How to Assemble a Crib

Besides celebrating the much awaited arrival of your bundle of joy, I am sure you might be busy shopping for baby products. This is one time when you shell out money without cribbing. Who cares about the expenses, your little one must have all that is needed. When it comes to the baby products that you need for your little one, the first thing that comes to the mind is the baby crib. Most parents spend a lot of time trying to buy the best baby crib. Though you love to hold your baby in your arms as much as possible, when you aren't doing that, your baby would be lying in the crib. Therefore, it becomes very important that you buy sturdy baby cribs that will keep your baby safe. Besides looking for safety regulations for baby cribs laid down by the Consumer Products Safety Commission, you must also make sure that the crib is certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. If you have bought the crib, the next step is assembling the crib. Let's give you the information that you would need while assembling a baby crib.

Assembling a Baby Crib

Crib manufacturers understand that parents would want comprehensive instructions on how to assemble a crib. When you unpack the box, you will most probably find baby crib assembly instructions in the box itself. In case you couldn't find a manual in the box, steps to assemble a crib might be printed on the box. In case, you don't find any steps, you must contact customer support. If you are still unsure, you can go through the following instructions on assembling a crib:

• When you unpack the box, you will find a head board, foot board, stationary and drop side rails, drop side rod, mattress and other accessories. Make sure that you unpack the box in the baby's room. Assembling a crib in another room and moving it later to the baby's room is certainly a bad idea.
• Get hold of the two long and thin side boards, also known as head board and foot board. Now place the headboard and foot board on the floor and attach the latch brackets to both boards. Be very careful while attaching these brackets. They should be attached firmly and should face the inside of the crib.
• The next step involves attaching the stationary rail. Start by placing one dowel through the head board and foot board on one side of the crib. Insert the dowel through the holes in the latch brackets. Screw it firmly.
• Once you have finished attaching the stationary rail, you need to get your hands on the mattress support. The next step involves attaching the mattress support. Read the instructions given by the manufacturer. This will tell you which side has to face up. Once you figure that out, you need to screw the attaching parts onto the springs and then attach it to the head board and foot board. In some cribs, you will find that simply screwing them to the crib using nuts and bolts would suffice.
• After fitting the mattress support, your next task would be attaching the drop side rail to the front of the crib. Take the drop side rail and place it on the latch brackets. Read the manual to get an idea regarding the location of holes where in the drop side rod has to be passed. Place the drop side rod in the designated holes in order to secure the drop rail to both sides of the crib.
• Now you need to slide one of the remaining loose springs over the dowel and set it in such a manner that it is slightly above the lowest hole in the drop side rail. Most of the work is done. You just need to screw the rod tops into the side of the head board and foot board for both sides. Put the mattress on the mattress support. Make sure that it fits properly. Shake the crib, if it seems to be wobbly, check if you skipped out any step.
• Make sure that the drop side rails are firmly attached. There has been increasing talk about the safety concerns with the cribs with drop side rails. If you are buying one that has drop side rails, you must make sure that you don't make any mistakes while assembling the crib. Make sure you buy the best crib bedding for your baby. Place a soft sheet on the mattress and your work is done.

These were instructions on how to assemble a crib. Most cribs come with their particular set of instructions, so do make sure that you follow all the instructions. Being careless would mean making your little one vulnerable to injury. Your baby's safety is your utmost concern, so take the task of assembling the crib seriously.