We’ve all been there: Awakened in the middle of the night by a crying baby who has soaked through her diaper right onto the crib bedding.
You may have mastered the art of deftly changing your infant’s diaper while half-asleep but making the bed is another matter. For one thing, you're followed the experts' safety advice when you put your baby to bed.
When it comes to crib bedding, remember it‘s safety first
"Parents should never place the baby on a sofa, couch, or cushioned chair, either alone or sleeping with another person. We know that these surfaces are extremely hazardous," advised Dr. Rachel Moon of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
AAP recommends that your infant’s crib should be bare: No soft bedding like crib bumpers, blankets, pillows or soft toys. Babies should always be placed on their back. And the sleep surface should fit tightly, with a tight-fitting sheet.
Parent hacks for changing crib bedding
Do it in layers
The most popular — and logical — method seems to be layering several sheets and/or pads and then removing the top ones when they become soiled. Mom Christine Myers made her kids’ cribs and beds using this method when they were little: “Waterproof mattress cover, crib sheet, a waterproof sheet, then another sheet. Rip off the top two layers, go back to bed,” she told Mom.com.
Let the experts handle it
If necessity is the mother of invention, motherhood is a fount of innovation. Elizabeth Sopher is an entrepreneur who has based an entire company around an idea she had to make changing the crib bedding easier.