Heirloom Cradle & Crib

saftey first if you can fit a pop can through the spindles do not use it.....Rules are made for a reason.
Tell them you love the thought and idea but saftey is first.

Congrats on your first pregnancy!

Here's a trick that seemed to work okay for my husband and I. Every time someone offered us a used item that we didn't want or weren't comfortable with, we simply told them that, "since this is our first child, we're looking forward to the excitement of purchasing new items that will be passed down to our other children over the next several years. We've been saving up for this baby for a year and are ready to shop!!"

Nobody wanted to deny the happy new parents our right to shop for cute baby things and it was a fun way for us to say that we weren't worried about finances.

One other thing!

If you should decide to go with the heirloom crib, the pop can idea is a great idea for the measuring the bars. However, you mentioned using a bumper and I wanted to let you know that, regardless of what crib you end up using, the safest thing on the market for several years now is called a "breathable bumper" and they are available at Babies'R'Us or even most Toys'R'Us stores, as well as online. It is a tight mesh bumper instead of those cutesy ones that match the bedroom set, but is much safer. If your little one rolls over to the side in their sleep and gets their mouth/nose up against the quilt-like ones that come with bedroom sets, they can suffocate in their sleep. This ensures that they still get oxygen even if they're pressed up against the bumper.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Hi S.!

I just wanted to chime in with support for you! I don't think the heirloom crib is safe. The cradle is probably fine as it is similar to a bassinet. However, a 30 year old crib is certainly not safe! Also, the Academy of Pediatrics is currently recommending that bumper pads be avoided.

You are the Mom to be, so what you say goes. Even if your decision is unpopular! I really do know how hard it is to tell loving, wonderful, and super excited Grandparents, no (my Mom wanted to be in the delivery room, and I wanted just my DH). Say no thank-you because your Doctor recommended a current model crib, smile, and change the subject. Just think of this as training for the upcoming toddler years!

I know some families who've had heirloom cribs/cradles. They took a special picture with the baby in it but then put it away to use as "decorative furniture" displaying a special teddy bear or an antique quilt after the child is an adult or in the grandparents house. This will honor that it is an heirloom but you won't have to worry about safety issues.

Sounds like you've got good ideas about what to check for on the safety of the crib. However, it is not advised to put anything in the crib other than a fitted sheet and your baby. I would not use a crib bumper, especially to try to "fix" a problem. Then you've got two potentially hazardous things instead of just one.

You will find that this will not be the last time your parents or in-laws will have their own ideas about what is best for your child. It's a good chance to practice the art of the polite but firm "no thank you" -- you'll be needing it a lot in the years to come!

S.,

I used the "family" crib for my boys. It is almost 40 years old, and not up to current safety requirements. The spindles are too far apart. We used a bumper pad and NEVER had any trouble. However, this is a personal security issue for you. You need to do what you are secure with doing. If you are going to loose sleep over it, you aren't comfortable with it and you need to go out and get a new crib. If it is only a cradle - the baby will to big for it once he/she starts rolling over and moving around - so I wouldn't worry, just get the bumper.

Blessings on your decision.

Lisa, mom of 4

Hello,
My Mother in law pulled out her crib, highchair, and changing table, for us to use at her house when spending weekends or visiting.
Their was PAINT chipping off EVERYWHERE!!! The only thing I could think of was lead poisoning. I was not able to firmly express my concerns at the time... Mother in laws can be quite intimidating. But finally her daughters stepped up and made her get rid of everything that could have lead paint on it.

I don't know about your situation, but if it doesn't feel right, or if the guidelines are not followed, Stand up for yourself. Just tell them how it is now.
It took me years to stand up to my Mother in law, and I was terrified when I did, but my husband backed me up, and she shows more respect for me now :) Don't be worried about hurting feelings, it is YOUR baby, and you just want to make sure everything is safe.

