There are a lot of new parents who like the looks of baby bedding and go on to purchase it without even considering its functionality. This is unfortunate because this is not the way in which you should go about purchasing baby bedding. Instead, your baby's safety and comfort should be first and foremost on your list. So, whenever you begin shopping for make sure you keep in mind those things that you should not do, which includes:

1. You should never ignore your baby's safety. With this being said, you should know that the government has established safety measures that a crib must measure up to. It is important for you to know what these safety measures are so that you can make sure that they are being adhered to. These include having no sharp corners, flimsy wheels or slats that are further than 2.5 inches apart. So, while you can still save money by purchasing a used crib, you need to make sure that these aforementioned rules are being adhered to and that the crib has not been recalled.

2. Do not use any bedding material that your baby may be allergic to. Instead, make sure that you only use wool, cotton or baby-friendly synthetic materials.

3. Do not buy baby bedding that is soft. It should actually be firm instead. This is because soft baby bedding has been listed as a leading cause of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) because it can suffocate your baby.

4. You should not place a lot of cushions, pillows or other items into your baby's crib. The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) says that this is especially true whenever your baby is sleeping.

5. Make sure that you do not use bumper pads because, according to the AARP, this increases your baby's risk of dying from SIDs. If you choose to ignore this and use bumper pads anyway, at least make sure that they are not soft and bulky and that you securely attach them to the crib and cut off any extra string.

6. Make sure that you do not use rubber sheets. While it use to be thought that these would keep your baby dry and their skin from being irritated, today the opposite is believed to be true. Instead, you should use flannel-lined mattress pads that have been specifically designed to keep everything dry.

Now that you know what you should not buy for your baby, you can feel safe and secure in going shopping for those things that you should purchase for your baby. Happy shopping!