorite websites that is choc-full of useful information regarding toxins in items for kids is called Safe-Mama! Safe-Mama showcased an article about off-gassing last March, you can read that article HERE! It explains what off-gassing is, and how you can prevent it. Its a very informative article!
There has been question as to whether mattress off-gassing plays a roll in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). I would say yes, though I am not a doctor or scientist. As parents we all want what is best for our children. Many (if not all) commercial (non-organic) mattresses (both crib and full sized) are treated with fire-retardants! Fire-retardants are toxic chemicals that are sprayed onto the surface they are meant to protect. After time, these toxic chemicals off-gas and are breathed in by the person sleeping on that surface.
Healthy Child Healthy World also has great information regarding off-gassing. You can read more about that HERE!
After conducting the research, I knew I needed to purchase an organic mattress. Why was this such an important change that I needed to make? On average, a child spends 12-14 hours a day asleep on their mattresses!! 10-14 hours breathing in toxic off-gassing fumes!!
This is how I found Naturepedic No Compromise organic cotton crib mattresses. Was it expensive, a bit. We paid $259.99 for our mattress that we bought from Target! I think for the original mattress we had, we paid around $150.00 for it. So, this one was about a hundred bucks more.... but so worth it, for my peace of mind!
This is the mattress we bought:
I took a few pictures of it today while I was changing my son's sheets. This is my 3 yo toddler bed:
This is a very affordable option for those families that currently own a non-organic crib mattress.
I loved my Naturepedic no compromise crib mattress so much, that I bought a second one when I was expecting my second baby. Mind you, it took a bit of work convincing my husband to spend so much more on an organic mattress.... but I scrimped and saved in other areas to purchase these mattresses.
I rest assured in knowing that my boys are NOT inhaling toxic fumes when they sleep. Funny thing too, once I made the switch with my oldest son to the organic mattress, he slept better, and longer, but my boys have always been good sleepers. My 3 yo still naps, and today he slept for 3.5 hrs. They go down at 7:30 and are up by 7 am!
This post was created to share my personal experiences with using child-safe/non-toxic items. It was not created to place blame or condemn anyone for using a non-organic mattress. At the end of the day, we as parents do whatever we think is best for our families... it took me a long time to save up to buy these mattresses. I think that in life you have to decide what things are important to you and then you have to try your hardest to do those things! It may cost a bit more, but it was an obtainable goal!
Do you want a Naturepedic organic crib mattress? All of the wonderful organic products made by Naturepedic can be found on their website.
You can purchase the same mattress I did at Target for $259.99!
Naturepedic has generously offered one LWML follower a chance to win a Waterproof Organic Cotton Fitted Crib Mattress Pad (RV $59.00)
To enter, simply use the rafflecopter form below, you may have to click on "read more" to see the rafflecopter entry form!
Good Luck and have fun!
~Mama of the littles~
Disclosure: This is my completely honest opinion about the item above and may differ from yours. I was not compensated in any way for this review!
