Author Topic: Buying a Crib (Read 11808 times)

dbanta · « **on:** January 21, 2014, 12:36:34 PM »

We are expecting a baby (our 1st) in mid-April. Lucky for us my parents kept A LOT of stuff from my brother and I and we therefore don't need to buy much (dresser, changing table, bassinet, clothes, etc). They do still have our old crib as well, but it is 30 years old and the husband and I have some concerns regarding the safety of a 30 year old crib.

I've been looking around on craigslist and the cheapest used crib I can find is about $80. Some have a mattress and some don't. Looking on Amazon, I can buy a new crib for about $120. Why are used cribs still pretty expensive? I was expecting closer to $40 for a used crib on craigslist. Any other ideas where to find a crib? Are our concerns about the safety of a 30 year old crib reasonable/justified?

MicroRN · « **Reply #1 on:** January 21, 2014, 01:01:44 PM »

I would definitely say concerns about a 30 year old crib are justified. A lot of the older ones are drop side, have a spring base held with hooks, and the crib slats are too far apart. My MIL got pouty because I refused to use the crib she had for my husband, but it was nowhere near the current standards.

I'm actually really thrilled with our IKEA crib. It was $100, and converts to a toddler bed. While some IKEA furniture seems less than sturdy, I have never had the slightest concern about the crib. Plus, most of their cribs are designed to be stable with one side removed, so you could attach it to your own bed to make a co-sleeper if you wanted. My sister bought the cheapest one ($70), and it's basic but very very sturdy, and is the toddler bed her 4 year old uses. I did get a non-IKEA mattress though, since I wasn't impressed with those.

mrsggrowsveg · « **Reply #2 on:** January 21, 2014, 01:24:04 PM »

I also would worry about such an old crib. Some cribs that are just a few years old have been recalled. We bought our crib which can be converted into a full sized bed for $150 new in the clearance room of our local furniture store. I got a free mattress which I left in the sun for several days and put a protective cover on. Looking back, I may not have bought a crib at all. A play pen can work great for a bed. Also, we ended up co-sleeping for a lot of his first year because it was so great for breastfeeding. We are in the process of transferring our one year old to a floor bed like this:

http://www.voilamontessori.com/en/guest-post-the-floor-bed/

ghatko · « **Reply #3 on:** January 21, 2014, 02:04:14 PM »

I also wouldn't use a 30 year old crib because the safety standards have changed significantly in that time.

I would hazard a guess that the used cribs for sale are priced that high because they were probably $200-400 originally. Some people spend a crazy amount of money for a crib!

I second the idea of an Ikea crib. I have one that I used with my daughter (who is now 3.5) as a crib and then as a toddler bed, and am now preparing to use it with baby #2. I think it was $99 when I bought it almost 4 years ago (in Canada). I also liked that it was solid wood, and unfinished so if the baby chewed on it, she wouldn't be eating paint/finish chips. I did end up spending more on the mattress though, since I wanted one that didn't contain as many chemicals and produce as much off-gassing.

N · « **Reply #4 on:** January 21, 2014, 02:14:49 PM »

Im just going to offer this, you dont have to use a crib.
We slept with our babies, called co sleeping or sleep sharing.
We sometimes used a pack n play (the least expensive most basic model) with the bassinet insert, when the baby was an infant and I wasnt lying down with her.
Dr Sears' The Baby Book has lots of solid info on baby care and needs.

good luck :) and congrats!

Mr One Wheel Drive · « **Reply #5 on:** January 21, 2014, 08:43:15 PM »

We too are in the co-sleeping camp. You don't need a crib.

I'll be honest, we started with the Ikea Sniglar crib (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50248541/) because my wife was too worried about crushing the baby, but the ease of breastfeeding in the night soon won her over to co-sleeping and we did it for three years. There are lots of resources on the web about this.

If sharing a bed is too much for you, there are a lot of other cheap solutions:

Put some blankets in the bottom of a laundry basket until the baby starts to try to stand on her own.
Put some blankets on the floor (or a thin foam pad) with your baby on top, this works great if you don't want to fully co-sleep but put your own mattress on the floor too next to her.

Your baby won't be able to crawl for a while so no panic to get everything ahead of time. She'll sleep pretty much anywhere to begin with.

Definitely don't use the old crib. Too dangerous. Also not the sofa or anything else off the ground, tempting as it may be.

Good luck! and a big CONGRATULATIONS!

