My drop side Graco crib was recalled and they sent us the parts to fix it which basically eliminated the drop side and made it a standard crib. The problem is I am only 4'11" and it is really a stretch to get her in and out of the crib. Once she is is sitting up (probably in the next few weeks) and we lower the matress, I am not going to be able to reach. It sure doesn't seem safe to use a stp stool to pick her up and put her down and I am hesitant to get another drop side crib since they seem to be so prone to recalls. Any ideas or suggestions - besides growing another 6 inches :)
Cut the legs off the crib so that they are only about one inch high. THere is no reason why a crib needs to be elevated so high.
My good friends just had the same problem!!! Their solution was to saw off the legs of the crib.
Im in your boat with the height and I did use the drop side cribs but it was still a pain - we used the Pack N Play alot for sleeping (I know somepeople don't but we did and it worked) Also the other suggestion is a Wooden two step/step stool that can be used by your daughter as she gets older to climb into her big girl bed or in the bathroom for the sink. Good Luck
Hi, Meg:
Get a carpenter to cut the legs of the crib down to the correct height.
Good luck. D.
I'm short too, and our drop-side crib hasn't been recalled yet (thank goodness, we're expecting #2 now!). But I know there are "fold-down" side cribs made by Young America (I think) which are much safer than drop-side and would give you that extra reach. If you wanted to buy another crib, that is, and I don't think these cribs are cheap. But it is an option.
Otherwise, as others mentioned, the Ikea cribs are inexpensive and down on the floor, and heck, sawing the legs off the one you have is a great idea, too!
Ikea cribs are the best, they are low to the ground!!!!!check it out:)
Does your crib have caster wheels/rollers on the legs so you can move it around easily, like when changing the sheets, etc.? If so, remove them and let is sit flat on the floor.
Well, since you're obviously done growing, ask your husband to shorten the legs on the crib so you can reach her easier. It shouldn't be difficult to do. It's always easier to make something smaller than larger.
Oh i'm shorter than you are...I have to get on all toes to put baby in crib the worst is when they were old enough to stand then there goes the mattress to the lowest setting..never dropped my babies it is tough but as soon as their 2nd birthday they were in twin beds now just 1 toddler left soon to go into her own bed..sometimes I did use a step stool especially with back aches
I hear ya! I would not get a drop side. They are talking about banning them now completely. I had a stationary side from day one, and had a baby that you had to rock all the way to sleep. I did a stool, they had a good sturdy one at Target that I use in the bathroom for him now. But I wish I had thought to cut the legs off! What a good idea.
I'm only a couple inches taller than you and by the time the baby sits up and you have to lower the crib, the baby will be sitting up and can "help" you get her out of the crib.... that having been said, I love the idea of sawing the legs of the crib.
Maybe instead of a step stool you could get one of those stools the kids use in the bathroom - they are really sturdy and it may give you that little extra height you need to get your baby in and out of the crib.
I have to agree with Frances C. about using the Pack N Play. I travelled often with my infant daughter, and then we moved across the country (it took months, as we stayed with friends or family for a month or more at a time), and just never re-assembled the crib when we finally got moved in, as she was nearly 24 months. The Pack N Play worked great for a bed and for naps from when she was 2 months up to 2 years (then straight to a mattress on the floor with a gate on her door to keep her from wandering during the night). She never climbed out, and even my shortest friend who looked after her (4'10", if I remember correctly) had no problem bending over the rail at waist-height.
It's such a shame that the drop-side is going away. I'm far from height-challenged at 5'7", but at the lowest mattress settings I couldn't possibly lay my daughter down without (gently) plopping her down the last few inches if I didn't lower the side. Not the best way to keep a sleeping toddler asleep...
I had to use a drop side crib or I would have had to drop my son the last few inches to the mattress and would never have been able to get him out! I moved my boys to a toddler bed at 16 months and they did great with that, but it sounds like your baby is way younger than that just yet. If you do not want to use a drop side than you may have to put up a small set of stairs.
