My Baby Review Blog

Posts Tagged ‘cot bed bedding’

As a cotbed is suitable for newborn babies right through until pre-school it means that you do not have to purchase a separate basket, cot or junior bed. The other big advantage is that because you simply modify your child’s existing bed the transitions from one bed to another that can normally be quite traumatic can be smooth and relatively stress free. As with nearly every other baby product you are going to find that there is no shortage of choice, options, or styles, so a little research is going to go a long way to ensure sure that you get the one that is right for you and your baby.
Initially your baby will be spending most of his day in his cotbed so it is not a decision that you can take lightly. A cotbed is also an item of furniture that is going to be on diplay in your home for a number of years and so it is worth looking for a colour and style that will ‘fit’ with your home decor.

Different Mattress Positions
The ability to adjust the height of the mattress as your baby grows is important. You should be looking for a cotbed that has 2 or 3 different settings for the mattress height. At the start you will want the top position as this gives you the easiest access to your little one. It will not be long before your baby is going to be able to push themselves up onto their hand and knees and this is when you will need to be able to move the base down to make it safer for your baby. The sides of the cotbed should be at least 500mm higher than the mattress when it is in its lowest position.

Dropsides or Fixed Sides
This is mostly a personal decision but if you should be particularly petite or have a back condition then a dropside cotbed can be beneficial and desirable. If you choose a dropside get one with a one-handed operation that is simple to use with latches that cannot be reached by your child.

Mattress
It is vital that there is a constant flow of air around your baby’s head and so you need to be considering the ventilation. A system for ventilation in the mid as well as the head section of the mattress is ideally what you will require, especially as you should be putting your baby to sleep in the ‘feet to foot’ position. Another very important factor is that the mattress must fit snugly into the frame. When you push the mattress gently to one side the gap to the side railings should be no more than 4cm. A top tip when choosing a mattress is to find one that has removable and reversible covers as well as a a surface that can be wiped clean. It is also worth noting that you will need to buy cot bed bedding and not bedding designed for cots else it will not fit.

Teething Rails
At the teething stage it will be natural that your baby is going to want to chomp on the sides of their cot. Teething rails will act to protect a baby’s teeth during this stage as well as to prevent any damage to the cotbed itself.

Spaces Between the Slats
A baby will generally wriggle, move about and get themselves in all sorts of places they really shouldn’t be and so you need to ensure that the spaces in the railings and base of the cotbed are narrow enough that your baby is not going to get stuck. It is the official recommendation in the United Kingdom that the gaps between the side railing be between 45-65mm and that the base slat gaps be not more than 60mm wide.

Finish and Build Quality
Make sure you choose a sturdy cotbed. Should you build the cotbed yourself then check that all of the nuts, bolts and fittings are present and that they are tightly fastened when in place. If corner posts are present they should not be higher than 1.5mm and any cotbed that has splintered wood or sharp edges should be avoided. Any finishes that have been applied to the cotbed should be non lead based and be non toxic.