Sheets and mattresses

[Merlioness]

Hi,

Sorry for this seemingly stupid question...

I have a crib with a foam mattress and also got fitted sheets. I have now tried to put the sheets on the matress, but they seem to "shrink" the matress a little. Is this normal? And if so, will the sheets expand by themselves, or do I need to stretch them somehow?

Any advice is greatly appreciated

No it's not normal- as in it shouldn't happen- but it's happened to me!

Bloody annoying so took them back. They basically make the mattress curved.

I've resorted to using a flat sheet. Not ideal.

Ps I ripped a second hand fitted sheet at the edges which made it fit a little better but wouldnt do this for new ones.

If you are going to buy flat sheets then get cot sized ones and fold them over. Alternatively buy a double flat sheet and cut it up. Cheaper than crib flat sheets.

Some are better than others. I know a few slightly more motivated friends who have made their own, but I'm not one of them! I found some pretty good fitted towelling ones, but I forget where they came from now.

Is your baby newborn? Might sound daft, but you could always just put pillow cases over the mattress. Could save you lots of money trying to find some half decent sheets and your baby won't mind!

Ps sheet, crib and mattress were both mothercare.

Pillow cases aren't quite big enough- I tried that truck!

I have a John Lewis moses basket & bedding that I've taken apart & washed in readiness, just put it back together. It all seems to fit without curving the mattress.

I think the problem OP and I are having is in relation to wooden cribs not Moses baskets - ( which some people do call cribs hence the confusion!) pillow cases are very good for Moses baskets!

Thank you for the advice. The baby isn't here yet, but I'm 33+2 and I'm starting to get the nursery ready.
I tried pillow cases too and they were just a tiny bit too small.
I had no idea that crib and moses basket were used interchangably. I am indeed talking about a wooden crib
I will see if I can go through some second hand bedding and see if I can make a couple of sheets.

Thanks again for all the advice :)

Just to add a word of warning. Not to diss Mothercare, but in a moment of attempted cleverness i bought their crib flat sheets (So I could use them as bottom sheets in crib/bottom sheets in Moses basket and also in pram--This is baby three and all my mates have lent me beds!!) I found that the flat sheets are too small to cover the mattress!!!!! They're intended to only cover the baby. I felt a bit of a fool and had to buy some fitted sheets (which did curve my mattress a bit, but I've managed to pull sheet corners about a bit and flatten mattress again.)

Ha! I had exactly the same problem with their flat sheets for crib!! Fortunately I only bought a pack of 2, so it will be ok to cover the baby. Seems a bit stupid to me and I though I might just have bought the wrong size, though I was sure the package said "Crib".

I actually asked when I went back to buy the fitted sheets if they thought the crib/moses basket flat sheets (which I'd washed and couldn't return) could be used as bottom sheets in the moses basket and the girl looked at me, really confused and asked how I would be able to do that. I explained the concept of folding edges under mattress (without being patronising--I was too amused!) Bless her!!

I don't have moses basket in house yet so i couldn't check myself btw!!

I had washed mine already too :(
I think they would have to make the distinction clear, because to me a "flat sheet" goes on the mattress and is a bottom sheet, rather than a top sheet.

Oh well, you live and learn. I needed top sheets anyway, but it was annoying nevertheless.

I'm currently trying to stretch the fitted sheets a little, as I don't like the curving of the edges and think the mattress is meant to fit snuggly into the crib/moses basket/cot

I've got gaps between my crib sides and matress and they're all mothercare so should all go together!! My big cot and it's two mattresses (so far) have all been snug. I was a bit concerned when the crib one sits so loosely. However I've read less than 3cm is OK and I reakon as crib is used when they're tiny there is less rolling around from LO it'll be OK. the risk is due to entrapment of limbs. He/She will be swaddled for approx 12/14 weeks so no limbs on show!!!Howver I'd be happier with a bit more of a snug fit. I might stuff some muslins in once I come up with a safe way of doing that.

Oh, that is a good idea!
I hope to swaddle mine too, but we'll see if he approves of being snug (he certainly disapproves in my tummy!)

My matress, crib, etc is all from Mothercare too and the matress fits nicely "naked" just not with the blooming sheets. I might make a cut in opposing corners to loosen the elastic a little, as I think that that should fix the issue. Alternatively, I shall be using my bedding from when I was little and cut little sheets :)

Is it that the elastic is too tight?

If so you could unpick a few stitches and thread a new longer piece of elastic through.

If the elastic is sewn in all the way around iykwim then you could just snip it-not great though with new sheets.

I don't think it matters very much if the sheet is a little short, put the bare bit of mattress at the head end and then put another sheet width ways or a muslin over the bare part. This is what I always did anyway as then it's easier to change when your baby inevitably sicks up it's milk as soon as you put he/she down.

Good luck with your baby. (Who won't care about what kind of sheet he/she sleeps on anyway.)

Thanks schroeder. I think that the problem lies with the elastic being too tight. It is sown in all the way round, so I think it should be possible to make a cut at 2 opposing ends to loosen it.

I like your idea of the two sheets and I was just thinking that I hope to get a waterproof matress protector, so I may not need the second sheet anyway.

Thank you for your thoughts :)