MIL gave us a drop-side...

savannat421 · September 2012

when i first discovered i was pregnant, my MIL gave my husband and i a crib. it was used (she was a foster mother for two babies) and in pieces, so i didn't know how it actually looked put together. now, we've placed it in the nursery and discovered it is in fact a drop side crib.

i am aware of the risks posed by these cribs, as well as the fact that generations of babies used them safely. my dad showed my husband a way to bracket the side up so it cannot come down, but i wanted to know what you all think. should i get a new one before baby William gets here in december? or would it be alright to wait until after he gets here?

Titts McGeee · September 2012

If it had all the hardware and was otherwise safe, you can order a conversion kit for that specific make and model. Depending on the company, you can probably call them to have one sent. HTH.

I would also just check that there haven't been any other kind of recalls on that crib model since it sounds like it's a few years old.

savannat421 · September 2012

Titts McGeee:
If it had all the hardware and was otherwise safe, you can order a conversion kit for that specific make and model. Depending on the company, you can probably call them to have one sent. HTH.
I would also just check that there haven't been any other kind of recalls on that crib model since it sounds like it's a few years old.

i never thought about a conversion kit. i'll have to look into it. thanks!

bearkatjen · September 2012

I would get a new one before he has to sleep in a crib. You can get a good crib from Ikea for under $100. BRU is having a 25% off on Graco items, I got my pnp from $53, the baby can sleep in that for a while to begin with.

savannat421 · September 2012

bearkatjen:
I would get a new one before he has to sleep in a crib. You can get a good crib from Ikea for under $100. BRU is having a 25% off on Graco items, I got my pnp from $53, the baby can sleep in that for a while to begin with.

yeah, he'll be sleeping in the bassinet part of his pnp for the first little while, so i think we'll just get a new one. it makes me feel really uneasy having him in the drop-side, no matter if it was free haha.

this decaf life · September 2012

I would fix it so the side wouldn't drop down and still use it.

saturdaynightdoubletree · September 2012

I'll probably get flamed for saying this... but we have a drop side at my mom's house that we just bracketed. DD slept in it for 6 months when DH was deployed, and then a year later DS slept in it for 6 months when DH was deployed again. I don't really think it's a big deal, especially earlier on. Once you have a baby standing and thrashing around you might want to just double check the safety, but neither of my kids were climbers or anything so I was never too worried.

savannat421 · September 2012

saturdaynightdoubletree:
I'll probably get flamed for saying this... but we have a drop side at my mom's house that we just bracketed. DD slept in it for 6 months when DH was deployed, and then a year later DS slept in it for 6 months when DH was deployed again. I don't really think it's a big deal, especially earlier on. Once you have a baby standing and thrashing around you might want to just double check the safety, but neither of my kids were climbers or anything so I was never too worried.

that's what i think. being a first-time mom i think has made me a little paranoid. i'm going to look at all the options before i decide though. i would also like a crib that's more sturdy that might last through two or three babies. it makes me feel better knowing it's not super unusual to have one though

Stillharbor · September 2012

I was also given a drop side crib, but I haven't put it together yet. I did call the maker and they sent me a kit to demobilize it. IDK, if I'm going to or not. If our parents used them and we're still alive they can't be all bad, especially if they're in good condition.

sschwege · September 2012

DD has slept in a drop-side crib since she was 6 months old (a bassinette in our room before then). I worry about a lot of things, this just isn't one of them.

Kingston54 · September 2012

It depends on your financial situation. I would get a new crib. We got ours from IKEA and it was only $100!

CloudBee · September 2012

Keep the crib the modify the drop side with a kit from the manufacturer, or purchase one. If you're happy with the crib, definitely don't buy one.

Bink720 · September 2012

If it is possible to convert it or to bolt the side up so it no longer drops I would consider using it. If not, there is no way I would consider using a drop side crib. There is a reason they are illegal in the US. And that's great all of these other people are using them and their kids are fine, but I'm not one to gamble with my child's life. And that is 100% what you are risking. There are going to be so many things that you worry about that first year. Where your baby is sleeping shouldn't be one of them. That's just my 2 cents. GL!

https://www.babyzone.com/baby/baby-health-and-safety/drop-side-cribs-illegal_205906

savannat421 · September 2012

Bink720:
If it is possible to convert it or to bolt the side up so it no longer drops I would consider using it. If not, there is no way I would consider using a drop side crib. There is a reason they are illegal in the US. And that's great all of these other people are using them and their kids are fine, but I'm not one to gamble with my child's life. And that is 100% what you are risking. There are going to be so many things that you worry about that first year. Where your baby is sleeping shouldn't be one of them. That's just my 2 cents. GL!
https://www.babyzone.com/baby/baby-health-and-safety/drop-side-cribs-illegal_205906

yeah, i think i'm going to bolt it up and then when he becomes more mobile, we'll get a new one.

yecal262 · September 2012

We used a drop side crib with dd and will be using it again with this LO. We might get the conversion kit but I never had a problem with it. I never put The side down because I could never figure it out. Dd was in a toddler bed before she decided to start any type of climbing or shaking the sides. We converted the crib to a toddler bed when she was one.

kellyrn9956 · September 2012

Everything that I have read recommends buying new on two items - car seats and cribs. Safety standards change regularly and unless you have the original information, there could be a safety recall that you are not aware of. Even if you fix the drop-side situation, you really want to have the make, model, & serial # and have the crib registered so that you can be made aware of any recalls that might have absolutely nothing to do with the drop-side situation.

