How often should I change the sheets on my baby's bed?
Because of the way the crib is constructed, changing the sheets on the bed can be quite the challenge. In most instances I have to pull the crib away from the wall entirely to get the job done, which is complicated by the fact that I store my supply of diapers and wipes under Parker's bed. (The job has become easier with practice, of course.)
When Parker was younger the sheets didn't seem to me to be a big deal because Parker slept on his back, and rarely did his diaper leak onto the bed. I didn't worry much about the hair he was losing, and it was hard to reach over and into the bed to deal with bedclothes. Now Parker prefers to sleep on his stomach, which leads to drool marks on otherwise clean smelling sheets. If you think I am slovenly in this respect (and sometimes I suspect it myself), see the quotation near the end of "Favorite Books, Part II" posted earlier today.
What kind of sheet experience have you had with your own babies, and then--what do you recommend?
4 comments:
Ahhhhh - changing sheets. A chore I truly hate. When my kiddos were babies I would always change the sheets if they had a bathroom type accident. As for the yellowing drool circles, I would change once I couldn't stand it anymore. :0) Our crib has always been difficult to change the sheets on, so I learned that I could live with the drool circles for quiet a while. :0) If Parker has a lot of bathroom accidents, here's a tip that I learned while my kiddos were potty training. Put the sheet on the bed. Then place an absorbent pad on top of the sheet (They make special ones, I can't remember off hand where I got mine. If you're interested let me know and I'll help you find one.) Then place another sheet on top of that. When the top sheet gets soaked with tinkle, just remove the sheet and the absorbent pad and you already have a clean sheet on the bed. This is great for those middle of the night potty accidents.
Very good. We aren't there just yet, but I know your advice will come in handy once we get there!
We take turns changing Charlie (he doesn't even wake up) right before WE go to bed (around 11 or 12 or later, unfortunately). If we don't do this, when he wakes up too early in the morning, and he and the bedding are totally wet. Larger diapers didn't help. I can't bear to cut him off from liquids after a certain time, as I really enjoy drinking water myself, and he holds it a long time, so it's not even practical. It's the last thing I feel like doing when I'm tired, but having to wash and change his bedding every morning before naptime is no fun, either.
I think Tina's idea is great. I have some of those pads, which I got at Walmart.
We encased all our mattresses in zippered plastic covers to keep out the dust mites (we have allergy problems). That saves the mattresses in case of any contingency. I used to use the fitted removable mattress covers that are lined with a plastic sheet on the inside, but I don't recommend them because they are expensive, and eventually get ripped up in the laundry, even if you hang them dry. This probably isn't useful now, if your crib mattress is already waterproof, like ours, but will come in handy when P gets older.
When I was growing up, I remember my mom having a schedule for us to change all the bedding (weekly?). My plan is to change it when it really seems to need it. I could say that I'm being conscious of the environment, but the reality is that it's low on the priority list. Times have a-changed.
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