A cradle mattress is where your precious little baby will sleep but most do not know anything about the rules of buying a cradle mattress. Now remember that there is a difference between a cradle and a crib. The cradle is a place that baby will not be sleeping in for very long as they will advance to a crib usually as soon as they are big enough and can make the transition into their own room. Cradle mattresses are usually rather thin in comparison to a standard mattress, they are completely waterproof, flame retardant, and lock stitched.
The cradle mattresses really should not even be constituted as a mattress per se but rather a waterproof mat. There are little sheets that fit on the mattresses for the cradle, which by the way usually have to be changed quite frequently by the way. These offer very little support and are also known as bassinet mattresses. These are about 2 inches thick and come in one of two sizes, 18x36 or 15x33. There are covers that you can purchase that engulf the entire mattress and the nice thing about them is that they add some extra cushion for baby which adds some comfort too.
The reason that people cover the cradle mattress is to provide softness and absorbency. Also, babies can be very messy little people with urine leaks, loose stools, spit up, vomit and more, these pads need to be changed up to several times a day. They are very inexpensive so you should buy up several because you will certainly need them. A perfect cradle mattress should offer the following, health, comfort and safety standards.
There are an organic line of cradles mattresses and accessories available. They cost a few bucks more but some parents really like the fact that they offer a few things that the standard mattresses do not. They are antimicrobial having been treated inside and out to prevent bacteria growth for the lifetime of your mattress. They are also designed to keep out mites and germs naturally, which is an important feature. The organic cradle mattresses are crack resistant, they clean up very well and they also warm up under your baby, which is just the way that they were designed. A nice organic cradle mattress will usually be made of natural latex and surrounded with pure grow wool. These mattresses are very soft but are very acceptable for a baby.