Baby Furniture Blogs

The word cradle means beginnings, the earliest period of life, and cradle became a metaphor for the beginnings of civilization. This definition has great meaning for our families and the births of our children. We all have positive and constructive classical traditions that we pass along from one generation to another in the history of our families. This kind of family heritage contributes influences for the positive development of civilization. Baby cradles, with rocking motions, welcome babies into the world with beginnings to which babies were accustomed before birth.

Baby cradles have a history of development, improving baby cradles for rocking baby, as baby was rocked in utero by the walking mother. Arachnida, insecta and other arthropoda, annelida, chalminthes, platyhelminthes and chordata such as rodentia, at the very least, have a negative effect on baby health. Baby’s health and safety improved by getting baby away from “bugs”, for example, through significant changes in cradles and cradle bedding. Babies were under such attack until the appearance of the cast iron bed and cotton bedding during the late Eighteenth century in America and possibly England, as well as some other countries in Europe.

Approximately ten thousand years ago in the neolithic period, people began sleeping on primitive beds that were piles of earth scratched together. At some point in time, the most common baby cradles became logs that were cut in half and hollowed out. Hollowed half log baby cradles could be suspended from a tree branch enabling the wind to rock the cradle and baby to sleep. Rock-A-Bye-Baby lyrics address this tradition and are a warning regarding the choice of bough. Eventually, hollowed were placed on stands and designed to rock to and fro, so mother could more easily lift baby. Contemporary logs and logging are remindful of the need for reforestation of the forests including all of the rain forests on planet earth. Reforested rain forests have an enormous effect on stabilizing and maintaining cool ocean temperatures. Our babies, our families, need this future. During the time logs were being used as cradles, baskets were developed and basket weaving techniques were spread throughout the world through migrations.

Baskets have been used as baby cradles for a very long time. Baskets and basket making developed at various times in different places on planet earth. There’s the story of baby Moses, whose life was saved in another country, when he was placed in a basket and floated on a river where the current hugged the shoreline. In 1421, during a great flood in the Netherlands, a cat was placed in a basket baby cradle with a baby. According to legend, the cat stablilized the basket baby cradle, and the baby lived. In Europe, 1465 a basket cradle had two rockers attached to the base. Later, basket baby cradles had sumptuous bedding of silk and velvet, hand embroidered with silk.

Around 3,400 BCE (Before the Christian Era), Egyptian pharohs discovered the benefits of raising a pallet off the earth. King Tutankahmen had a bed of ebony and gold. A portable baby cradle, or sling, can be seen in Egyptian art work dating to the time of the pharohs.

During the Roman Empire, the first luxury bed appeared in Europe. These wooden beds were often decorated with gold, silver or bronze. Luxury bed mattresses were stuffed with reeds, hay, wool or feathers. Sumptuous fabrics covered the mattresses. Romans discovered the water bed during the Roman Empire. The sleeper would recline in a cradle of warm water until drowsy. The sleeper would then be lifted onto an adjacent cradle with mattress, where the sleeper would be rocked to sleep.

In the 1300s, an Italian hand carved wooden Swan Baby Cradle was created. We have two old world European antique reproductions of the fourteenth century “Imperial Swan” baby cradle with included Italian silk bedding ensembles. The tall swan shelters your baby as her own in hand carved wings. The swan looks back protectively over your little one, holding a wreath of tulle veiling. This antique old world reproduction wooden Imperial Swan cherry finish baby cradle has hand carved feathers that create the basket and are on the tall swan neck. A one hundred percent Italian silk dupioni bedding ensemble is included. The “gold leafed” Imperial Swan baby cradle has been beautifully customized in the great Italian craftsmen’s tradition of the fourteenth century. Hand carved textured feathering is emphasized by the “gold leafing”. A one hundred percent Italian silk dupioni bedding ensemble is included. What a fabulous family heritage one of these cradles can create for a new baby and the family. 

