Put it on yourself! (Review of models of side beds)

Add-on crib for newborns - advantages and features

The attached crib completely replaces the stationary playpen, which is installed separately from the adult bed. The innovative invention first appeared in America, after which it became popular throughout the world. It allows you to teach your baby from childhood to sleep separately from mom and dad, while always being close to his parents.

This solution for arranging a children's bed has a number of advantages:

• peaceful sleep of parents and child, who is close to the mother and feels her presence;
• the practical design of the crib ensures complete safety for the child while sleeping;
• there is no need to worry that the baby can be injured, as in situations where a newborn sleeps with its parents;
• there is no need to get out of bed at night when you need to rock the baby to sleep;
• the invention helps mothers who have poor health or limited mobility cope with their babies;
• the console takes up little space, so it is ideal for placement in a small living space;
• A wide range of add-on furniture allows you to choose a crib not only of a suitable shape and size, but also to take care of its functionality in the future, because many models can be transformed into bedside tables, tables or chests of drawers.

Different opinions

How many people, so many opinions. Some believe that a child is a person and should sleep separately. According to other mothers, it even plays a role that twins are initially in two different amniotic sacs, and twins are in one, so the connection between them is inextricable for life.

Opponents of one crib for twin newborns argue that one baby, being capricious, interferes with the sleep of the other. At the same time, we somehow forget that babies, even in two different cribs, usually sleep in the same room. If one catches the virus, he is isolated like another family member, and the sick baby sleeps in most cases with his mother so that she can monitor the baby’s condition every minute.

In the first months of a newborn’s life, a mother who has spent a lot of energy carrying and subsequently giving birth to babies should feel comfortable caring for them. It will be much easier if the kids sleep in the same bed.

With an additional cot you get a comfortable sleep for the baby and for the parents:

• the baby sleeps much more calmly next to his mother - he hears the parents’ breathing, native smells, the mother’s hand can touch the baby all night and all this will create a feeling of safety and comfort for him
• to calm a baby who has suddenly woken up, it is enough to simply extend your hand to him, and often this alone is enough for the baby to calm down, since tactile sensations and the warmth of the mother’s hand are extremely important for him, especially in the first months;
• An attached crib will ensure a joint and safe sleep with your parents; it provides a single space for sleeping, while the baby has his own sleeping area and you no longer need to be afraid that one of the parents will touch the baby while sleeping;
• when the baby is nearby, the mother also gets a comfortable sleep, since the baby is nearby and you can clearly hear his breathing and how he tosses and turns in his sleep, so in the morning the mother will be rested and will be able to greet the new day with joy.

Video

This video will help you choose the right crib for your newborn.

To save money and space in the apartment, it is better to choose a children's bed with storage drawers.

Add-on cribs allow the baby to be in close proximity to the mother while sleeping. At the same time, neither the child nor the parents experience any discomfort, because the main bed does not become smaller. You don’t have to get up at night to calm a crying baby and not be afraid of accidentally crushing him with your hand.

We also recommend that you read in more detail the information about orthopedic shoes for children with hallux valgus.

Design and rules for choosing baby cots

No matter how expensive and functional a children's side bed is, it must meet the basic criteria of safety and practicality.

• Ecological cleanliness. The materials from which the console itself is made, the mattress and bed linen must not contain toxic impurities or harmful substances.
• Reliability and safety. The furniture must be able to withstand a fairly large mass, 3-4 times the weight of the baby. All fasteners and decorative parts should not have sharp corners, chips or other defects that could cause injury to a child or that could be swallowed.
• Practicality in care. Furniture should be made of materials that are easy to clean. If the console has a fabric covering, it should be easy to remove for washing and also put back on.

Frame - materials and design

In maternity hospitals and children's hospitals you can see cribs that are made entirely of metal. This is a practical material, given the ease of cleaning it from dust and dirt. However, metal is not the best choice for a side crib frame as it is cold and requires painting. Growing up, the little explorer will definitely want to try the edge of the furniture, which can lead to serious poisoning.

Wood is considered the best material for making children's furniture:

• oak;
• birch;
• pine.

The crib must be impregnated with a harmless composition or varnish.

The shape of the attachment can also be varied: from the classic rectangular to oval or asymmetrical. Furniture legs can be equipped with rollers to make it easy to move and move towards the bed. However, as practice shows, this attribute can cause a baby to fall at night when a parent accidentally moves the console away in his sleep. Some models are equipped with a special lock, with the help of which the child's sleeping place is attached to the parent's bed and cannot move.

Sleeping place - features, types of bases and sizes

An attached crib for babies can have an orthopedic slatted or slatted bottom. Both bases promote good air ventilation and help the child develop healthy posture. You should pay attention to the number of lamellas - the more there are, the higher the orthopedic effect. The gap between the slats should not exceed the width of the panels themselves.

