Baby cot

Babies are precious little bundles, and all loving parents would want to provide the best care for their baby. We understand this feeling very well… There are different kinds of cot  that you can get. The question that you should ask is what exactly are you looking for?

Baby Cot History

Baby cots or baby cribs are used today for all infants up until about age 2 or 3 but this wasn't always the case. The history of baby cots goes back several hundred years ago. Before babies had cot they usually slept with their parents. Baby cot, as we know it didn't come into common use until the 19th century. The first type of cot was most likely designed to take the place of the cradle. As homes became larger there was enough space to use a cot that the child could sleep in for more than a year. Most cots were constructed of wood. Early beds were actually enclosures that had either walls or draped fabric to keep the bed and its occupants warm at night. As homes became more well-insulated and better heated bedrooms started to become popular.

Cots typically were small free-standing beds that could be placed right next to the parent's bed for easy accessibility. Once the child outgrew the tiny cradle they often slept in a small bed that could fit under the parent's bed for storage during the day. This was the beginning of the trundle bed and was considered a toddler bed. Cradles were made of many different materials but were most often made of wood that could be found easily. Cradles began to be designed and produced by woodworkers who also designed other home furnishings of the time.During this time there were many children in a family and each one would use the cot for the first year or until the next child came along. The nursery started as a small nook located adjacent to the parent's bedroom. Eventually the idea of the child having his or her own room came to be the standard. Wealthy families who could afford a full time nanny were able to have a separate room for the child. As children outgrew the crib they would take a bed in the children's bedroom, which was often shared by many children. Eventually homes were built with more bedrooms so they could accommodate more children. Cot design through the years has shown a steady improvement of features yet the same basic shape and form have remained the same. Nowadays cots are under stringent safety rules to ensure that children are safe from harm. These standards are continually updated and new products are tested for safety. Parents still need to take precautions to ensure the safety of their child in the cot.

Styles and design

Choosing a baby cot, with all the various cot styles is probably one of the most enjoyable aspects of getting yourself ready for a baby and getting the nursery ready. Regardless of that your baby might not be sleeping there for some months into the future. We have been flooded with baby products of every sort and kind, the market offers a great many of baby cot beds giving new parents lots of options in addition. The only way to cope with it is to get some hard information about baby cot beds. We hope that thip page will be very helpful while deciding what baby cot bed is the best for you. If you have set your choice on a new brand baby bed there is no reason why you shouldn’t buy it, but you have to be absolutely sure that this very baby bed is designed to be cosy and comfy not only for your baby but for you as well. A cot is among the few items you absolutely need for your baby, although however it’s not necessary to rush into purchasing one ready for your newborn. A Moses basket or travel cot might be a lot more valuable when your baby is tiny — all of them have good points that may make the early days simpler for you.

A baby cot as one of most important bedroom furniture come in a range of styles, designs and colours. All baby furniture, cots and toddler beds must have safety standards whethever new or used. Here you can find a selection of styles for you to choose a cot that suits you and your baby's needs in both traditional and contemporary designs, styles include the ever popular classic cot, the versatile 3 in 1 cot, which accommodates the growing child and the stylish yet functional sleigh cot.

Sleigh Cots are stylishly designed and will enhance the décor of any nursery. The versatility of design allows the cot to change from infant’s cot to toddlers bed and then to a practical sofa. The storage drawer is useful for baby clothes or toy storage. Some features include adjustable base, teething rails, safety drop side mechanism and lockable castors. The safety features allow for peace of mind through the important growing years. Travel cot or portable cots are a must for new parents, handy for holidays, visiting or as a playpen. The range available by reputable makers include features for easy fold away for transportation and storage. These cots are made strong and durable with all the desired safety features. Toddlers Beds range from the traditional sturdy timber beds and all the warm timber tones to the Classic Sleigh design and fun colourful designs in the popular children’s characters. Designs that would delight any young child. Features include side safety guard rails and strong timber bases and easy assembly.

Some additional things you may consider when buying a baby cot

- some baby cots can convert to a child's bed when your baby outgrows the cot
- a cot with mattress that can be in a raised position until the child is able to sit upright
- speciality cots include a drop side which can slips under the cot, so it is entirely out of the way, and the cot can be positioned alongside your bed making night time and can ease the process of putting the child into the bed, but can be raised again to restore the integrity of the enclosure
- rolling casters so that it's easy to move the crib around
- a storage drawer underneath for baby stuff
- baby cot with two base positions and fixed sides. When you have finished with the cot the sides are turned around to make a lovely little sleigh bed which will be suitable until your child is around five years old
- cot bumpers are marketed to keep children from bumping against the hard sides and hurting themselves; breathable bumpers are intended to prevent suffocation, while providing padding

Fixed or Drop-side Cots?