ASquared · « **Reply #6 on:** January 21, 2014, 09:03:19 PM »

I wish I DIDN"T buy a crib. My baby is 1 and still sleeps with us. Fortunately we have a convertible toddler bed and she will eventually sleep in that. But I wholeheartedly second the co-sleeping. EVERYONE gets more sleep. Promotes breastfeeding, which is not only Mustachian but better for baby and for mama.

Look into Attachment Parenting.

Meggslynn · « **Reply #7 on:** January 22, 2014, 12:24:46 PM »

To us a crib was essential. I bought a used one for $120 (originally $550) and will be able to re-sell for $75ish.

We tried the co-sleeping but it was not for us at all. My son much preferred to sleep alone as so did we. As soon as we put him in his crib he was sleeping through the night and was having great naps.

To us a crib is well worth the $$. There is other stuff that we scrimped on.

dbanta · « **Reply #8 on:** January 22, 2014, 12:48:44 PM »

Thanks everyone for the feedback! It sounds like it might be best to wait and see what works best for us and the new baby. If we decide to, we can buy a reasonably priced new one if we wanted like the IKEA ones suggested.

Wanderer · « **Reply #9 on:** January 22, 2014, 05:50:03 PM »

As a public health person, I have to caution that cosleeping (baby in the same bed with the parents) is not recommended due to an increased risk of SIDS or accidental suffocation. Newborns are at especially high risk for SIDS. It's recommended to put the baby in a bassinet or co-sleeper next to the bed. Some of these attach to the mattress so the baby is right there in arm's reach all night, but safely off the parents' mattress, not covered by blankets, and protected from being overlain. Blankets, mattresses, and pillows are not safe for newborns to sleep with because they can't protect their airways like older children.

People sometimes say that cosleeping should be fine because it's standard practice in many other cultures, but historically these cultures don't have the billion pillows, down comforters, memory foam, and pillow-top mattresses that are common in modern US beds.

Here's a brochure on safe sleep environments for newborns.

I agree with other posters on not using the 30 year old crib.

ASquared · « **Reply #10 on:** January 22, 2014, 07:23:20 PM »

As a healthcare provider - you need to sort out cosleeping safely vs unplanned "putting your baby in your bed". There is a way to safely cosleep. When you remove excessive blankets/pillow, baby has own blanket, parents do not go to bed intoxicated, and remove morbidly obese parents the SIDS risk is removed. In fact there is some research that SAFE cosleeping is protective against SIDS.

ritchie70 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 23, 2014, 02:01:41 PM »

Just a mattress note.

We got a Serta mattress off Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Serta-Nightstar-Extra-Firm-Mattress/dp/B000S9A37I) and it's a hideous piece of garbage. Permanent baby dent in the middle after just a few weeks.

Replaced it with a Colgate mattress (nothing to do with the toothpaste) and that is a vastly superior product that I could see multiple children using for years and years.

La Bibliotecaria Feroz · « **Reply #12 on:** January 26, 2014, 06:12:56 PM »

I got a crib at Walmart's website for less than $100... with nontoxic finish, and it converts to a toddler bed! Don't use a used crib mattress from a stranger--you don't know how it was stored and it could have mold or bugs or something. If you use a used crib, make sure that you have the original instructions (get them from the manufacturer if necessary) and check the installation carefully. We had ours put together wrong for a while, and then we lost some pieces in the move and had to replace them. And of course make sure it wasn't recalled.

nora · « **Reply #13 on:** January 27, 2014, 03:02:14 AM »

You could look up the current safety standards and see if the thirty year old crib matches up. You can measure the gaps, the height of the sides etc. Also drop sides can be made solid fairly easily. It seems a shame to disregard it just because if age.

We bought an arms reach cosleeper off amazon which was fantastic. Highly recommend it. Don't have to get out of bed in the night to care for bubs. We got the sleigh one and it converts to a seat to use for later. I justified the cost as we are hoping to have several babies.

Then once she started to get up, we bought a secondhand cot off internet classifieds. It was less than a quarter of a new price, but fairly fancy cot so still cost us $175! New they are $800+. Has a lovely big drawer under it which we use for linen. And converts to a toddler bed and then a small single bed.