The standard dimensions of an additional crib are 50x90 cm, but there are also types whose dimensions reach 120x60 cm. The height of the bottom fastening is also adjustable to a height of 30-50 cm using special clamps, which allows you to level the planes of the parent and child beds. The baby's sleeping place is surrounded by bumpers that protect him from falls and injuries.

Mattresses - what they are, which one to choose

Choosing a mattress for little ones should be approached with special responsibility. It should be moderately rigid and made from environmentally friendly materials that do not emit foreign odors, and fully correspond to the length and width of the sleeping place. A mattress for an infant must have an orthopedic effect in order to distribute the load on the back and maintain good posture for the baby. The thickness should be at least 8 cm, but not exceed 15 cm.

The mattress must be well ventilated. Ideally, it will have a removable mattress cover that can be washed periodically. Zippers or buttons should be on the front side so that a child cannot reach them.

The following are allowed as fillers:

• coconut coir;
• horsehair;
• rubber;
• polyurethane foam;
• holofiber;
• artificial wool.

It is advisable to turn the mattress over every month during use. Thus, you can extend its service life and increase the level of comfort while sleeping.

Sides - types and design

The crib attached to the bed for adults is equipped with fixed sides on 3 sides, which do not allow the baby to fall out during sleep. The optimal step between the bars is 7-8 cm. With such a distance, the baby will not be able to get stuck between the panels and get injured. The height of the sides, as a rule, is 30-50 cm. If desired, the partitions are covered with fabric or blocked with stuffed pillows so that the child does not hit hard walls.

The fourth side can also be closed with a side with a lowering vertical or folding mechanism. It allows you to protect the baby from the parents at night so that he is not accidentally touched with his hand. The partition adjacent to the adult bed can be made of the same material as the bed itself, or it can look like a stretched soft mesh that is fastened with a zipper.

Operational features of baby cots for babies

Attached children's furniture is very convenient to use and, moreover, does not spoil the overall interior of the room, because modern models have a neat appearance and small sizes. It is important to correctly adjust the height of the base to fit an adult bed. After this, use fasteners to secure the attachment to the sides of the adult bed. Some models of children's furniture have latches on the legs, especially if they are equipped with casters for movement. The wheels remain in the same position even when an adult tries to move the crib.

Many parents prefer to install the movable side in its place during the day and use the crib as a regular playpen, which allows them to go about their business while the baby sleeps during the day. Some people separate the child's sleeping area and the adult bed during daylight hours to allow free movement around the room.

What are the requirements for an additional crib:

• The additional crib should fit tightly to the parent crib, so that there is no gap between them
• The bed of the crib should be adjustable in height, which will ensure the same height of the bed of the side and parent beds
• The extension cot must be securely fixed so that it cannot move out of the way.

A few words for a snack

It should be recalled that most cribs for newborn twins are sold without mattresses. Mattress covers (diapers with elastic bands at the corners, on one side they have oilcloth, on the other - a non-slip coating made of natural fibers) you need to buy at least 3 pieces. In case the sheet gets dirty along with it.

If there is not enough free space, babies play in cribs, like in a playpen, from which all sleeping accessories are removed. When preparing for bed, you need to change the environment. You can hang soft pads on the walls of the crib, put a separating cushion and turn on a musical pendulum to rock babies to sleep. If such actions are constant, then the kids will get used to this scenario, and the crib will be used in two versions, which is much more practical.

Which crib can be added:

• A special attached crib for the first 5 months from the moment of birth - such a crib is convenient because it does not take up much space next to the parent’s, usually has wheels and a removable fence, which allows you to move it away during the day and the baby will sleep in it during the day like in a cradle, and thanks Its compact dimensions and low weight make it easy to move around the apartment! But it is important to remember that as soon as the child begins to crawl on his own and tries to sit up, the crib can no longer be used, as the baby may fall out of it.

• A crib for a newborn with an easily removable guard and a height-adjustable bed. This option is good because in the first months it can be used as an extension, and when the baby starts crawling, we lower the bed down, put a fence and the baby in the crib not only sleeps, but also crawls, learns to stand up and walk, like in a classic playpen. The Milano series cribs are especially good - these cribs have ergonomic round sticks that are comfortable for the baby’s little fingers and they are made only from solid birch, without the use of MDF and chipboard, which will ensure the health of your baby!

Brands

• AmaroBaby
• Angela Bella
• Baby Expert
• Baby Luce
• Babyhit
• Beaneasy
• Bloom
• Briciola
• Combelle
• ComfortBaby
• DAKABABY
• Ellipse
• Erbesi
• Esperanza
• Feretti
• Fiorellino
• Geuther
• Giovanni
• Happy Baby
• Incanto
• Leander
• MIBB
• Micuna
• Mika
• Mr Sandman
• Noony
• Nuovita
• Pali
• Papaloni
• Sweet Baby
• Valle
• Yarri
• Agate
• Antel
• VDK
• Vedruss
• Gandylyan
• Cedar
• Kubanochka
• Lel
• Mozhga
• My baby
• An island of comfort
• SLE

Advantages of one large bed

There are many advantages to this option:

• The mother has two children under her control at once.
• You can rock two babies to sleep at the same time. This is very important when the rest of the family works and the kids are left in mother’s hands alone.
• The crib for twin newborns is wide, and it can be divided by either a fabric or slatted partition, creating a separate sleeping place for each.
• It has been noticed that children develop faster when they have a role model in front of them and communicate with each other.
• If you lower the bottom, the crib for twin newborns can act as a playpen for older babies.

