Why choose a cradle for a newborn baby

Baby cot - WNM GroupWhen completing a layette for an upcoming new family member, finding a place to sleep becomes the key issue. Cot or cradle? What will be more practical? Which piece of furniture will last longer? What will the child be more comfortable in? It might seem that cradles, which are associated mainly with open-air museums, are a thing of the past about half a century ago, but since conscious parenting became fashionable, cradles are back in favour again. What is the phenomenon of this furniture and is it really needed?

To understand the function of the cradle, first you should look at the issue of rocking. When we hear a baby cry, we instinctively pick it up in our arms, gently rocking it up and down or from side to side. This is one of the best, most effective and oldest ways to calm your baby, but it also has a deeper meaning. First of all, it is worth knowing that contrary to the opinion of grandmothers, aunts and bystanders, it is impossible to get a child used to rocking, neither in the arms nor in the cradle. Rocking is a part of the life of a baby from the first months of pregnancy, because it was constantly felt in the mother's belly. This is why babies respond so well to rocking, because it is an extension of the natural state they know and feel safe in. Rocking should be calm, rhythmic and at the same pace, exactly as can be achieved with a cradle.

As scientists have shown, rocking also develops the child's intelligence. Research has shown that during this movement, new transmitters between neurons, i.e., synapses, are created in the toddler's brain, the number of which significantly affects the intellectual potential of the toddler.

Rocking is also a great way to stimulate the labyrinth, which develops most intensively in the first year of life. This, in turn, is of great importance in the development of the so-called Integration of Sensual Impressions, or colloquially sensory integration. Specifically, it is about stimulating the vestibular system, which is responsible for the integration of sensory experiences with specific stimuli. Thanks to rocking in the cradle, the vestibular system is able to combine independent experiences into a coherent whole. An integral consequence of stimulating the labyrinth with rocking is also faster speech development in the child. This fact has been confirmed in many independent studies - children who were given the right dose of rocking began to speak noticeably faster.

During rocking and stimulation of the labyrinth, motor skills also develop, which translates into the development of the sense of balance, motor coordination and the feeling of one's own body. Rocking children start to sit up, crawl or walk faster, and they are much more efficient than their peers at playgrounds and during exercises that require maintaining balance.

Practical advantages of the cradle

In addition to the undeniable benefits for the overall development of the baby, the cradle has a number of other advantages that make it a great place to sleep for the first few months of life. First of all, cradles are much smaller than traditional baby beds, which in this case should definitely be considered in their favour. Thanks to its small size, the baby feels safer than in a traditional bed. The smaller space means that the child does not feel lonely in a crib that is cavernous from his perspective, which translates into the quality of a little man's sleep. In addition, it will easily fit into any, even a small bedroom, especially if it is to be placed in the immediate vicinity of the parents' bed. The thing to consider when choosing a cradle are the wheels. Thanks to them, the furniture becomes mobile and you can easily take it with you anywhere in the apartment. This is especially useful when we have a large house, or we just want to have the child always in sight. Besides, the cradles are simply beautiful and timeless. When choosing a model for a child, it is worth paying attention to the material from which it is made and security features such as rounded edges and edges.