Choose a crib in the room for the newborn
In anticipation of the baby, do you plan to repair the room for him or to highlight a corner in the common room? Regardless of the possibilities of your living space, sooner or later you will encounter the dilemma of choosing a crib for a newborn. Only at first glance it seems that this is a simple business - you choose the model you like in the store, learn about the safety of the materials from which it is made and buy. In fact, when buying such an important piece of furniture as a bed, you will need to take into account several nuances. Choosing a bed for yourself, you probably spent a lot of time, because sleep is one of the most important components of our lives. From how calmly and deeply we slept at night, our well-being during the day will depend. And your sleep will directly depend on the quality of your child’s sleep. What could be better for the baby than the happy (because sleepy) parents whose smiles he sees when he wakes up?
Very often, young parents choose a crib based on its appearance - beautiful, cute, suitable for a room or area for a baby, and this is enough. But the crib for the baby must also be strong, stable, safe, convenient to use and care. This is only the first time your baby weighs little and does not even know how to roll over. But time flies quickly and now he is already jumping in the crib, swinging it, risking overturning. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the baby crib not only as a place to sleep, but also a piece of furniture for games and fun.
You cannot know in advance whether your baby will be a quiet quiet or an active jumper, so it is important to prepare for the most frisky scenarios. The crib should also be ready to withstand a high level of activity of the child, for this you will need to check it for quality.
Materials for the manufacture of cots
Currently, on sale you can find cots for newborns and not only from the following materials:
- natural wood;
- metal;
- semimetallic alloys;
- plastic imitating natural material.
Wooden and metal beds are hypoallergenic; among plastic products, you need to look for those that meet international quality standards. If you cannot determine by eye the material from which the bed you like is made, ask the consultants to show a hygiene certificate. Without such documents, the sale of children's goods is prohibited.
When choosing a crib from a natural tree, you should pay attention to the type of wood. The cheapest, as a rule, are cots made of pine (this is due to the fact that the tree is soft and as a result the product is inferior to analogues from other breeds in strength). On such a bed, not only scratches can remain, but also traces of the child’s teeth, the attachments of pine furniture are also weaker. For example, a birch bed will be much stronger, but if you want to get a favorite among the materials for making children's furniture - take a beech product. There will be no traces of damage on such a bed, and it will be able to serve more than one child.
The reliability of mechanisms plays an equally important role when choosing a crib for an infant. Furniture in which all the connecting parts are made of plastic will not last you long. Regardless of what material the crib base is made of, it is better if all the fastener parts are metal - such parts will last a long time without deforming from frequent use and a high level of friction, mechanical stress.
Some practical recommendations when choosing a crib
The selection of places for sleep and games of the child must be approached responsibly. What criteria should be followed when standing in a store in front of a hundred almost identical but different cribs for newborns:
- the rack bottom of the crib will be well ventilated;
- the distance between the rods should not exceed 6-7 cm, otherwise the child may get stuck between them;
- in a good crib, the bottom is adjustable (it is better to choose a model with two or three options for lowering the bottom), first your baby will learn to sit, and then he will get up in his crib and it is better if the height of the bottom changes along with the level of activity of the baby;
- from the point of view of operation, the cots on wheels are very comfortable, they can be moved to another room, moved away for wet cleaning of surfaces and not only;
- if there is a drop side in the crib. It will be much easier for you to take out and stack the child;
- the use of paint or varnish for surface treatment, it is important to consider and verify this information in the certificate or choose a model processed without chemical agents;
- do not rely solely on the cost of the crib model, the most expensive does not always mean the best, in the middle price class you can find options that meet all the basic requirements.
According to the design method and functional content, cribs can be divided into several types:
Cot (cradle)
A small berth for the smallest. Most often, the cradles are oval. From a psychological point of view, it is immediately difficult for a child to get used to large spaces, this also applies to a berth. Mom’s stomach was very cramped and for the first months the baby was not easy to feel the space. For sleep, it is better to form something like a small and cozy nest. Of course, such a bed is suitable only for the first months of the baby’s life, but everything will depend on the intensity of the baby’s growth.
Cradle
This is a swinging cradle, which can be installed both in a mobile and a quiet position. There are models on runners or springs. If the child is quite restless and often has to be rocked, then the cradle on the runners is ideal for both the baby and the parents. A model with springs can serve not only for sleep, but also for entertainment, an active baby will be happy with such a place for sleep and games.
Standard bed
The berth, fenced with rods or a mesh base, is usually rectangular in shape. Cots can be designed for children of different ages. The certificates of such models say that they are suitable from birth to 3-4 years, but everything, of course, will depend on the height and weight of the child, everyone develops and grows differently. Often a standard bed becomes cramped at the age of two.
Rocking crib
This model is not much different from the standard crib, but equipped with a pendulum mechanism. If the legs are motionless, the crib can swing due to movement along the runners or with the help of springs. If you do not have the opportunity to buy a cradle for the baby, and after a few months to purchase a crib, it is best to immediately buy a model with a pendulum and form a small berth for the child in the first months.
Playpen
Initially, this model item was used for games of an already grown baby, but it was noticed that children often fall asleep in such a convenient place. The playpen is suitable for spacious rooms. Such a model will serve as a place for sleep, safe games and a mini-warehouse of toys.
Which of the crib models offered for wide sale is up to you to decide. Or maybe you decide to order the manufacture of a place to sleep for your baby according to personal sketches? In any case, try to be guided not only by the appearance of the crib model, but also by its strength, functional qualities and safety status.