How to choose?

When you have already decided to purchase a side bed for your child, you want to choose a quality product. The multitude of options is overwhelming, but it’s important to focus on a few points:

Hygiene

The crib should be such that it can be easily washed. There are some models that are covered with fabric. It creates comfort and beauty, but this fabric is difficult to wash, and it absorbs dirt, dust and liquids. As the baby grows up, he will begin to bite, lick, and chew on the sides. Saliva, which is absorbed into the tissue, creates a favorable environment for the proliferation of various bacteria, microbes and microorganisms.

For a child, excess contact with dirt is unfavorable. Therefore, we can say that fabric-covered cribs are not the best choice.

Material

There are different types of materials, but the most common is wood. There are many types of wood with varying degrees of environmental friendliness, so when choosing, it is important to consider purchasing a crib made from wood species such as pine, oak or birch. These tree species are the most environmentally friendly. The impregnations with which they are processed have a minimal risk of developing allergies.

Reliability

It is necessary to take into account that the bed is an add-on one and you will have to move it often. But it must withstand other loads and mechanical influences: blows from toys, motion sickness, etc. Therefore, it is important to choose a reliable design and manufacturer. When the baby grows up, he will begin to be active, so the sides must withstand the load and not be flimsy.

Requirements for children's furniture

First, let’s determine what the basic requirements are for cribs for newborn children.

The most important thing is the safety of the furniture.

Therefore, pay attention to the following factors:

• Environmentally friendly material and compliance with sanitary standards. Furniture can be made from a variety of materials - MDF, plastic, metal or wood. But do not forget to check with the seller whether there are the necessary certificates for products and components, including if you plan to make a custom-made bed.
• Strength of parts and their connections. This is especially true for the base and frame of the bed. This point can also be checked by the availability of certificates for products. But in any case, first check all the parts and fasteners yourself for defects and correct assembly.
• Build quality. The furniture should not have small parts within easy reach of the child, and the joints should be well sanded or covered with special protective pads. This will protect the baby from scratches and other injuries.

Details are in the video:

Models

Now you can find a huge number of different types and models, because there are more and more manufacturers and the choice is expanding. The most common:

• "Elephants" . The product is created in Siberia. The main material is birch. The cribs are designed for babies up to nine months. You can also purchase protection from soft sides. 70-80 dollars is the approximate price.

• Sleep Well – USA/Russia. The dimensions of these products are larger and are suitable for children under three years of age. Beds are made of beech, pine, ash. Approximate price: $200.

• Bednest – European production. Elegant, stylish, mobile. They fold easily, pack into a bag, and are not heavy, so you can even take them on trips. Approximate cost: $400.

• Chicco - made in Italy. Next2me models are suitable for babies up to 9 kilograms. These cribs are easy to fold and easy to install. The bottom can be placed in either a horizontal or inclined position. The beds themselves are light, weighing up to 10 kg.

There are many types and models of such cribs. There are models that turn into a table or playpen, as well as a place to play.

There are about six ways to adjust the height of the crib.

Many models are equipped with a special crossbar that closes the gap between two beds - an adult and a child.

There are also models that can be transformed into a regular bed - an additional side is included.

When parents buy such cribs, it immediately becomes clear why they are in such great demand. If you wish, you can order a crib from a designer, or a home craftsman can remake the bed or make an attachment yourself.

Add-on cot Red Star Mozhga Malusha S751 (Ivory)

Baby crib Malusha C751 from the Krasnaya Zvezda factory - a high-quality and multifunctional children's sleeping place from the domestic manufacturer of the Krasnaya Zvezda factory

Geuther Aladin Cradle (Natural)

Geuther Aladin cradle: baby is nearby, mother is calm. The cradle produced by the German company Geuther Aladin is a classic and at the same time extremely functional solution in the first months

Liono Theo side cradle (Grey)

Liono Theo cradle The high quality, reliability and safety of the Liono Theo cradle is confirmed by the European SGS certificate and the Russian certificate of conformity.

Criterias of choice

• Comfort and convenience for the baby.
• Manufacturer.
• Environmentally friendly materials.
• Easy to assemble baby crib.
• Design.
• Silicone pads on the sides.
• Rocking mechanism.

A large selection of cribs makes it possible to purchase the model that fits perfectly into the interior and meets all the requirements of quality, comfort and safety.