Renaissance mattresses were pea shucks, straw or sometimes feathers stuffed into coarse ticking, then covered with sumptuous velvets, brocades and silks. Pea shucks cause us to think of the fables of the Princess And The Pea and The Prince And The Pea. The Princess And The Pea felt a dried pea through the layers of mattresses while visiting the Prince And The Pea at his castle. He fell in love with this very perceptive Princess. The Princess fell in love, and she married the Prince.

During the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe and England, mattresses were stuffed with straw or down placed atop a lattice of rope. It is interesting to know that the ancient Greeks invented the lattice work of rope for beds elevated above the floor. The expression “sleep tight” comes from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries when mattresses were placed on top of ropes that needed regular tightening. Some eighteenth and nineteenth century American beds also had latticework roping for these beds needing regular tightening.

The cast iron bed and the cotton mattress arrived in the late 18th century. Together, these provided sleeping space that was less attractive to “bugs”. Until that time, assorted vermin were simply an elemental aspect of sleeping in all beds, including baby cradles. There was no air conditioning, and wood was susceptible to attack by vermin. Teak and red oak are among the few woods that do not attract “bugs”. These woods were not easily available. Usually, local woods were used for beds, including baby cradles. Mattresses were stuffed with items that also attracted “bugs”. Baby cradles and baby bedding became healthier and safer at the time that the cast iron bed and the cotton mattress arrived, in the late eighteenth century.

Berthe Morrisot, French Impressionist painter and wife of the brother of Manet the French Impressionist painter, painted a beautiful painting of a baby in an oval baby cradle in 1872. The painting depicts a baby in a wrought iron baby cradle with a cradle arm holding organza to shelter the baby from flying insects. Wrought iron cradles are said to have baskets for cradling baby. This wording carries forward the woven basket tradition into the nineteenth century and also contemporary baby cradles. We sell lovely traditional wrought iron baby cradles and baby cradle bedding similar to that in world renowned Impressionist artist Berthe Morrisot’s nineteenth century painting. If you would like to see Berthe Morrisot’s nineteenth century painting, there century are reproductions in fine art books, and the original is located in the Musee d’Orsay, Paris, France.

Traditionally, the baby cradle has been so important, during its long history and evolution, for the first months of baby’s life, is the reason that the soothing rocking function continues the rocking felt by baby in utero as the mother walked and moved about. Baby is eased into the world with the continuation of a rocking motion. Baby cradles are useful from birth through approximately three to four months. Baby cradles are no longer safe when baby can roll over. Rocking the baby continues to be so very important through those first months of baby’s life until baby can begin moving around. A great family tradition can be established and continued with one of these historic baby cradles.

As baby grows, baby wants to do more exploring. this is baby’s business of growing up. It is necessary for baby to learn about baby’s new world. This is how baby’s cognitive abilities, socialization skills and musculature grow and develop. Carry baby from room to room in an infant seat. When baby can push up with baby’s feet on the suface under the infant seat, baby has outgrown the baby seat. Always use restraining straps and watch baby carefully, even when strapped in. Do not place the infant seat on soft, unstable surfaces. The infant seat needs a wide, sturdy base for stability. stay within arm’s reach of baby when the infant seat is on tables, counters or other furniture. Never turn your back. These seats slide more easily on slippery surfaces such as glass table tops. Don’t let baby fall. If the infant seat does not have non-skid feet, attach rough surfaced adhesive strips to the underside. Make certain an infant seat has good sturdy construction. never place the infant seat on soft surfaces such as beds or sofas. We don’t want baby tipping over in anything, and we don’t want baby to fall. The infant seat is not a car seat.

We cannot begin to list or inform you of all the safety factors that need attention for baby’s health and safety. There are baby books and other resources with this kind of information about: Keeping small objects away from baby’s reach; baby and child safe toys; how to make baby’s room safe for baby; and the entire home environment safe for baby.  Get gates, plugs for all electrical outlets, safety latches for cabinests and door as well as much more. Be sure to read and research home safety for your adorable baby. Always keep high chairs, play pens, infant seats and walkers away from stores, windows, work counters, radiators and furnaces. Baby can suddenly develop in unexpected ways that are more grown up. Every baby develops differently. Babies are different sizes also. Everything in developmental information is approximate, so watch baby and be prepared for the standing baby. Our baby cribs at www.developingbabyfurniture.com have adjustable mattress bases.