We also couldn't sleep on same surface due to restless baby and shocking sleeps for me as a result.

mamagoose · « **Reply #14 on:** January 27, 2014, 07:52:07 AM »

+1 on not needing a crib. Our 5-month old daughter has taken two naps in her crib, that's it. At night time she used to sleep in her co-sleeper (an awesome side-car bassinet, Arms Reach brand, perfect for middle-of-the-night nursing) but when she hit the 4-month growth spurt/sleep regression, I brought her into my bed since she was waking every 30 minutes to nurse. She still sleeps in our bed and it works great - king size firm mattress, no comforter or pillows near her, sleeps on her back or side. I don't know if we will ever use the crib as a "crib" or just convert it to a toddler bed for her when she's ready. She naps on me, in her swing, or in her stroller. She currently sleeps from about 8pm to 5:30-7am depending on if we all wake up for family breakfast together, and wakes up 2-4x to "dream feed", we are a well-rested family and love it :)

brand new stash · « **Reply #15 on:** January 27, 2014, 08:29:04 AM »

Ikea has cheap cribs that convert to toddler beds. Each of my kids used that crib/toddler bed combination until their 5th birthday (well one is still 4, but he's still in it).

goatmom · « **Reply #16 on:** January 27, 2014, 11:36:02 AM »

I purged all my baby stuff before a cross country move as we didn't plan on any more. Oh well, I found out i was expecting as soon as we moved. I did not want to repurchase all that gear so I really went simple. i bought a port-a-crib, a car seat, and a good umbrella stroller. I made a sling and received clothing as gifts or bought secondhand. I am glad i did not waste money on the crib. I would not use a 30 year old crib. Congrats on the baby!

AllChoptUp · « **Reply #17 on:** January 27, 2014, 12:28:07 PM »

Another vote for cosleeping safely. We bought a fancy new crib, mattress & sheets that were never used. Baby would not tolerate anything less than full body contact with me or DH. It was maddening until we got used to it but thems the breaks with a lot of infants. Cosleeping made breastfeeding a lot easier too.

zolotiyeruki · « **Reply #18 on:** February 14, 2014, 08:09:56 AM »

I'm going to be in the minority on this one, but here goes:
1) the danger posed by older cribs is incredibly overstated. Over a 10-year period, 30 children died, out of over 40 *million* children born. And many of the deaths were attributed not to the design of the cribs, but to parents' inability to assemble them correctly. Despite the less than 1-in-1,000,000 danger, the CPSC not only banned the drop-side cribs, but you cannot even legally *resell* them (or even give them away!), even at a garage sale. Some family friends gifted us a good, old, solid drop-sided crib when we were married, and we've used it with all five of our kids with no issues.
2) Instead of cosleeping, we put baby in a pack-n-play in our closet for the first several months before transitioning to a full-size crib in another bedroom. It's close enough that we hear the baby when he/she actually needs attention, but it mutes the incidental noises from breathing, stirring, or minor whimpering. My wife and I are easily woken by that kind of noise, even if we can sleep through each other's snoring!

wordygirl · « **Reply #19 on:** February 16, 2014, 08:24:42 PM »

Both my babies co-slept. We never owned a crib. Just another one of those "baby expenses" that are not necessary.

My friends who had cribs had a name for them:

"The world's most expensive laundry basket"

:-D

La Bibliotecaria Feroz · « **Reply #20 on:** February 21, 2014, 07:55:52 AM »

Make sure to get on a local Freecycle group. Some people love cosleeping, lots of people don't (and its safety is debatable--how many people REALLY strip their bed of all pillows and fluffy blankets?). You don't necessarily need a full-sized crib at first and I was able to score a bassinet from Freecycle. I contacted the manufacturer to get the manual to make sure it was still safe. My children always slept in their own beds, but between two, we've only used the crib for about ten months. My kids were very close together; when Big Brother was 15 months old, I was 8 months pregnant and my 4'11" self couldn't put him in the crib anymore, so we moved him to a regular bed. And Little Brother won't sleep in Big Brother's room, so he's in a Pack n Play elsewhere while the crib sits empty.

cbgg · « **Reply #21 on:** March 18, 2014, 03:59:17 PM »

Beyond co-sleeping and cribs, there are people these days who promote the use of a floor bed for babies (usually after they've reached about 4 months of age). If the developmental purposes of a floored resonate with your parenting style, a bonus is that they are frugal since you only need to purchase a mattress, no crib.

HSLmom · « **Reply #22 on:** March 18, 2014, 04:50:55 PM »

I just had a baby, right now I'm using a basinette attachment to a pack n play. I also will be using my 30-year-old (mine) crib if needed, it's 100x more sturdy than the newer models I've seen my friends use, until you get up into the $800-1000 cribs, then they're solid again. He wouldn't be in it until he's a toddler anyway, for sure no danger of his head getting stuck in the slats.

I co-sleep too, but this baby kicks and arches his back when he starts to wake up, he's already done plenty of scooting around the bed (he's 3 weeks old!) so when I'm not in the same room with him I make sure he's in his crib so he can't scootch off the bed. My other two co-slept and didn't move at all, I used their pack n play as a pricey laundry basket.