Hello S.-
I used a heirloom crib with my first son and then again with his twin sister that at the time was 34 years old. The spindles were more like 3" or just a little more apart. When you look at how close those still are together I thought it was fine (personal preference). I did use a bumper with the crib. The mattress was a smaller size then the standard so I had to have it ordered. The best price I found to order it (from a store, not internet) was at The Baby Depot within Burlington Coat Factory stores. My daughter thinks it is really cool to see pictures of her mommy in the same crib that she slept in and has pictures of herself in.

I would say it is totally personal preference but I found it to be a great crib still and it worked great for 2 of my 3 kids.

T.

Hi S.

I know every one is telling you saftey first check the spindals that they are not too far apart so I am guessing you have done that . So on the cradle do you have some one that is handy with wood who could make new spindles for the cradle if they are too far apart .That way it is safe and you will have memories of how grandpa or dad fixed the cradle for the baby to use . The crib I would check on line and see if you can get replacement parts if the spindles are too far apart .

Do not use them if the spindles are too far apart!! A bumper will not help once the baby is capable of rolling around and sitting up. It is a major strangulation hazard! Something that can happen silently while you think your child is safely sleeping. It is very nice that they have these things that they want to hand down, but the safety of your child is most important. Explain to them the saftey risks and get a crib that meets today's standards.

I used a heirloom crib for my son. It was actually even my crib when I was born. Let me tell you it was a nightmare. I got it a mattress that fit to standards. The spindles didn't meet standards but i made a special bumper that I thought got rid of that problem. All was well I thought.

Anyways darned if the stupid thing didn't break with my son in it. I checked all the screws and composite of the crib when I got it and it was great. The stupid sides use to pretty much go all the way down to the floor and this one just decided to do that at it's own will when my son was in it one night. Sure enough he was already old enough to to sit up and crawl so he tumbled out onto the floor. I woke to a screaming baby on the floor stunned. It was horrible. Plus he had a nice bump on his head. So I spent the rest of that night in the children hospital so he could get checked out. Of course they decided he was fine and dandy but I was so upset. I had been scared all along this was a bad idea now I knew it was.

So needless to say I told my mother that if someone wanted this blasted crib to come pick it up or I was going to throw it out on the curb. I bought him a new crib that very night. It just wasn't worth the risk!

I would say thank you but no thank you. The safety of your child is more important and I am sure none of those items are safe to use. Your not even supposed to use a bumper in the crib so your moms idea will not work either.

K.

S.,

We too have an heirloom cradle made by my husbands father. The slats are not the proper size which we were aware of, but the frame was sturdy and it was very solid. Babies don't stay in the cradles for long, so I would recommend using it until the baby starts to roll or move a lot. We did put bumpers around the edge and made sure they were secure so not to suffocate baby and it worked just fine. We had the cradle next to our bed and did a lot of cosleeping anyway. If you are not comfortable with this you could get a co-sleeper instead. The nice thing about cradles is that they are small and if you don't use them the space can be sacrificed for a couple of months and no one would know you weren't using it. Some have a crib in the nursery for night time sleeping and a cradle near momma during the day (on the lower level. Where you can keep an eye on babe ...etc) or at night in the master bedroom when baby needs to be fed every couple of hours.

I'm sure it will be fine, whatever you choose. A bumper will work with spindles that are wider, they mostly just tie onto the spindles.

I would recommend to both sets of grandparents that they should keep the items at their house so that when you come to visit them there will always be a bed for your baby. Then it will not be the "primary" furniture your baby is using. Even if you won't spend the night ever, day visits will still require somewhere for napping.

This way you are not hurting anyones feelings and you can use these treasured items, but you can also get what you would like as well. They have so many furniture sets now that are convertible and would grow with your child through many years, and are up to todays standards.

Good luck!
K.

I wouldn't the crib either. My MIL has an antique crib at her house that she insists on using, and I just didn't leave my kids there to sleep until they were over 2! I still worry a bit about my 2 year old sleeping in it, but I know he can't get his head through the rails anymore.

