What's Really Necessary?

[shburks]

Help! We're just beginning to look for our crib bedding/nursery theme and are just overwhelmed at the sheer volume of items available!!

I've heard such mixed reviews about bedding items like the bumper and the quilt. I know the quilt can't be used in the crib, but they come in so many of the sets!! What do you do?

I'd love to hear how other moms/dads bought their crib bedding--what you REALLY need.

Susan

[jvorhis]

We have a bedding set from Kids Line. We don't use the quilt it is just under the crib. We do use the bumper though. My daughter loves to get into the corner of the crib and I would not want her sleeping against the crib rails. We have a assortment of sheets and 2 untimate crib sheets which I would highly recommend. My daughter spit up a lot and once she started eating baby food there would be orange stains on her sheets. With the untimate crib sheet I would just use the bleach pen on the stains and put it in the wash. It is also great for late night leaks and such.

Jenn

Mommy to Emma
9-10-03

[amp]

We did not buy a bedding set. We bought sheets we loved, a quilted, waterproof mattress pad (more for extra comfort than protection, since the mattress is waterproof) and a few sheet savers. My MIL made the quilt, which hangs on the wall. We never used bumpers and never missed them. It was soo much cheaper this way, and we can buy whatever sheets we like without bothering to match them to a set.

[HallsofVA]

All you really need is a well fitted sheet. everything else are decorative or comfort items. Knowing what they say about sets being a waste of money, I started to purchase my Kidsline bedding items ala carte, until I realized it would cost me as much as the entire set if I did so. So, we ended up with a 6 pc set, and also purchased some of the decorative accessories that went with the pattern. Of the items we purchased, here's what we used:

1. Sheet (actually I have 2 in the pattern, 2 lands end sheets, and 2 given by a relative.) Honestly, only 2-3 would have been necessary at this point.
2. Bumper - we're using it. The Kidsline bumper in my pattern (Barnyard) is very tall, and fits perfectly above the mattress with no gaps. Early on my son would have conversations with the animals on the bumper. Now he's into touching and feeling their different textures. It also keeps him from getting his legs and body against the wood, as he rolls on his side.
3. Dust ruffle - blocks access to the drawer under the crib, but keeps us from seeing the mattress supports (and keeps some dust out of the drawer, which would be otherwise exposed.
4. Valance - we installed the matching valance over the closet door, when my MIL bought us other curtains for the windows.
5. Throw pillows - These have never been in the crib with DS, but I've used them from the beginning while nursing. They're small enough to go under his head, either on the bed or in the glider, to help prop him (and my arm) up as needed.
6. Lamp - it's cute, and on the double dresser where we also have the changing pad.
7. Wallpaper border - we have it going around the nursery separating the two colors we painted the walls.
8. Mattress pad - we're now using the Lands End one. Originally had the BRU $13 one, but the vinyl backing made DS too hot.
9. Sheet saver - We purchased two in the early months when he kept spitting up, to put under his head to avoid as frequent sheet changes. haven't used either in a while though.

Things I have/purchased that I haven't really used:

1. Diaper stacker - came in the set. It's hanging in the closet. Still empty
2. Quilt - It looks beautiful, but it's stayed folded up in the closet
3. Growth chart - Its out of the package, but not installed.
4. Wall hangings - pack of 5 or 6. My husband really wanted these. We haven't hung them up. Still in the closet. We're thinking they'll make fun frisbees if we never get around to hanging them.

[shburks]

Thank you all for taking the time to post such good answers! That's exactly what I was looking for! Hopefully there will be even more coming.

[icunurse]

We found a great deal on the sheets that matched our set (it was being discontinued), so we bought 5 sheets and pads (from a Carter's outlet). Both of those are barely being used as we now use the Ultimate Crib Sheet (3 of those). We still use our bumper as DS is getting tangled in the slats, but might take it off soon, as he has just started to roll over back to front, but not front to back. We hung our quilt up on the wall...it's cute, decorative, and what else are you going to do with it if it comes in a set? PB and other places sell cute quilt hangers/holders.
Traci
~Connor's Mom~

[CiderLogan]

All we've really used so far are a waterproof mattress pad, fitted sheets (we like our gingham ones from PBK -- we have several but have only needed about 2 or 3), and a crib skirt (unnecessary, but cute - you can buy these separately - ours is a white eyelet one from BRU). We had a bumper too, but we took if off and decided it wasn't really necessary in the first place - if I had to do it again, I wouldn't have wasted the money. We didn't buy a set, so we never had to deal with the quilt issue, but we ended up getting LOTS of quilts and blankets as gifts, and they were useful as play areas on the floor before DD was mobile. I recommend you just buy what you like as separate pieces rather than a coordinated set.

Jenny
Mom of Julia, 8/03

[BethinMass]

Honestly, the only thing you really "need" is sheets. I like to use the crib skirt just because it looks better, however it's not needed.
If I could do it all over again, I would have just bought some really nice high end sheets that matched the decor of the room, and left it at that. :)

[gour0]

I swaddled until 7 mos so I never needed a bumper. I never used the quilt and did not need the Ultimate Crib Sheets either. So, basically all I needed was a few sheets.

[kijip]

For a newborn we used nothing except for swaddling blankets- he slept in a PNP bassinet or in our bed in the co sleeper insert.

For a 4-8 month old we used a crib sheet, skirt, bumper and light blankets. The quilt was used as well, but mainly for napping on the floor in the living room- not in the crib much.

After that we have used a crib skirt, sheet and the quilt in the crib. The bumper is gone, as are the crib toys since he tried to use the toys as steps out of the crib. Never had that issue with the bumper but we decided not to risk it.

We bought PNP sheets, 2 crib sheets and sleep sacks from various new sources. We bought the crib bedding set used- skirt, bumper and quilt. I would not have bought the quilt new but the bumper and skirt are things I would have bought new.

[Joshuasmommy]

I just bought sheets and a crib skirt for the crib. My mom made a quilt to hang on the wall.