When you first bring home your baby, items like comforters, quilts and pillows aren’t necessary.

These sets often come with a bumper too and you might have heard or read conflicting information on them. In the end it comes down to the choice that you make.

If you do choose to use a bumper, it is better to use one that is rather thin and not thick and fluffy. This will make it less of a suffocation hazard.

The essential items for the first year of your baby’s life are sheets, a mattress, and maybe a crib skirt for a better look. You want to avoid fluffy or heavy items in the crib that could suffocate your baby.

However, you might be concerned about your baby staying warm at night. For that purpose consider using an organic blanket or sleep sac to swaddle your baby in. If you wrap your baby snugly you will avoid the risk of suffocation.

What will you do with that comforter or quilt that came with the bedding set? As many parents have found, they make a wonderful decorative piece in your nursery.

You probably bought a bedding set that matches the theme of your nursery and can now display the quilt on the nursery wall or simply hang it on a quilt rack or over the crib’s side when your baby isn’t sleeping there.

Purchasing a complete baby bedding set in the beginning may also save you money in the long run, as the set can be used for your child throughout the toddler years as well.

If you’d rather keep it simple in the beginning with just the sheets and such, purchasing a bedding set later will allow you to give the nursery a fresh new look.