Long before the tiny bundle is placed into that bassinette, high-end crib, or padded dresser drawer, parents begin planning and shopping for items to furnish the big or little room with safe baby bedding. Protecting your baby effectively requires insight, observation, common sense, and a certain amount of cash. Shopping is more than a very enjoyable part of preparing for the arrival of you child—or children, as the case may be. It’s a time to consider more than style, color, and price. We assume safety for our small boy lying in bedding that reflects our hopes and dreams for him—or ourselves perhaps. Those race cars hurtling around the crib, the baseball uniforms hanging from the bumper pad—no danger there. Snug. Cute. Safe. Our tiny baby girl sleeping peacefully, surrounded by dancing princesses or beautiful little ponies. Precious. Beautiful. Safe. Really? We all learned from our mother or grandmother that babies do not need pillows. As youngsters we may have thought our poor little sibling was being mistreated by not having a pillow. Hopefully no parent would wonder why pillows are dangerous for infants. For the newcomer to be safe in bed, pillows are not the only item to avoid when considering safe baby bedding. In addition to suggesting placing an infant on its back as safer, experts in Medicine, Public Safety, and Insurance, make specific recommendations about baby nursery bedding. Avoid placing an infant on a bed that is too soft; too snuggly can become a trap for a little head supported by a neck that cannot yet lift it high enough to escape a fluffy surface that may obstruct the mouth and nose. An infant cannot reach up to pull a cuddly blanket away from his or her face if it becomes difficult to get air. The lifelike toy rabbit with the wonderfully soft fur does not make it easy to breathe if it gets bumped over onto the baby. For safety’s sake, newborns need to sleep alone, on a surface firm enough to support them, and with thoughtfully chosen bedding. Another way to make the bedroom safe is to actually wash new linens before use, removing any production residual from the fabrics. You can return anything you may find defective after washing; any reputable seller will make it right. The risk of ruining a new piece of bedding by one wash is far less likely than your baby girl or boy having a skin rash from an unlaundered item! Very soon after you finish the baby nursery and select safe baby bedding, you will certainly want and probably need a stroller.