Organic Baby Bedding
| Organic Baby Clothing |
New born babies are often compared with flowers to describe how delicate they are, but perhaps they are far more delicate than the flowers, because flowers withstand scorching sun, shivering winters and heavy rains but new born babies cannot. And then there is one big difference. Flowers grow better when chemical fertilizers or pesticides are applied on them, but we cannot even think of putting our babies near them. So, it is but natural that the place, where they spend most of their time, should be as delicate as they are.
The material used for the bedding, the colours used therein etc. do not matter much when it comes to adults, but they are of very much importance when the question is that of new babies. This is what gave rise to the need of Organic Baby Bedding. Yes! I am talking about bed and baby bedding here, which are also called “Baby Crib Bedding”. The Organic Baby Bedding are the best bedding for your new born. Here is some more information on them.
Organic Baby Bedding: Organic Baby Bedding are the baby crib bedding that are made of organic material through organic process. They are good for the extremely sensitive and delicate skin of new born babies as they are made from organic natural fiber and contains no or negligible chemicals (often some peroxides and soda ash etc. are used in bleaching and other stages of preparation).
The Advantages: First, your baby will be far from those harsh chemicals which often affect the skin adversely, cause rashes, dryness etc. Second, Mother Nature will say thanks to you for not encouraging the use of synthetic fibers or other chemicals, and thus contributing to lessen the pollution which has already assumed a horrible figure.
The Disadvantages: They are far costlier than the normal baby bedding. They are more likely to develop fungus or microbes than the normal ones.
The Characteristics of an Ideal Organic Baby Bedding: It must meet the following requirements;
- It must be made from natural fiber.
- The natural fiber must be derived from plant sources and not from animal sources.
- The natural fiber used in it must be grown organically, that is, without the aid of any chemical fertilizers or chemical pesticides.
- The processing of the said fiber, such as washing, colouring, conditioning, stitching etc. should be done organically and using organic materials.
- It should be smooth to touch.
- It should be soft to feel.
- It should be light in weight.
- It should have good water absorbent properties.
- It should be non allergenic to all skin types.
- It should be equally soothing in all seasons.
- It should be easy to maintain, since baby bedding need a lot of maintenance for obvious reasons.
- It should be cheap too because you should be able to replace it frequently.
- It should not have sharp or hard material used in it or it may harm the baby.
- It should be durable.
Material Used: Now, can you think of a natural fiber which would just be fitting into all of these conditions discussed above? Yes! You are right! It is nothing but cotton. So, the ideal material used for making organic baby bedding can only be organic cotton. Cotton is light, smooth, soft, good water absorbent, completely plant matter and non-allergenic. It is suitable for all skin types (Which, sometimes, silk is not. Silk sometimes causes allergies and it is an animal product). It is fine for all the seasons and it is cheap too. Organic Baby Bedding are also made from Organic Wool (this is very doubtful) and organic silk (this sounds rather promising than organic wool), but both of them can be highly allergenic. Other substances such as Organic Natural Rubber, Organic Jute are also used.
Preferences: Now when you know this much about organic baby bedding, you must keep in mind a few more things when 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 I bet you will need to and you should), then that will be heavy on your pockets. Babies often spoil the bed and although you wash it the best way you can each time, still it is not advisable to use the same bedding for a long time.
- Try to pick up the white coloured ones. No doubt your babies will look better in the coloured ones and the coloured bedding will not go dirty easily too, still the white coloured bedding are more organic than the coloured ones. Also, the companies might be claiming that the colours used are organic, but if you think logically, it will not be difficult for you to understand that the colours they are using to colour these beds are not necessarily organic (There are many colours which cannot be obtained from organic natural sources, and even if they can be, not in such a bulk that all organic bedding can be coloured with them). Further, different colours (Let them be organic for a while) have different impacts on skin and health and not all colours are good for all skins. Go for the cotton bedding only. Check out the “Hundred Percent Organic” tag on them.
Market & Availability: Organic Baby Bedding are 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 with them 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 of the people do not even know about Organic Baby Bedding and neither care to know. All they care about is sterilization of the bedding used by babies. They generally wash the bedding in hot water or with the help of some sterilizing liquid. There is one more reason and that is babies in tropical or warm countries like India, are more resistant to adverse effects of non-organic materials than in the cold countries. So, parents never felt the need of buying organic baby bedding. Since there was almost nil demand for these bedding in India and its neighbouring 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 choice is limited. But 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 and resultantly their presence is increasing. The situation is much better in the developed countries as people are more aware there, the thing is in demand and hence it is more available.
Maintenance of Organic Baby Bedding: Now when you have done so much of brain storming over this issue; then please remember one thing. When you got to wash these bedding, please don’t use any inorganic or synthetic sterilizing liquid or soap or detergent or scent in them, because then the bedding will no more be organic. Just use hot water and organic sterilizers (such as Margo leaves or others) and organic scents (organic essence of flowers). Dry them well in strong sun (that will kill the germs in it) or use driers and that’s all.
Certifications: There are many certifying agencies who certify organic baby products or organic products in general. Here are few of them;
- Many a times the local Government agencies certify them.
- IFOAM or International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement.
- Demeter International.
- KRAV of Sweden.
- Oeko-Tex Standard 100.
- Skal of Netherlands.
Order your pack: You can search for them in your nearest bedding shop or the malls, but if you cannot locate them there, then try the internet. Popular internet shops such as eBay, Amazon etc. keep a wide range of choices to pick from and you can order them there. They will ship it to you.
Finishing Touch: Here are a few tips;
- If organic baby bedding are not available in your locality, you can get them custom made by the local bedding manufacturers. What you will need is only some organic cotton and a few sheets of organic cloth (I am not mentioning sheets of organic rubber because they are generally not available).
- Do not use the same bedding for a long time; because, despite you sterilize it to your best, some germs are sturdy enough to grow in them and may infect your baby, and how best you wash and sterilize it, it is never new.
- Watch for the seal of the certifying agency before buying or all of your money may go in vein.
- Always wash the bedding in hot water after you buy them and before you use them for your baby. The packed bedding kept in stores do not guarantee that they do not have dust or germs in them.
So, that was the best I could share with you. If you can contribute more about Organic Baby Bedding, please share them with friends, because it is our babies who are in question. Bye!
Sources:
a. http://www.littletreehouse.ca/index.php?act=viewDoc&docId=9
b. http://www.ourbabybedding.com/page/26528196
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