How to Buy a Baby Crib

The best place to start is the nursery. The main components of your baby's room are furniture, bedding, and accessories. These items should be decided upon earlier in your pregnancy as some may require special or custom order. A complete room may take up to twelve weeks, so plan accordingly.

Conversion furniture is often an attractive option to most first time parents. Many companies offer pieces that will adapt to the changing and growing needs of children. The crib should have adjustable mattress heights and some may find an under drawer to be helpful. Quilts should never be in the crib at the same time as the baby because of the risk of suffocation. One of the most important investments you will make will be purchasing your child's crib.

Considering that your child will spend much of the first few years of his or her life in a crib, make sure that you are satisfied with the style, finish and quality. Most cribs are available in a wide variety of styles and finishes and are available with matching pieces to assist you in furnishing your entire nursery.

Safety Tips

• Make sure the crib meets current safety standards. This means the distance between slats should be less than 2 3/8" and the corner posts should be no more than 1/16", unless it is a canopy crib. Be wary of older, hand me down, and antique models because many of them do not meet the current safety standards. Slats that are wider than the safety standards pose serious health hazards for your child.
• The crib mattress should fit snugly between the crib rails and sides so that there is no more than two fingers width between the edge of the mattress and the side of the crib.
• The drop sides of the crib should be at least 9" above the mattress.
• Check your crib thoroughly for cracked/peeling paint, splinters or rough edges.
• Make sure there are no cutout areas on the headboard or footboard which can cause injury your baby.
• Make sure the drop side has one of the three locking mechanisms to prevent your baby from accidentally releasing the drop side.

I recommend you stay away from baby furniture that is sold in a garage sale. You never know how the crib was used, maintained, stored, how many babies have used it and most important, whether it meets all current safety standards, both voluntary and mandatory. Do what is most safe for your baby.