The Baby Crib

A well organized and furnished nursery is perhaps a testament to parents’ excitement over the arrival of a new family member, and their desire to provide everything that heir baby may ever need.

Before parents even consider looking into the latest baby furniture designs and buying the most recent baby toys and accessories, parents should keep in mind that the baby’s safety in the nursery is of paramount consideration. It may be fun to stock the nursery from wall to wall with everything a baby may want or need, but even the most adorable piece of furniture should go if it posses potential danger to its little occupant. Remember a baby may not immediately be able to appreciate the matching furniture and complain about the arrangement or color combination.

By nature, babies learn to go from lying down on their backs to rolling over, crawling, standing and walking in a span of just a few months. It is also understood that once babies find their knees and feet, their cribs and then their rooms become attractive places to explore.

The room itself therefore should have minimal danger zones. Electrical outlets should have very secure guards to prevent crawling babies from picking the guards off and sticking their fingers into the outlets. While the room should be well ventilated its windows should have secure locks to keep babies from climbing and falling over. Furniture should not be placed directly beside windows since babies may also climb over these to reach the window and fall over.

Cribs should have secure side latches and should have an adjustable bottom that can be adjusted down when a baby learns to stand up. The mattress on the crib should fit tightly to prevent the baby slipping into a gap and getting stuck or injured. Although it may be nice to have cushions and toys around the crib, babies may use this to step up and over the crib. Small crib toys may also pose as choking hazards.

The changing table should preferably be lower than normal height tables and should have a belt or strap to secure a baby when changing.

Other pieces of furniture like storage cabinets should be beyond the reach of babies and should be securely closed to prevent items from potentially falling on the baby. Overhead cabinets are perfect for storing baby toiletries and medicine which may prove hazardous to babies when ingested. Furniture grounded on the nursery floor should not have sharp edges or should at least have corner guards. If there are movable pieces of furniture, it is best to secure them firmly on the floor. Toy boxes should not have heavy lids that may fall on the baby who might decide to rifle through the box.

Other room articles like window blinds should have cord which can be kept out of reach. Mobiles and other hanging toys should also be kept when a baby starts to support himself on his hands and knees.

Of course the best safety precautions are vigilant parental supervision and keeping to the essentials.

Shopping for a crib is no longer as easy as it was before when all cribs looked much the same. Today, there is a wide range of models and types to choose from. Which crib do you think will fit your taste and budget?

Standard Cribs

These cribs are exactly what they sound like. They are the most basic type and do not have many accessories or decorative elements. Cribs of this type usually come in the typical rectangular shape. Standards cribs however may differ in price because of some special features. You may for example have an adjustable mattress that you can move down when your baby starts to crawl or stand. You can also choose a crib with a drop down side to make it more convenient for you to pick up your baby when the mattress is at its lowest level. A standard crib may also have wheels so you can easily push it around when you need to transfer it or clean under the crib.

Convertible Cribs

Convertible cribs are the highest ultimate type and are a great long term investment. Once your baby becomes a toddler, you can convert the crib into a toddler bed. Some cribs may even convert further into a child bed. There are also some convertible models that can double as changing tables or convert to other pieces of furniture when you child is all grown up. Cribs of this style however never come cheap and you may have to spend a few hundred dollars to get a good convertible crib. In the long run however, you will realize that you will be able to save more with this one time big purchase.

Round Crib

A round crib is basically close to a standard crib except that its shape is either rounded or oval. The real value of a round crib is its elegant charming look and the trimmings that come with it. You can choose a round crib design that will fit your taste and the motif of the nursery. There are different sizes of round cribs though and not all of them can be used when your baby starts to stand. Some parents may still prefer the rectangular standard crib because it can be used for some time after a baby starts going on all fours or begins to get up.

Canopy Crib

Just like the round crib, a canopy crib has a decorative element to it. It is even more elegant, refined and classy than a round crib and will look perfect in a finely decorated nursery. Not all canopy cribs however come in classic white or cream colors. You can now have your choice of playfully colored canopy cribs in round or rectangular shape. As expected though. These cribs are definitely more expensive than the ordinary ones.

Portable Crib

Portable cribs are not as good as standard cribs if your intention is to use it in a nursery. This is because portable cribs are a little smaller than standard cribs and may wear and tear more when used daily. This type of crib however is perfect for trips. It can fold easily into a compact and handy package and stored in a car trunk. You do need to be alert though for recalled models that may have been found out to be unsafe for use. Examples of formerly used portable crib models that have now been recalled are the cribs that collapse when the horizontal bars are pulled up into a V shape and those that have adjustment knobs at the sides of the bars. These models are hazards because curious babies themselves may be able to manipulate the crib controls and collapsing mechanism.