The majority of cots offered have got drop-sides. One side of the cot will have a system that is built to allow you to lower the side in order to lift your baby in and out without difficulty, especially if you have the bottom placed at the lowest level. A few cots possess drop-mechanisms on both sides, so as long as the cot is not alongside a wall you are able to pick which side to use. How beneficial a drop-side is is dependent mostly on the performance of the mechanism. A few models function far more efficiently than others. `Nudge and lift’ mechanisms, where you push the side of the cot into a position where it could be lowered, can be handy since you may operate them with one hand. A lot of parents still find it takes a while to master this, however. Other cots will have a trigger mechanism, a foot pedal or a couple of catches that you simply undo. Drop-sides cots can certainly be helpful in the beginning, however strive to test several various sorts in the stores before you purchase, and select the one which appears simplest to work with. Many parents (particularly the taller ones) find the entire process over-fiddly and would rather lift their infant in and out without having to drop the cot side.

Height-adjustable Base Cots
The base height on most cots may be adjusted as your baby develops. A height-adjustable function is particularly helpful if you use a cot instead of a baby cribs or Moses basket from birth. This means you’ll have the cot base on its highest setting for the initial few months, in order to lift your baby in and out of it without difficulty. After that, as soon as your baby begins to change position more and pull him- or herself up, it is possible to reposition the base at the lower level so that he or she remains safe inside the cot. Cots generally have either a two- or three-position base, though several have more. Two positions tend to be acceptable for the majority of people’s requirements.

Teething Rail
You will not recognize in the early days and nights if your newborn will likely be a cot-gnawer. Nevertheless, chomping on the edge of a cot can be a practice a lot of babies do appear to enjoy. The teeth-marks will definitely make your cot appear less than brand new within a couple of months, however they will not make it unusable. A teething rail is a protective cover lining the side-edges of the cot. Select a cot with one of them should you prefer to steer clear of the chance of damage.

Casters
A number of cots have casters, which is often a handy characteristic to make relocating the cot out of your room to the baby’s room, or to another situation in the nursery, as easy as possible. Additionally, it results in less difficult cleaning beneath and around the cot.

Other Styles of Cots
You do not need to purchase a conventional cot. Additional designs and styles are commonly offered, which, in addition to looking a bit different, might have functions which meet your requirements better.

Cot Beds
A cot bed is a cot with detachable sides and end panel in order that it may be changed into a toddler-sized bed as required. They are more and more popular and seem to be a sensible method of prolonging the life span of a cot along with helping to make the move from a cot to a bed as smooth as it can be for your child. Cot beds are bigger than cots but aren’t automatically a lot more pricey. Cot beds could be a sensible choice and suit many parents and children perfectly. Nevertheless, you should consider your long term requirements prior to purchasing a cot bed. The primary drawback occurs when you have another child soon after having your first. In this instance you will require the cot once more just when you have transformed it into a bed and your first boy or girl is growing attached to it. Purchasing a brand new bed, banishing your toddler from the cot bed and rebuilding it into a cot in addition to coping with an additional newborn might be a thing you would rather stay away from. An additional possible downside using cot beds is the fact that as cots they often have fixed- as opposed to drop-sides. You can also consider that you may have to buy your little one a ‘grownup’ bed sooner or later, so why don’t you get it done when they move out of the cot? Cot beds are made for kids up to age six or so, but bear in mind the chance that your status-conscious three- or four-year-old may possibly begin resenting using a baby bed when their friends have ‘proper’ beds.

Bedside Cots
You can purchase cots having a detachable side to enable you to place the cot right alongside your bed and there is no barrier in between you and the baby. These types of cots possess a base that you can change to a wide range of different levels, which means that you and your baby’s beds can be aligned. This can make night-time feeding less complicated. If you discover it is more difficult to relax with the baby so near, the cot can be simply converted into a standard cot.

 

Cot bed mattress and sheets

You may already have bought your cot bed and are now looking for a suitable cot bed mattress. There are a lot of choices for you when it comes to baby mattress, sheets and baby blankets. The hard part, is choosing between the thousands of different variations there are. One thing that you want to double check is the size of your cot bedding. You want to make sure that it will fit well in the cot. It would also be a good idea if you got extra bedding just in case. Getting extra baby bedding would help when you are washing one set and your baby needs to sleep. That way, there is no down time for being able to use the cot.

There are a lot of different types of fabric that you can find for the cot bedding. When you are putting the crib together, you do not want to have a lot of items like pillows and blankets in there. You basically want the cot to be empty except for a blanket to put on the bottom half of your baby. A lot of people think that when they are shopping for baby bedding that babies need to have a lot of things to keep them warm. If you think your baby is cold, you should buy him or her some clothes to wear while sleeping. That way you do not need to put blankets up on the baby. Although the majority of baby bedding is the same size, you might want to check on your cot or crib to determine what sizes for the baby bedding you will need. You want to make sure that everything fits tight.

