FTM - how many cot mattress protectors?

[Dalmatian0]

Due shortly! So far I’ve got 3 sheets and 1 mattress protector for the cot. Is a second protector a good idea? Or in practice does the protector tend not to get dirty?

We just had one. If it got wet we washed in the morning and it was dry by bedtime. But perhaps some people think 2 is needed? Wouldn’t get more than 2

I had two but only as they came as a pack of two for minimal difference in price to a single one.
One is most probably enough, I'd see how you get on with one before buying a second.

I have 3, I later the cot - mattress protector, sheet, mattress protector, sheet. Then if there are any accidents or sick bugs I can whip off the top two layers and there is a set ready to go.

I always made sure I had two after one explosive poo incident which mean I really didn't want to put the protector back on until it had been washed, but that meant a gamble with no protector until it was dry!

I made the bed up with protector, sheet, protector, sheet so that the top layer could just be whipped off in the middle of the night and no making up the cot had to be done. Much easier.

Definitely at least 2. If you have a vom or nappy leak halfway through the night you definitely want a spare to put back on in case it happens again. Otherwise your mattress could get ruined and I think you’d be very lucky to get to age 4, which is how long my DD slept in the cot bed for, without that ever happening to you!! They only cost around £10 so even if you are super lucky and never use the spare it’s not like you would have spent a lot of money on it.

I would go for at least 2. If a poo or major vomit accident happens while they are sleeping you want to be able to change it immediately and get them back to sleep rather than wait for it to wash and dry. If you don’t have dryer you might want more spares.

If they do get a sick bug it’s also useful to have some disposable bed mats you can put under the sheet and over the protector so you don’t have to keep washing the protector but that’s something to think about once they are a bit older as young babies don’t tend to get vomiting bugs.

I had 2 for when DS was in his next to me crib. Lots of spit up, nappy accidents etc. Now he's in the bigger cot I only have 1 as tends to be less of that.

I needed two mattress protectors, especially in the winter (we don't have a tumble drier). Started out with four sheets and had to get two more as baby was quite prone to spitting up at night.

I had two protectors plus a pack of large disposable ones - only needed once.

And I also made the bed up with protector, sheet, protector, sheet - so that I could remove sheet and protector and put baby bank to bed without having to put more bedding on.

Just one. You just wash it in the morning if it’s properly dirty.

I would get a spare. Whether they get dirty depends on how quickly you remove the soiled sheet on top. The ones we had dried quickly but it's nice to have one to change in the night if there is a big mess!

One was enough for us.

I use one in the pram and one in the moses basket so I have 3 to make washing easier. 2 of them are pillow covers though, so can be used in the future.