When to Buy Baby Cribs: Let Your Baby’s Milestones Guide You

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When to buy baby cribs is just as an important question as what features to look out for in a baby cot. Generally, this question is answerable by another question: “Do you want the baby crib to match the sex of your baby?” If yes, then that means you need to wait until five months of pregnancy when your baby’s sex can be identified. Otherwise, if you are too excited to wait for that, then anytime before the baby arrives is a good time.

Important considerations though have to be made pertaining to your child’s development. These will inform you what cribs to buy and when to buy them.

What Are The Different Types Of Baby Cots?

If you’re thinking one crib will do up until the time your baby can sleep on a toddler bed, you might need to get acquainted with the different types of baby sleeping beds and what they have to offer.

Bassinets

are basket-like beds for infants. They are small and portable. As such, they can only support little weight. Their sides are shorter; thus, they’re a lot easier to use especially the first few months after you’ve given birth.

Cradles

are much like bassinets in a sense that they are small and movable. They also have short sides, providing easy access to the baby. The main difference is in the rockers, which help lull babies to sleep, they come with. Cradles can be rocked side to side or up and down.

Pack-and-Plays

are low-lying cots bigger than bassinets and cradles but smaller than cribs. They are lightweight and compact, allowing you to easily move your child’s sleeping or play area from the bedroom to the kitchen or even to grandma’s house. Because they are deep and stationed below, bending over to deposit or collect your baby can be challenging. Some pack-and-plays though have zipped up sides as a workaround.

Cribs

are large sleeping beds for babies or young children. As such, they are mostly stationary unless you buy the foldable or wheeled types. Cribs have high latticed sides and can be used longer during your child’s infancy or toddler years, especially if you opt for the ones with an adjustable base that can be set low, medium, or high. The convertible ones can even be transformed into a full-sized grown-up bed, which your child can use as long as it lasts or as long as he/she stays in your house.

When to Buy Baby Crib s, According to Your Baby’s Development

The best way to tell when to buy baby cribs—certain types of baby cribs, that is—is to observe your baby’s milestones. Below is a table to help you know what to expect.

Slepping Cot Type	Estimated Age It’s Appropriate for Your Newborn or Toddler	When to Make the Switch Based on Your Baby’s Milestone (A More Accurate Guide than Age Estimate)
Bassinet	0 months – 3 to 6 months old	when your baby can roll over or start to sit up
Cradle	0 months – 2 or 3 months old	when your baby starts to push up or roll over
Pack and Play	0 months – 1-2 years old	when your baby can crawl out of it
Crib	0 months – between 1 1/2 and 3 ½ years old	when they can climb out of it by themselves

Tips for Transitioning from One Sleeping Cot to Another

Set consistent sleeping times and rituals.

A sleeping routine such as dimming the lights or singing to him or her will tell your baby or toddler that it’s time to sleep. You can perform the same routine in his or her new sleeping cot.

Leave your smell onto their new mattress.

Sleep on your baby’s new sleeping cot sheets or rub off your t-shirt’s smell onto the mattress before you try to transition him or her to sleep there. When you lay them down on their new sleeping area, they’ll feel that you are just nearby.

Slowly wean them.

If it’s from cradle to crib, you can decrease the swing less and less until she becomes used to the motionless sleep environment. If it’s sleeping in the same room with you, you can accompany him or her for a few nights in his or her own room until he or she gets used to sleeping

Introduce them slowly to their new sleeping area.

If you’re making the transition from the bassinet or cradle to the crib, have them play for a few minutes or take naps in the crib. Before you know it, your little angel can doze off in his or her new sleeping cot without much protest.

We hope that this guide on when to buy baby cribs has given you an idea of what to expect and has helped you determine the sleeping cot/s you’ll be purchasing. As always, find what best works for your needs, home space, budget, and most especially your baby.

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