For the most part, all cots are generally a standard size. So buying a mattress or cot bedding for it should be easy, but make sure you double check the size of your cot and the baby bedding that you have for it. People who shop around for things to add to the baby’s nursery like to get a wooden cot. Cots come in a wide range of finishes when it comes to wooden cots.Choosing a mattress can be quite difficult. We will try to guide you through the types and sizes of mattress available online and help you find the most suitable one for you and your baby. The first thing to point out is that health specialist advice that you should get a new mattress for every child. No matter how well the mattress has been looked after, there is still the risk of passing on bacteria to the new baby. The condition of the mattress will also be worse as it will have had a child already sleeping on it for a number of years. Cot must be as safe as possible without overlooking the importance of the mattresses that is in it. Your baby’s cot mattresses is a very important purchase. When buying a cot or a cot bed mattress, it is essential that the mattress fits neatly into the cot. A gap round the sides which exceeds 4 cm (1.5 inches) could cause your baby to trap a finger or clothing with bad results. A child will spend their first three to five years sleeping and playing on their cot bed mattress, an infant at least 70% of their time and a toddler up to 50% of their time. You really need to ensure that you keep your baby's mattress itself in good condition.

Shopping around for sheets that match cot for your baby should be an easy task. You want your sheets to be tight and not get loose on the cot mattress. Most sheets that you will get will fit the conventional size cot mattress. A tight fitted sheet means a safer baby cot for your little one. Cot sheets are one important thing to focus on since they are what your baby sleep on. You do not want them to irritate your baby’s skin. When your baby is sleeping, you want the cot to be clear of everything. That includes pillows, blankets, etc. This will make sure that your baby is safe while he or she is sleeping. To make sure that your baby is comfortable with the temperature, you can dress him or her to accommodate for the temperature of the room.

 

Baby Cot safety

There are a lot of different cots and a lot of different styles, so you have to make sure the one you pick out is safe. To be safe, the cot bed should be empty of excess items. It is fine to have a couple things in there like toys if someone is watching the baby, but if that is not the case, they should be taken out while unsupervised. Cots are easy to assemble when you get them. They will require some assembly, but the tools you will need are basic, and it does not take a long time to set up. You should be reading the instructions closely so that you correctly put the cot together. You want to make sure that it is assembled correctly so it is safe for your baby to sleep in. The cot is a place where your baby will be spending a lot of time sleeping, and you want to know that he or she will be safe in there.

Some precautions steps and safety considerations for cots

• Use flame resistant bedding
• Never use electric blankets or hot water bottles for babies or young children
• Set the cot mattress to its lowest position before your child can stand himself up
• Cut the strings on the cot bumper short. It is not advisable to use cot bumpers for babies under one year
• The gap between the mattress and the cot should not be more than 4 cm
• Place the cot away from windows, radiators, heaters, power points or curtain and blind cords
• Don't use pillows for children under one year
• Only put small toys in the cot. Larger ones could be (mis)used for climbing out
• Ensure that the cot you buy conforms to the legal safety standard
• Don’t hang anything like pictures or mirrors nearby, where there is a danger of the item falling into the cot. Do not leave mobiles or toys with stretch or elastic cords within reach of your child

All infant beds must be designed to restrict the baby to the bed. The sides have to be too high for a baby to climb and provide no footholds. Design standards for infant beds include considerations such as preventing hand and head entrapment.

No matter what baby cot you are going to buy following this guidelines you have chance to choose the best one for your baby. Draw your attention to drop-side mechanism; it has to operate easily. The bars of the baby cot should be more than 45mm to 65mm apart. Look if the mattress fits snugly and firm enough, teething rails are preferable and they can be of great use when your baby starts teething. They allow your baby to nibble on the railings without damaging the baby crib and nibbling such special rails is absolutely harmless for the child.

The placement of your baby’s cot in the nursery is another important safety factor too. Do not place the cot near lamps or heaters to prevent burn injuries if not worse. Avoid placing the baby cot near windows, curtain cords or any other strings, they can cause strangulation. You should not place anything in the bed that may serve as climbing aids and help your little one climb out of it when he or she gets a bit bigger. Do not hang pictures, mirrors, or other objects that may fall on your infant directly above the cot. Always leave the drop sides locked in the up position.

First-time parents need to have an eye for detail when buying baby furniture. Instead of colour, style and comfort, make safety the vital requirement. Remember, even if your baby furniture meets every safety standard and suggestion, your child still needs supervision.

If your cot is a hand-me-down, make sure it meets the following requirements:

• The bars or panels should be spaced between 50mm and 95mm apart – bigger gaps can trap a baby’s head, arms or legs. If the bars or panels are made from flexible material, the maximum spacing between the bars or panels should be less than 95mm.
• The cot should have a minimum depth of 600mm from the base of the mattress to the top of the cot.
• The gap between the mattress and the cot sides should be less than 25mm.
• Check that there are no spaces between 30mm and 50mm that could trap your child’s arms or legs.
• Check there are no small holes or openings between 5mm and 12mm that may trap small fingers.
• Place the cot in a safe spot and use locking brakes.

Things to remember

• Even if your baby furniture meets every safety standard and suggestion, your child still needs close supervision.
• A visual inspection of its hardware should be done monthly and any loose hardware should be fixed.
• But the best advice is still as old as time: always keep vigilant watch on your little one and do not leave your baby unattended.

 

Baby cot brands

What is best cot for my baby? If you want cheap cot or best quality cot these brands are here for you: Gerber cots, Cossato cots, Babydan cots, Stokke, Kiddycare, John Lewis, Graco, Peg perego, McLaren, Chicco baby cots and other.

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