Not frugal, but I do replace mattresses with organic mattresses. There are some studies about flame retardants and SIDS, and it's not worth the risk. I don't buy much for my babies, but a good carseat and mattress are investments I don't mind making.

Thegoblinchief · « **Reply #23 on:** March 19, 2014, 04:36:53 PM »

Cribs are a massive waste of space. Floor/box sleeper or a playpen.

NOT a willing co-sleeping family but it's the only thing that works for our youngest since about 3. Sigh. Hoping he grows out of it.

abhe8 · « **Reply #24 on:** March 19, 2014, 07:12:43 PM »

another vote for skip-the-crib. my babies never slept in one. i'm glad we didn't waste space or money on it. (but do check out the guideslines for safe co-sleeping). congats on the baby!!

mm1970 · « **Reply #25 on:** March 22, 2014, 09:51:23 PM »

We bought a new crib - twice! Though I will admit that when we visited my husband's parents, the babies slept in the um...well 40+ year old crib (because my hubby was 38 and 44 when our boys were born).

We got cribs that change into toddler bed. The first one was the drop side type, which was outlawed a few years ago (still usable as a toddler bed). So we were one and done, got rid of the first crib, got pregnant a month later (not so much one and done).

Probably the only reason I can figure that used cribs are so expensive is that cribs can vary widely in price. We got the $100 cribs from Kmart or Target (plus extra for the mattress). But some of my friends spend HUNDREDS, so it's possible the $80 cribs are originally more expensive.

We used a sidecar cosleeper with #2 for 3 months. We never really could co-sleep as in bed-sharing. We did a little bit with #1 (from the 4:30 am feeding to 7 am on weekends) but #2 just will not have it. He refuses. There are nights that I really just want to plop him between us when he's up in the middle of the night. And he just won't sleep! He prefers his own space. He slept in our bed on nights #1 and #2 home from the hospital (2days and 3days old) and that's it.

1967mama · « **Reply #26 on:** March 23, 2014, 02:28:53 AM »

I'm in the "pro" co-sleeping camp and found the crib to be an excellent storage place for clean laundry and stuffed animals. We have co-slept with all of our children when they were infants without incident and I highly recommend reading some of the excellent information published by renowned paediatrician Dr. William Sears on his website http://www.askdrsears.com

Here's a link to some scientific research or the benefits of co-sleeping:

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/sleep-problems/scientific-benefits-co-sleeping

In addition to the scientific benefits, we found sleeping with our babies to be lovely! They do grow up so fast...everyone says that but its really true.

A way to try out co-sleeping, should you go the crib or bassinet route at first, is to curl up with the baby for a nap in the daytime. Its heavenly! That's what got me started. Best sleep I'd had since the baby was born was when I slept with her during her naps.

Congratulations and do let us know how the sleeping arrangements turn out by reposting here!

MrsPete · « **Reply #27 on:** March 26, 2014, 02:32:44 PM »

Quote from: zolotiyeruki on February 14, 2014, 08:09:56 AM

I'm going to be in the minority on this one, but here goes:
1) the danger posed by older cribs is incredibly overstated. Over a 10-year period, 30 children died, out of over 40 *million* children born. And many of the deaths were attributed not to the design of the cribs, but to parents' inability to assemble them correctly. Despite the less than 1-in-1,000,000 danger, the CPSC not only banned the drop-side cribs, but you cannot even legally *resell* them (or even give them away!), even at a garage sale. Some family friends gifted us a good, old, solid drop-sided crib when we were married, and we've used it with all five of our kids with no issues.

I'm with you.

If I were buying a crib today, I'd be willing to pay double for a drop-side crib. I'm short, and I can't imagine how difficult it would be to lay a sleeping baby into a crib without lowering the side. I'd have to have a step stool, and I'm 100% certain that (with a baby in arms) is much more likely to result in injury than a drop-side crib.

La Bibliotecaria Feroz · « **Reply #28 on:** March 26, 2014, 08:34:44 PM »

Quote from: MrsPete on March 26, 2014, 02:32:44 PM

Quote from: zolotiyeruki on February 14, 2014, 08:09:56 AM
I'm going to be in the minority on this one, but here goes:
1) the danger posed by older cribs is incredibly overstated. Over a 10-year period, 30 children died, out of over 40 *million* children born. And many of the deaths were attributed not to the design of the cribs, but to parents' inability to assemble them correctly. Despite the less than 1-in-1,000,000 danger, the CPSC not only banned the drop-side cribs, but you cannot even legally *resell* them (or even give them away!), even at a garage sale. Some family friends gifted us a good, old, solid drop-sided crib when we were married, and we've used it with all five of our kids with no issues.
I'm with you.