I might use the cradle, depending on what it was like. When babies are brand new they don't move, and for the first month, it might be useable, but I would certainly wouldn't use it if for any reason I thought it was unsafe. Another idea is you might put the cradle in the living room for little naps during the day when you are nearby, but not use it at night. That might be a good compromise, so that you are at least using one of the items.

If you get the "but we are saving you money" story, let them know that you can find practically new cribs, cradles, pack-n-plays used on Craigslist.com or at garage sales. Especially if you shop now over the summer.

When spindles are too wide apart, the baby slips out feet first, which they can do sideways. Their head is to big to fit between the spindles, so they hang.

Updated

When spindles are too wide apart, the baby slips out feet first, which they can do sideways. Their head is to big to fit between the spindles, so they hang.

In my great grandparents' house, the antique crib houses the heirloom blankets and ancient stuffed animals. The bars are WAY too far apart to be safe on that particular crib and we just had our son sleep in the bed with us when we visited. I like the I like the idea of the heirloom crib being a showpiece for the other keepsakes.

Another family I know uses the older crib to house all the baby necessities; diapers, wipes, extra clothes, blankets etc.

And another family I know has their antique crib in the basement play area where the baby is only laid down in it when there is constant adult supervision in the room.

Of course if space is an issue, then you wouldn't want an extra piece of furniture taking up room.

If the cradle is solid sided, not with spindles, it should be fine for a while.

We had lots of family wanting to give us heirloom and hand-me-down stuff when our son was born. We just accepted what we felt we could use, and politely declined what we didn't want to use. The line "Oh thank you so much for the offer- we already picked one out that we really like though" worked wonders.

We used a basinette that was bought for my great-uncle as a baby. He just died last month at the age of 95. We used his basinette for all three of our kids. When babies are first born, they don't move around too much. You want to make sure that they have a mattress that isn't too soft and that they sleep on their back. Spindles, within reason, shouldn't make too much difference. As your baby gets older, starts rolling and such, then you really want a crib that is safe by today's standards.

When I had my first child I could hardly sleep because I wanted to check on him all the time to make sure he was ok. I can't imagine adding to that the worry of a crib that may not be safe... I would have never slept! You will need to decide that once you have that tiny baby asleep in your arms ready to put him/her into the crib, if you will be comfortable with the crib.

I am curently useing for my son the crib my parents bought for me when i was born. I made sure it met all the safety standards that they use for todays cribs such as the space between the spindles. I found a great website if you need any type of replacement parts or pieces for it. www.productsamerica.com They actually ask you a bunch of quesions about your crib to make sure it is up to date with the safety standards before they will even send you parts. I thought it was very special to use my own crib for my child. He has been perfectly safe in it. This place can help you figure out what size mattress would work best for your crib.

S. you have to do what makes you feel comfortable. I used a crib that was 38 years old. It was bought brand new for me and my siblings. My sister is 9 years older than me. Her two kids used it and all three of my kids used it and now my niece(whom slept in it as a baby) is using it for her babies. I do not think babies have changed that much over the years. They all are born not moving much and needing constant attention. We as society tend to try to find things to get ourselves all worried about. If the bed is sturdy and you use a bumper and make sure you have a firm mattress and not alot of blankets and pillows etc in the bed/cradle you will be fine. Use common sense and take the necessary steps that every parent should take then everything will be fine. I wish you the best of luck and I thought it was awesome we all used the same baby bed and it is neat to see it passed on. My dad did take it apart before my daughter was born and re glue the spindles etc. Good luck and do not get yourself too wrapped up in all the hype that has changed etc from years gone by. Do what makes you feel comfortable and is right for your baby.

S.

I second the breathable bumpers- we had them for my daughter and loved it!

I did daycare for 5 years. What they told us at the classes was the rule of thumb is:

If you can fit a can of pop through it (The top circle part going through first), the bars are too far apart. Give that a try. If the can won't fit through, the bars are close enough together. Then just do a thorough check for loose nails, screws, and other parts to make sure it is in usable condition.