The crib mattress support always needs to be set so baby cannot climb out of the baby crib. Set the baby crib mattress support at the highest setting for newborns. Around four to six months of age, baby is able to push up on baby’s hands and knees. Use the middle mattress base support if baby is not too tall at this time. Set the baby crib mattress support at the lowest level when baby is tall and pulling up or has begun to stand up in the crib at approximately eight to twelve months of age. Our sturdy baby cribs at www.developingbabyfurniture.com have these and other great features. Our baby cribs have non-toxic finishes for the teething baby who might chew on the crib. A teething baby could chew on small animal toys and swallow an eye or fur. Care is needed when purchasing toys. An animal toy with embroidered features might be a better selection for baby. Never leave stuffed animals or other toys in baby’s crib when baby is sleeping. Even when awake, large animal tos could fall at any time and pin down a child’s face. Don’t let real pets such as a cat or a dog get into or sleep in baby’s crib with baby. don’t place a comforter in a baby cirb until baby is at least a year old, unless the comforter will cover the clild to the chest and fold well under the crib mattress. A quilt, comforter blanket or comforter coverlet needs to wrap around and under the crib mattress while covering baby up to baby’s chest when baby’s feet are placed near the foot of the crib, or use it to swaddle baby for carrying about. Cover baby with it when baby is about a year or so in age. When baby can roll over, turn baby’s head to the side so baby faces to the left and then to the right another time. Change the side toward which baby faces, frequently. This prevents baby’s head from becoming flat in the back. Our rectangle baby cribs and round baby cribs at www.developingbabyfurniture.com meet or exceed the safety standards, in every respect, set by the U.S.C.P.S.C. (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission).

A fun thing to do is take baby out for a stroll. Don’t leave a child in a stroller to sleep. An infant could wriggle free even in a stroller with the backrest reclined to the carriage position. Close the opening between hand rest or baby’s grab bar and seat when using a stroller in the reclining position, so baby cannot slip out through a leg opening. If a stroller has a shopping basket, it needs to be low on the back of the stroller and in front of or directly over the rear wheels. Hanging pocketbooks or shopping bags over mother’s handle may cause tipping. Always secure the seatbelt. Keep children away from the folding mechanism. Never allow children to use baby’s stroller as a plaything. Never use a pillow, folded quilt or blanket as a mattress in a stroller or carriage. The firm surface is healthy for baby’s growing back. Never leave baby alone in a stroller. Make sure that the brake is convenient to operate and actually locks the wheels when shopping for a stroller. Make certain the stroller will not tilt over backwards with slight pressure on the back. A canopy on the stroller helps protect baby from sunburn during the winter, on overcast days and of course during intense sunlight.

A hat with a with a nice wide brim, baby sunscreen lotion, appropriate clothing, a baby bottle of water, sunglasses recommended by baby’s doctor and the sunshade up and extended out on the stroller help protect baby from the sun. Take baby out when the sun is less hot. We don’t want baby to be too hot or too cold when baby goes out in the stroller or jogger. Winter dress could include a hooded down filled coat and pants set, mittens, sun protection and that baby bottle of water. In some other countries, a stroller can include an attractive large envelope-like down filled baby bunting that covers baby’s feet and reaches chest high, with side buttons or a zipper. Baby slides right in wearing baby’s hooded down jacket and pants set. talk to baby about the things baby is seeing. What is more fun than watching a four to six month old baby out in the stroller, waving arms and hands with glee, while sticking baby’s tongue out to catch falling snowflakes? Baby loves to go out-of-doors exploring in the stroller every day at about the same time. Doing this activity at about the same time every day helps baby have a structured day and gives baby something to look forward to. We all need to remember that mother needs a mother’s day out at least one day each week. Mother needs adult socialization while baby is at home exploring and napping in baby’s safe baby crib with the supervision of mother’s helper. Mother comes back refreshed.