Your baby is the most precious gift you could ever have. So when your baby comes to your arms for the first time you think of getting all sorts of baby items to make him or her happy however not all these items come cheap. So before you go to buy some of them you should always make sure that your baby and you really need it. One of these items is a baby cot and also one of the most expensive.
As a Sri Lankan mom you would probably be used to the sense of co-sleeping with your baby and that is fine but if occasionally you feel like using a cot then this page will help you find a good cot for your baby.
The following are some factors that you should look into before buying a baby cot
- If you plan not to co-sleep with your baby
- If the cot is safe
- If it is affordable
- If the baby cot could be converted into a toddler bed or play pen
- If you can use it for a considerable time before you discard it
Before buying a baby cot you should always check its safety standards and if the slats of the cot is not more than 2 8/3 inches apart. This is to prevent your baby’s head from getting stuck in between the slats or slipping through them. You can take a measuring tape to the store and see if the slats are safely apart before buying the cot.
Also make sure if you cot has safe corner posts. These corner posts shouldn’t be higher than 1/16 of an inch as clothes could get stuck on them which can lead to fatal accidents.
Cot sizes
Cots come in different sizes. We recommend you to go for a bigger cot than one that is designed to an infant as you can use the cot as a toddler bed in the following years.
Also you will have to make sure to take a suitable mattress to the cot you chose. Most parents who spoke to BabySpace stated that they had to exchange the mattress to a bigger or smaller one because it did not fit. So just in case, take a measuring tape with you, and buy both your cot and mattress in one go.
Some facts that you should remember when selecting a cot;
Adjustable cots: Some cots come in adjusting mechanism to change the height of the cot mattress. As long as your baby is small and not moving around it is ok to have the mattress high. However when your baby is old enough to move around and pretty curious of all the happenings around make sure you keep it low to prevent him or her from falling off the cot and causing any sort of harm.
If the cot is stable: The cot should always be stable. To see the cot is properly fixed make sure to give the cot a good shake before buying it from the store. If it wobble or rattle then you should look for another one. Also at home after you fix the baby cot shake it to see if you fixed it properly before leaving your baby in it.
The cot size: this is quite important because cots are usually bigger than the mattress size. But make sure that the measurement between the mattress and the cot is not too wide. If you can easily sneak two fingers into the cot then the mattress is too small which will cause your baby to get trapped between the mattress and the cot.
Teething rail: In no time your baby will start teething and he or she will start to chew into the railing of the cot. So most mothers we spoke to recommended buying a baby cot with a teething rail in it.
Second hand cots
If you are planning to buy or get a second hand cot there are few aspects that you will have to look into before doing so to ensure that the cot is baby friendly and safe for your little one.
- Avoid getting very old cots as the standards change to make it safer and cliché free. So getting one with new standards will be ideal for your baby.
- See if all the slats are safely afar. As we mentioned earlier the slats should be 2 8/3 inches apart. However, with use these slats could break so make sure they are intact.
- Make sure all the mechanisms such as drop-side mechanism is working smoothly.
- Avoid buying it if the paint is peeling and if you do make sure you peel off the paint and repainted it before use.
- We recommend to always buy a new mattress for your baby even if the cot is old to avoid health issues.
- Also, shake the cot before using a second hand cot to see if it is properly fixed or need any repairs.
Where should I keep the baby cot?
This is a question which most parents get after buying the baby cot. When we asked most mothers they recommended choosing a spot away from the windows and window blinds and also hangings or any other clothing or cords that are hanging because babies tend to strangle on the cords.
If in case you are leaving your baby near a hanging cloth or cording make sure you leave them out of reach of your baby.
Also make sure that all four sides of the cot are open and air is circulating well within. This will help air circulate around easily and ensure that the baby breaths well.
Make sure that you really need a cot that could be turned into a toddler bed because sometimes when your baby is of the age of moving into a bigger bed a second baby may be on the way. So plan well and see if you really want to spend extra to buy one rather than a simple baby cot.
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