Angela814 · September 2012

I'm still using our drop side crib with DD2 and will reuse it again for DC3. If you're not comfortable with it, I'd get one of those conversion kits.

JumpAroundBucky · September 2012

savannat421:
Bink720:
If it is possible to convert it or to bolt the side up so it no longer drops I would consider using it. If not, there is no way I would consider using a drop side crib. There is a reason they are illegal in the US. And that's great all of these other people are using them and their kids are fine, but I'm not one to gamble with my child's life. And that is 100% what you are risking. There are going to be so many things that you worry about that first year. Where your baby is sleeping shouldn't be one of them. That's just my 2 cents. GL!
https://www.babyzone.com/baby/baby-health-and-safety/drop-side-cribs-illegal_205906

yeah, i think i'm going to bolt it up and then when he becomes more mobile, we'll get a new one.

If you're just going to get a new one eventually anyway, why wouldn't you get one that you know is safe and not have to worry about bolting?

PnkDingo · September 2012

Every time I read these posts I start to feel like a bad to-be-mother. The crib I have is the crib my parents bought in 1985. It's been through me, my 4 siblings, a handful of cousins, my sister's 2 sons, and now will be used for mine.

I don't know if drop-side's have just declined in quality over the years, but this is a solid maple crib with slats that aren't too far apart, every original piece of hardware still intact with a whole metal drop system that a grown adult can lean on and it doesn't budge. It actually takes a little effort to make the side go down (there's a kickplate underneath) after so many years, I don't think my sister ever moved the side up or down at all with her second. Because it was manufactured in 1984, Simmons doesn't carry a conversion kit, and because it's so solid (dad's a builder, hardware has been meticulously kept), and has been used without incident, I'm going to use it. I'm more worried about when my son is old enough to start climbing OUT of the thing, because it's fairly tall. My brother broke his foot at 18 months climbing out of it.

On the flip side, probably about 7 years ago, my godson had a newer drop side that even his weight at 9 months could make the drop side drop because it was just not a sturdy model, and he fell multiple times before they just screwed/bolted the rail into the frame to ensure it wouldn't drop anymore.

I guess it's all a matter of what you feel comfortable with.

ikypea · September 2012

I'm am using the same drop side crib that I used for my daughter 7 years ago. It has been in storage but is still in great condition. If I get worried about it I'll have DH secure it with brackets. This time around I will have an actual new bassinet but with DD I used one that has been in the family for 4 generations. We spent the money to get a new mattress that was up to code and made few other improvements but it worked great! I really only started to get nervous about sleeping arrangements when DD moved into her own room at about 6 months. When she was in the room with me I didn't really stress. I say do what you feel comfortable with.

cylynn · September 2012

this is #3 and he will use the same drop side crib that the other 2 have used. I'm not worried.

Angela814 · September 2012

PnkDingo:
On the flip side, probably about 7 years ago, my godson had a newer drop side that even his weight at 9 months could make the drop side drop because it was just not a sturdy model, and he fell multiple times before they just screwed/bolted the rail into the frame to ensure it wouldn't drop anymore.
I guess it's all a matter of what you feel comfortable with.

I think the newer cheaply designed models ruined it for everyone. Ours is from 2006 and very well made. DD1 used to climb in and out to play in the crib when she was 5 (and prob 45 lbs). We've never had any problems with the drop side. It was actually the very last brand/model recalled, so I think at that point they were just recalling all dop side cribs. I couldn't find any reports of any complaints linked to our crib.

Sarai28 · September 2012

I was given a drop side crib that had already gone through 4 kids. We contacted the manufacturer and got bracket kit to immobilize the drop side. My son is 18 months old and has been in for about 14 months with no issue.

moonglow_84 · September 2012

I think that if you can bracket the side to stay up, it should be fine. I agree though that you should check and make sure there are no recalls.

MouseInLux · September 2012

The crib probably doesn't meet safety standards. I'd get a new one.

spring_time · September 2012

DS sleeps in a dropside crib that is 30 years old at my mom's house. The slats are the proper width and the hardware is metal and well-made. However, if we were using it for everyday, I would probably bolt it.

I also have read that cribs and car seats should be bought brand new. I think a lot of it depends on how well you know the previous owner. My MIL bought a car seat at a garage sale and we said she couldn't use it. However, my mom got one from a friend. We know them well enough to ask if they have been in any fender benders or anything that would otherwise weaken the carseat. The same goes for cribs.