Baby cribs, convertible cribs and saving money

As a new aunt (make that great aunt), I have both baby and baby cribs on the brain.  My nephew welcomed the sweetest baby boy into his family over the July 4th holiday weekend.  He was a little small, under 7 pounds, so he should be able to stay in the bassinet I sent north with my sister for him a few months ago.  However, in time, my grand nephew will need new digs, namely some sort of crib. 

The safety regulations relating to baby cribs changed, something that new parents such as my nephew need to be aware of when they buy a crib.  If I found myself expecting again, I would feel compelled to buy a new crib.  One that I knew met or exceeded the new regulations.  One that would make me feel safe putting my child inside it.  I admit it, I was quite shaken by reading serial recalls of cribs from several different and well-known crib manufacturers, even after we'd decided that we feel that our family is complete and that we don't have plans to add any more to our family. 

 Above:  AFG Athena Nadia 3-in-1 Convertible Crib in Espresso

Though drop side cribs have been banned, parents can still consider convertible cribs for when their baby turns into a toddler (seemingly overnight!)  Convertible cribs that turn into toddler beds can be a money saver over time since you won't have to spring for a twin bed once baby starts to succeed at attempts of crib escape and need to transition to a "Big Boy" or "Big Girl" bed.  Purchasing a convertible crib from the get-go that can grow with your child makes a larger investment more worthwhile since you'll get years of use versus just using a crib until your child is a toddler and needs to transition to a different bed.

DaVinci Kalani 4-in-1 Convertible Crib Nursery Set w/ Toddler Rail in Cherry

Of course, you'd want the furniture to all match when you can.  We were quite lucky in finding a chest of drawers that did match our daughter's crib ten years ago, but it can be very hard to find matching sets if you need to shop for each piece separately.  Davinci Kalani sells a matching 4-in-1 convertible nursery set in one of my favorite woods, cherry, which is pictured above.  I love dark colors and the sleigh appearance of the rails.  

My nephew has a few months to go before his son outgrows the bassinet, but it's good to know that there's still a lot of choices out there that are safe for baby under the new regulations.