Add-ons and Functional Accessories for Crib
As a rule, cribs are sold without filling and you yourself will need to take care of choosing a mattress, bedding and other important additions. So, what else will need to be purchased:
Mattress
It is better to choose a two-sided option, in which one side is very rigid (for the first months of a child's life), the second is less firm and is suitable for a fully formed baby skeleton. Currently, there are many filling options for the mattress, but in this case it is better not to rely on your own taste, but to find out the opinions of pediatricians on this issue;
Sides (bumper)
A soft device to protect the child from hitting the walls of the crib during the turning process (there are many safe options for sale that are easy to care for when washing in a typewriter);
Canopy
Despite the fact that it is not recommended to put a crib by the window, in some rooms sunlight floods the entire room, in others there is simply no way to install the crib in any other place. In such cases, the canopy will fulfill not only a decorative role, but also protect it from sunlight and prying eyes;
Canopies can be attached to holders that are mounted to the headboard (the most common option), but there are alternative ways - embed the fastener system in a wall or ceiling. Of course, such fasteners will leave traces of itself when the child grows up, and you decide that you no longer need the canopy. In any case, it is better to choose canopy textiles that are easy to care for, machine washable and ironed at home, because you will have to do this often.
Mobile
A mechanical device for hanging toys that will spin to soft and pleasant music. There are a considerable number of models in various devices - some start up on a spring and spin for a couple of minutes, others run on batteries and can rotate for a long time until you turn it off.
Some mobile phones are equipped with a backlight, the ability to record mom’s voice and play a song for a child - there are tons of options. Everything is limited only by your needs and financial capabilities. Many of these devices and gadgets save the time of young parents and make life easier, contribute to the safe development of the child and expand his horizons, abilities and skills.
Mounting mobile phones can also be different - on the holder, which is mounted to the back or handrail of the crib, to the wall or ceiling. In addition, you can make something similar to a mobile (but without mechanical rotation capabilities) and yourself, using paper, fabric, family photos, bright decor items, jewelry and accessories - the weight is limited only by your imagination.
Cribs with drawers in the lower part are quite practical, because you can keep a lot of necessary things at hand. But when choosing a crib, it is better to prefer the one in which the boxes will be located high enough from the floor so that it is easier for you to carry out wet cleaning.
One of the most important additions (although this is not an accessory, but a full-fledged piece of furniture) can be called a chest of drawers with a changing table. A spacious storage system will allow you to place all the diapers, things and underwear of the baby, and a convenient changing table (which is then easily disassembled and appears as the usual upper part of the chest of drawers) will become a convenient device for carrying out many procedures that are full of life for a small creature.
Do not forget about the additional lighting system near the crib. You will not turn on the central light when approaching the crib at night. For dim lighting of the crib area, wall lamps or small table nightlights can be used, which can be placed on a chest of drawers or a bedside table (if the child is in the parents' bedroom). In addition, some mobile models provide the ability to turn on the backlight without sound and rotation.
You will need a place for sitting, installed near the crib, it is better if it is a comfortable, soft chair. And a rocking chair in which it will be easier to rock the child. You may have to spend a lot of time in it, so it is better to pre-attend to the purchase of this piece of furniture.
Among other things, you may need a basket or any other device for folding used diapers and any other baby care items.
Bright decor items, toys, wallpaper, ornament or artistic images - everything that helps to attract the attention of the child, focusing his vision will play a plus for the development of your baby and. Of course, it will decorate his room, bring brightness and a variety of color palette.
Color schemes
By far, the most common color for a crib is white. It is not surprising, because this is a shade of freshness and purity, which many associate with the beginning of a new life, baptismal rites, angels, clouds and weightlessness. In addition, the white color can organically fit into any interior of the room, it doesn’t matter whether it is a nursery or is it the bedroom of the baby’s parents.
But there are many models of cribs of various colors on sale, you just need to decide what shade of this important piece of furniture will look advantageous in your kid’s room or bedroom room for adults.
For example, this shade of gray, exactly repeated in the color of the doors, fits perfectly into the light finish of the room with an accent wall.
The color of a natural tree not only looks great in a room with country style elements, but also indicates that the crib was not covered with paint, and this is minus one problem for parents.
A crib made of natural wood of a dark breed will not only serve as a place for sleeping safe for the baby’s health, but will also bring luxury and nobility of natural material to the interior of the room.
Cribs with combined color schemes look non-trivial and contribute to giving uniqueness to the interior as a whole and the place for the baby to sleep in particular.
The bright peach color of the crib will be the highlight of the interior in bright colors. Children love everything bright and colorful, in addition, their eyesight needs to focus on bright objects, contrasting combinations. Why not make a crib a bright subject?
Another example of the bright color of the crib, which is able to refresh any room, bring a sense of celebration and high spirits, joy of life and positive mood.
Boy or girl
And finally, we bring to your attention several images of rooms for newborns, designed depending on the gender of the child. In our age of advanced technologies, parents can find out the sex of the baby long before it appears and prepare a room or place for sleep in advance in accordance with their own taste preferences, recommendations of doctors and psychologists, based on the size of the room, financial capabilities and gender of the child.
In rooms for boys, you can often find a rather restrained interior. Decor, if present, is without unnecessary frills and bows, the theme prevails in such areas as equipment (cars, boats, rockets, airplanes), animals and cartoon characters and fairy tales.
In girls’s children’s rooms we can observe a riot of all shades of pink and purple, bows, lace, folds, hearts and many options for using floral and especially floral themes. Cots with tulle canopies, an extensive decor of not only textiles, but also furniture, original lamps and chandeliers with many hanging elements and shiny surfaces. The main thing - in the pursuit of the external attractiveness of the room, do not forget about the basic functional components, safety and convenience of a child staying in this room.