If I were buying a crib today, I'd be willing to pay double for a drop-side crib. I'm short, and I can't imagine how difficult it would be to lay a sleeping baby into a crib without lowering the side. I'd have to have a step stool, and I'm 100% certain that (with a baby in arms) is much more likely to result in injury than a drop-side crib.

Yep, I used a stepstool--I'm 4'11". Imagine me standing on a stool, hoisting a 15-month old toddler over the rail--in my third trimester of pregnancy! That's why we moved him to a real bed so early :-). When I am not enormously pregnant, I can get the kid into the crib without the stool, but only into a sitting posture. Can't get him out unless he sits up!

JoyBlogette · « **Reply #29 on:** June 04, 2014, 09:54:05 AM »

We bought a used crib for $100, which I thought was a great deal at the time. We bought a new mattress to use with it. As long as it follows current safety standards (http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthtopics/content.asp?hwid=ue5195spec) it should be fine. Imagine getting a hand-me-down crib that is a few years old - perfectly safe. The cribs that you are seeing for $80 probably (or should have) cost a lot more than that new. Most people selling cribs are just looking to get rid of them. You could try offering less (like $50 or whatever you wanted to pay). I wouldn't go 30 years old, but anything less than 10 years old should be just as good as new.

Mrs.FamilyFinances · « **Reply #30 on:** June 05, 2014, 12:41:08 PM »

Quote from: Wanderer on January 22, 2014, 05:50:03 PM

As a public health person, I have to caution that cosleeping (baby in the same bed with the parents) is not recommended due to an increased risk of SIDS or accidental suffocation. Newborns are at especially high risk for SIDS. It's recommended to put the baby in a bassinet or co-sleeper next to the bed. Some of these attach to the mattress so the baby is right there in arm's reach all night, but safely off the parents' mattress, not covered by blankets, and protected from being overlain. Blankets, mattresses, and pillows are not safe for newborns to sleep with because they can't protect their airways like older children.

People sometimes say that cosleeping should be fine because it's standard practice in many other cultures, but historically these cultures don't have the billion pillows, down comforters, memory foam, and pillow-top mattresses that are common in modern US beds.

Here's a brochure on safe sleep environments for newborns.

I agree with other posters on not using the 30 year old crib.

What a shame to hear a health professional make such a blanket statement about co-sleeping. Co-sleeping is very safe, if done properly (like most other things!) You obviously don't give an infant a pillow and his own down blanket. Dr. Sears is an excellent resource for this type of sleeping arrangement. Safety comes first in all bed time solutions.

bogart · « **Reply #31 on:** June 05, 2014, 02:29:26 PM »

We started with a small crib (perhaps technically a bassinet) that was a hand-me-down, but reasonably contemporary (not 30 years old). We later bought a crib (with its mattress, which appeared clean -- I really wasn't worried that it would have some hidden mold or bugs that would go undetected, despite its reasonable appearance and having bought it from another seemingly sane, socially "appropriate" young family) off CL, I think for about $80. We also did some co-sleeping, not all the time but e.g. in the mornings I'd bring baby into bed with us for feeding and then keep him there and fall asleep after. But f/t co-sleeping definitely wasn't for us.

Very happy to have had a crib. We were reasonably thorough about making our home child-safe, but knowing that I could put our 2-year son down for a nap and he'd still be in the same place when he was done napping even if I wasn't paying constant attention to him (or had taken a nap myself) was great (conversely, we never had any kind of baby monitor). Mind you, he wasn't a climber, YMMV.

eil · « **Reply #32 on:** June 05, 2014, 04:21:41 PM »

Quote from: Mrs.FamilyFinances on June 05, 2014, 12:41:08 PM

What a shame to hear a health professional make such a blanket statement about co-sleeping. Co-sleeping is very safe, if done properly (like most other things!)

I think that was Wanderer's point...

Mrs.FamilyFinances · « **Reply #33 on:** June 05, 2014, 10:13:20 PM »

Quote from: eil on June 05, 2014, 04:21:41 PM

Quote from: Mrs.FamilyFinances on June 05, 2014, 12:41:08 PM
What a shame to hear a health professional make such a blanket statement about co-sleeping. Co-sleeping is very safe, if done properly (like most other things!)

I think that was Wanderer's point...

No, I don't think it was. They said that a safe sleeping environment was not in the bed, and sited a brochure that says specifically to not allow baby to sleep in the bed.

News:

Author Topic: Buying a Crib (Read 11808 times)

mrsggrowsveg

Thegoblinchief