Stationary rails vs. traditional dropside cribs????

[shindagrl]

Hi, ladies! Sure hope you can help with the Crib Dilemma.

We're debating on a traditional crib vs. the convertible, non-dropsided ones, but not for the reasons you might think. I don't know if we'd really utilize the conversion part of that type, but the reason hubby wants to get one is because it's "sturdier". That's all fine and dandy for Mr. 6'3" guy, but I'm 5'5" and quite frankly, I don't like them very well---not well at all. The mattress would have to be in the lowest position from the minute my kiddo could stand up to make me feel safe about it, and it just seems like it would be harder on my back than one with a dropside.

Any thoughts? I tried explaining to him that sometimes the stores don't tighten the screws on the mid- to lower-end models to get you to spend the big bucks, but he has it in his head that the ones without moving rails are the best. I figure almost all people living today grew up just fine with rails that slid down, or we wouldn't be breathing and typing now.

?????????????

Shinda

[holliam]

I'm a little confused by your comments because there are convertible cribs that DO have one drop side at least. I bought a Ragazzi convertible, and it has one drop side. I admit this is a higher-end crib ($500-600) but it's extremely well made and very sturdy.

I'm 5'3" and there is no way I could get a crib without a drop side. My husband is 6'1" and he could easily live without it, but it just isn't an option for me.

I honestly think that if you get a quality crib, whether it has drop sides or not really doesn't affect whether it is a better crib.

Holli

[lynettefrancois]

We got a drop side Legacy and have been happy with it- I'm 5'1.5" (yes, I count the half inch!) and there's no way we could have done a stationary setup. DH rarely puts her down for a nap anyway since she nurses before going to sleep, so it would have been silly for us to get one that I wasn't comfortable with. We still have the mattress on the highest setting, and believe me I am NOT looking forward to moving it down since my back is already aching from the various non-standard nursing positions we had to do (due to fast letdown, reflux, sickness), and carrying her around etc. But I don't have great back muscles to start with. I am a big fan of quality construction (dovetail, biscuit joinery) and have no worries about a good quality drop-rail. Stick with a good brand from the book and it will be fine... HTH!

[shindagrl]

Thanks for your opinions, ladies!

To clarify, it seems like all of the stationary-railed cribs are meant to be convertible. I just meant that we're not really looking at convertiblity being an important factor, and focusing more on me proving to hubby that the stationary sides are not superior to one that drops, as long as the crib is well-made.

Any other comments, anyone? We're getting close to shopping and I need to convince him...........

Shinda

[firstbaby]

Yes, this sounds so familiar - it was the same battle my husband and I fought ourselves. DH wanted the stationary side and I wanted a drop side - same concers you've stated. In the end, DH won and I'm so glad he did. We got the Legacy lifetime crib and not only is it attractive, but I don't miss having a drop side at all. Both DH and I are about 5'7" and my son was 9 lbs at birth and now is about 13 lbs. So far we've been fine putting him in his crib without a drop side. I'm sure as he grows and the mattress lowers, we'll still be fine. We try to put him in his crib when he's drowsy but not always asleep so that we won't get into too intricate of a routine before we can put him in his crib. Hope this makes sense - let me know if you have any other questions!

[Momof3Labs]

I'm 5'4" and wouldn't live without a drop side, even if it means getting a slightly less sturdy crib (though I don't feel that our crib is any less sturdy for having a drop side). It's not like you use cribs for 10 years straight (at least, most people don't) - ours will get maybe 4 years' use total from two kids, assuming all goes as planned. That's not that long a time for a piece of furniture. And the money I'd waste on chiropractor bills if we had a stationary side would be astronomical!!

[momma_boo]

I'm not sure why he thinks that drop sides are less sturdy. We have a Ragazzi w/ a drop side and I consider it to be very stury. I'm 5'2" and would NEVER be able to place lay down DD in the lowest setting w/o dropping her into it.

[MelissaTC]

My SIL has a non-drop side crib and wishes she had a drop side. The drop side cribs are taller (sides) so when your little one becomes a bigger little one (:)) they will have less a chance of climbing out, etc.. My nephew has a condition that causes him to grow rapidly so he is very tall for his age and if he was more developmentally on par, he would be able to easily climb out of their crib. Just food for thought...

[shindagrl]

Thanks for all the opinions, ladies. I, too, have been concerned that even though we'll lower the mattress as she gets bigger, with the stationary sides, there's less height to scale if she's a climber.

Guess it's time to forward this on to hubby........

Shinda

[Rikkele]

Hi! I too just spent 2 hours at the crib store yesterday with DH debating over whether or not to switch the stationary crib we had picked out to a drop side crib for the reasons you all have mentioned. Something we learned in the process is that according to federal safety standards all crib rails are the same height from top to bottom. Therefore, even though stationary cribs are lower to the ground the distance from the mattress to the top of the rail is the same (when drop side rail is raised) so climbing out would not be more of an issue with the stationary crib.
Oh, BTW, we ended up sticking with our original stationary crib - Hope I don't regret it!! :-)

[jraohc]

We went with dropsides. I'm 5'2" and when I tried to use one of the non-dropsided ones I knew immediately my back would be killing me. We ended up checking out a bunch of different stores for the cribs and decided that some stores just do better at putting their floor models together than others. The same dropside crib would feel sturdier at one store than another, in other words. So, try to find a local, boutique (probably expensive) store to look at some cribs and then perhaps your dh will be convinced that dropsides can be just as sturdy and you can go back to reasonably priced places and pick one out.

[Judegirl]

I don't understand the argument that stationary rails mean sturdier cribs. Is he concerned that a dropside can be shaken down by the baby?

I'm not sure where he's coming from, but if your weight is being put on the stationary rail multiple times a day so that you can get in there with/for the baby, that would worry me in terms of sturdiness! If you can't clear the rail, you'll be adding to the weight the rail has to support over time. Personally, I feel better with one that lowers so that it never has to hold anyone but the baby up!

And if none of this convinces him, then you just can't be the one who primarily takes the baby in and out of the crib. I'm 5'2", with short arms...there's just no way I could take care of a baby in a crib without a drop rail. It'd be murder on my back, and I'd never feel quite secure with the baby in my arms as I leaned over or stood up.

Good luck!

Jude