It’s recommended to have your baby sleep in your room for the first 6 to 12 months to reduce the chance of Sudden Unexpected Death In Infancy (SUDI) by as much as 50%. By sleeping in your bedroom during these crucial first months you’re able to monitor them, and respond immediately to their needs.
But when it’s time for them to sleep in their own room, there’s so much more worries now on your mind. So picking the right nursery furniture that’s safe for baby was one of our top priorities so at least that’s one less worry as first time parents.
What is a baby cot?
A baby cot, also known as an infant bed or cradle, is a small, enclosed bed specifically designed for children who are over the age of 6 months, and have not shown the signs that they are ready to move to a toddler bed.
When do you move to a toddler bed from a cot?
A child transitions to a toddler bed from a cot typically between the ages of 18 months to 36 months. In order to be suitable to now sleep in a toddler bed, a child should be too big for their cot, they could climb out of it, are being potty/toilet trained, and/or seek more independence.
Can babies sleep in a cot from birth?
Yes, a baby can sleep in a cot in it’s upper base position instead of a bassinet from birth. This is because cots in Australia must comply with the Australian, and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 2172:2003 Cots for household use safety requirements.
Many Australian households cannot fit a cot in the parents bedrooms so must opt for the smaller bassinet, Moses basket, or sleeping pod. It is important to note that there are no mandatory Australian, and New Zealand safety standards for bassinets, Moses baskets or sleeping pods. If you do need to pick one of these alternatives, you need to look for one that is sturdy, has breathable zones, proper ventilation, any wheels can be locked, no protrusions or sharp edges that could harm the baby, or upper holds that could entrap the baby.
However, you must move the baby from the bassinet, Moses basket or sleeping pod into a cot when they are able to roll or be more mobile which typically happens around the baby is around 4 to 6 months old.
How to choose a baby cot
In Australia, you should look for a cot that is certified to comply with the mandatory Australian safety standard AS/NZS 2172 such as our Strathmore cot from Quirky Bubba.
Cots can be either:
Rectangular (most common) with raised sides made of slats or filler bars, and optional drop down side for easy access to your baby
Circular (trending)
Converts to a toddler bed (such as our Strathmore Cot from Quirky Bubba) which has it’s own additional mandatory requirements found here
When your baby first moves to their cot which will have the base in the upper base position (pictured), the distance between the top of the mattress to the top edge of the cot must be a minimum of 400mm when the access is closed, or 250mm when the access is open.
When your baby is big, and able to stand up or pull themselves up, you’ll need to move the cot base to the lower base position. For your cot, the distance between the top of the mattress, and the top edge of the lowest cot side must be a minimum of 600 mm when the access is closed, and 250 mm when the access is open.
The distance between the slats of your baby cot must be at least 50mm so your babies head or limbs doesn’t get stuck. Anything less than 50mm, or over 95mm is considered a hazardous gap that could entrap your babies head, neck or limbs.
Are Quirky Bubba baby cots good?
We chose the Strathmore cot from Quirky Bubba which is an Australian based company.
We absolutely love the cot, and the other furniture that came with the Brady Package. The furniture, including the cot, is all made using solid, natural New Zealand pine, and covered with 100% non toxic paint, and stains.
Are Quirky Bubba cots safe?
The Quirky Bubba cots are all certified to be safe, and comply with Australian, and New Zealand standards. They actually have a copy of each certification in their FAQ section so you can review it.
Our Strathmore Cot certification can be found here which shows that the cot is a safe cot, doesn’t have any toxic elements such as heavy metals, and passed on all safety tests such as tension, stability, sleep surface firmness, and durability.
Quirky Bubba delivery and assembly
Quirky Bubba delivers to most areas across Australia between Mondays to Fridays, and excluding weekends, and public holidays. Depending on where you're located, Quirky Bubba strives to deliver between 1-7 days. Due to covid, manufacturing, and delivery has heavily impacted nearly every business so like very other furniture company, our delivery with Quirky Bubba had some delays. Alternatively, you can do a free pickup of your furniture from the Quirky Bubba warehouses in Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne.
We had a great experience with Quirky Bubba! We ordered the Brady package on the 16th of August, and received it on the 14th of September. With knowledge of the worldwide delays impacting deliveries, we chose to order all our baby products, including the furniture, months in advance of the baby's expected due date to ensure we had adequate time to receive, and assemble everything before the baby arrives.
The assembly was really quick, and the instructions were easy to follow. We tackled the cot, change table, and toy box one product at a time, laid out all the parts, and the assembly took around 20 minutes total. Due to the size, and weight, I'd highly recommend build everything with another person to help. My husband built most of everything, and as I cannot lift more than 5kgs as advised by my obstetrician, I mainly kept parts in place or handed him parts.
Can you paint a baby cot?
It is highly advised for parents to not paint their baby cot as it even if their cot is certified to be safe, the paint you pick or the end result of your painting isn’t ensured to still be safe for the baby.
Our Strathmore cot meets the Australian, and New Zealand safety standards, and has been painted using non toxic paints, and stains.
How to decorate a baby cot
It is highly recommended not use or keep any cot bumpers, quilts, doonas, sleeping aids, sleep positioning aids, rugs, pillows, or toys within the cot in order to maintain a safe sleeping environment for the baby.
Not having these products within the cot reduces the risk of SUDI as it reduces their risk of suffocation if the baby were to accidentally have their mouth, and/or nose covered by said products.
Instead for safe sleeping, your cot must meet the Australian standard for cots, have a firm mattress that fits the cot, have no products that could smother or entrap the baby, and simply have a well fitting sheet or allow the baby to sleep in a safe infant sleeping bag or swaddle.
The Bhumi throw pictured in my photos in this post has been included for purely decorative reasons for the photos, and will not be kept on the cot to adhere to the safe sleeping requirements.
What baby cot mattress to buy
It is recommended that for a safe sleeping environment, babies must sleep on a firm, well-fitting mattress that has no gaps between the mattress, and the edge of the cot. The mattress must be flat when the baby is sleeping on it so avoid any cots that would angle the baby, and ensure you pick a mattress that fits the cot you have purchased.
When we purchased our Quirky Bubba Strathmore Cot, the mattress came as part of the Brady package so the mattress perfectly fits the cot.
To comply with the Australian safety standards, the cot mattress must be no more than 20mm from any cot side when it is centred on the mattress base of the cot.
This article has been sponsored by Quirky Bubba. All opinions stated are my own, and all facts have been researched with the Australian safe sleeping stadards, and recommendations in mind.
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