Drop-sides/ Short people

[andronache30]

What are people's thoughts on drop sides? I have read a lot of horror stories about drop sides, but I have also heard that if your crib doesn't have a drop-side it can be hard to put the baby in and out of the crib if you are short. To complicate the issue, it seems like there are not a lot of good crib makers out there making cribs with drop sides. BRU carries a lot of the Delta cribs, but the Baby Bargains book didn't seem to like those. Finally, I don't want to spend a serious amount of money. Has anyone else had this dilemma?

[pb&j]

I've had no trouble with my drop side crib. I'm 5'2", and can't reach the far side of the crib without dropping the side. Even at 2.5, DS prefers for me to lay him down in his crib - I can't do that without dropping the side.

Ours is from PBK, but I believed it's actually manufactured by one of the "big" crib manufacturers, I just can't remember which one. It's very sturdy, and held up well.

[ThreeofUs]

ITA with Ry. I had no trouble at all with our Sorrelle drop-side crib, a basic model which cost I think around $200 new and was extremely sturdy. I literally cannot reach up and around the sides of a fixed-side crib -- especially with a load in my arms!

Try craigslist if you decide on a fixed-side crib; there are lots of late-model, gently used cribs on our local CL.

[stefani]

We have a Legacy crib with drop side, and I am almost 5'3" :)
DS is still in it at almost 5 years old, but we stop pulling the side up when he was 4.25 years old, so it is mostly "dropped" now except when we change his bedsheets (there are two drawers underneath where we store his beddings).

I like it that it can be dropped as for the most part I still "drop" DS a little when I put him in lying down.

Try out the ones you are considering by putting a pillow or something like that in it (treat it like a newborn) and see if you have long enough of a torso to do it.

[wendibird22]

Here's a similar post from a short while back. I'm 5'2" and have no problem with my convertible/stationary crib. DD is 11mos and we have the mattress at the lowest setting and I can still lean over and lie her down.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=293734

[sunriseiz]

I am 5'2" and would never be able to lay ds down without the drop side. Even at 2.5, he wants me to lay him down! (yeah, we're talking about a big boy bed....) ;)

[amycoh]

I love my stationary crib - at 5 feet tall - & have not had any real issues placing my sleeping baby back in his crib. I co-slept until he was about 6 monthes old though - so he was never in the crib until then. After 6 months, they are strong enough, and you can lay them down fine.
After 1 year its a non issue.

[HIU8]

We have a sorelle crib with drop sides. I am only 5'2" and I have no issues getting DD in or out (crib mattress is set all the way down now for DD also). One trick is to take off the casters. That eliminates a good 1.5" at least. That is why I can reach in no problem.

HTH

[Neatfreak]

Okay, I'm 5'3" and glad that DD's crib had drop sides (it's manufactured by Cara Mia). Perhaps the usefulness of a drop side depends on how low the lowest mattress setting is?

With my DD's crib on the lowest setting, it was a far stretch put her in if she fell asleep and I had forgotten to lower the side before I lowered her in. Uncomfortable, and I always felt like I was plopping her in rather awkwardly. I never put on the casters, either! FWIW, my DD happily slept in her crib until she was three years old, so I got to spend two years cursing myself for forgetting to lower the side!

[wendibird22]

For most stationary cribs, the lower side is the same height as a drop side crib when the side is lowered...so essentially, they are the same height (a sales lady pointed this out to me when I was shopping for our crib).

[tarahsolazy]

We never used the drop side on our crib, its a Legacy. Now its actually turned with the drop side toward the wall, we just didn't realize when we moved it recently. But neither baby was in it until 6mo, and we put the kiddos down before they were completely asleep. I didn't want a crib that converted into anything, so this type was the simplest available.