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Cribs and Baby Cots

Newcomers need special attention and warm welcome in their new home. A cot or couch with bars will guarantee comfortable sleep in complete safety, thanks to the study of materials, shape and proportions. And, for an even more functional space, opt for the cradle that grows with your child and turns into a cot.
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Cradles and cribs with bars: history and origins

Cots and sunbeds with bars have a very ancient origin, dating back to the dawn of time. The cradle was in fact used by the primitive people only as a bed for children but also as a means of transport of luck: in fact, it was used to bring the hunted game and the fruits harvested without excessive effort to their shelter. The function of a real cradle is with the Greeks, who in this sort of structure halfway through walnut made the newborn babies to lull them gently. A religious meaning was given to the cradle in Roman times, when women placed bay leaves next to it, convinced that the Gods could drive out negative influences and protect the sleep of their children. The interior was perfumed with myrtle or rose petals. Placed in his writings, he tells us that the children were kept in safety by laces so that they would not fall.

It then goes on to the Middle Ages, in which the cradle has a different conception of the previous ones, since it is in this historical period that the first wooden sleepers are placed. They allowed the child to sink into sleep thanks to pleasant rocking. Above the cradle there was a lovely wooden bird that echoed loudly, accompanying the movement of the cradle. In the Renaissance there was a great turning point, especially in the homes of the aristocrats where a woman was paid for a specially called luller, who had the task of making the child swing inside the cradle. Even in later times there were servants who had a duty to lull the children and reconcile sleep with their intonated voice. The first cribs belonging to the nobility were obviously of a much higher quality than those of the people: they were decorated with precious materials and made with the most prestigious essences, becoming real works of art. Particularly interesting are the ancient cots (which we can admire today in museums) in wood with paintings and carvings that faithfully reproduced the coats of arms of the noble family that belonged to them.

The design of the cradle changed again in the nineteenth century, where it was enriched by rudimentary mattresses made with a bag of cloth skilfully padded with wool, straw and horsehair. Inside the mattress were also the masses of fragrances that reconciled the sleep of the little ones: Cradles and sunbeds with bars of the ancient populations had an important intrinsic meaning: they were transmitted from generation to generation about the birth of a new child; according to tradition, the cradle should not be moved and not even set up, because it is said if it brought bad luck. In addition, women used to paint the cribs and sunbeds with bars in very cheerful colours such as red and orange, as well as enriching them with bows and voilants. On their summit were then placed statuettes in ebony wood and images of saints, which had precisely the function of distancing the evil eye and protecting the life of the unborn child. Even the sheets and covers had colors that recalled those used to paint the cradle, always with the aim of removing the eye.

The cradle is still transformed into Tuscany, where it is equipped with rollers usually made of wicker that could make it move easily. In addition, a sort of upper mosquito net was also created to remove insects and mosquitoes; in Sicily the cot had a wooden surface, while inside the mattress was made of sheep's wool (determinedly very hot). The cradles of the 19th century still change their shape and become much more functional. Remember for example the model created by Ottorino Aloisio for the Gervasoni industry in 1930, which is still a source of inspiration today. Unfortunately, the 19th century is characterised by a high infant mortality rate, as vaccinations were not yet widespread on a large scale. Let us not forget, then, that, because of poor hygiene, the health of young children was always in danger. That's why the sleeping area was also set up in the best possible way to protect your children. Unfortunately, there was a very bad idea of putting the cots next to the hearth or fireplace to heat the children and protect them from cooling diseases: this proved to be very dangerous for fires. Still in the 19th century, there continue to be scaramantici rites to preserve children from the evil eye: the cradles were decorated with different images of saints and religious images, as well as amulets of different shapes; luckily, it has passed long ago and the interest in studying children's health, also as regards sleep, has made giant strides. Today on the market there are cots and sunbeds with extremely functional and hygienic bars, able to ensure optimal sleep for babies.

It's just a reminder of the discomfort that children felt in the first cots, both for the pain caused by the decidedly uncomfortable material and for the over padded mattresses, not to mention the very narrow bands with which they were wrapped. If we add to this that the diaper did not exist and was replaced by clothes that watered very often, causing discomfort, we can imagine how much the quality of life of our infants has improved markedly. It should also be remembered that, until a century ago, children were not allowed to cry because tears and childish pain were thought to be reminiscent of evil spirits. The mother or nannies therefore spent a lot of time collarating the children, so that they stopped crying. The excessive rocking of the cradle, put into practice for this purpose, had negative effects as the excessive movement, especially after meals, did not favour the correct digestion, making the milk that was ingested very acid, which in the most serious cases could cause permanent damage to the digestive system, if not even worse to the brain. However, there were some doctors who considered continuous rocking to be very positive, because it reproduced the fetus' feeling of being inside the placenta. Surely such a precarious situation could not go ahead, and Jean Jacques Rousseau, who with his ideas revolutionised the concept of childhood, made an important turning point in the situation. The bands that kept the tied child practically like a mummy are now banned, as are the excessively annoying and continuous rocking of the cots.

At last, the children were free to move and enjoy the continuous or discontinuous sleep. The nineteenth century is the century of rigour, especially with regard to the education and growth of the child. With regard to the cradle, it was believed that rocking caused serious damage to both the body and the future character of the child, who fortunately thought it was well thought to tie the bed with soft straps, so that it could not fall; However, mothers very attentive to the well-being of their children were rather reluctant to come up with these new ideas and therefore continued to maintain the habit of the cradle, a warm and comfortable place that protected the child and could reconcile sleep. To prevent the child from falling into unpleasant accidents, the cot was never left unattended and placed next to the parents' bed, so that they could always check it. It was not infrequent to find cribs hanging directly from the ceiling with ropes, which were then swung by the mother or the nurse with a simple gesture of the hand: it seemed as if the children particularly appreciated. Also at that time, a ban was issued by the Catholic Church, which unexpectedly judged very negative the fact that the parents would let the children sleep in their bed. almost 100 years later, the concept of the cradle still changes, even if there is still a lack of hygiene as well as the practices to drive out the evil eye from infants. As for the style of the cribs and cots with bars, these vary slightly.

The cradle looks like a manger. It was made of wood, through the assembly of several planks and then suspended ceiling; another model was instead wicker, equipped with a sort of roof arranged above its upper area. Cots and couches with bars therefore become much more manageable, versatile and comfortable. The tilting models were made of curved wooden beams that allowed for gentle rocking, while in Tuscany the roller cradles arrived, which could be easily transported from one room to another. The materials used to make them were mainly pine and larch cypress woods, which were easy to find, easy to process and, above all, repellent or, in any case, very resistant to moisture and even from the spillage of urine by the child. Cradles and sunbeds with bars of the more wealthy families were in dark ebony, wood as rare as it is precious that, for this reason, also had a protective function, as it was thought that its almost black color removed and defeated the fear of the children's atavistic darkness, facilitating their sleep and also that of the parents. The problem was that this wood was often attacked by termites, insects and fleas, making hygiene conditions very precarious. This is why we switched from the wooden cradle to the wicker cradle, which had the advantage of ensuring proper ventilation in the inner environment of the cradle; moreover, the wicker could be washed and disinfected if necessary. Then comes an innovative cradle able to swing automatically, avoiding a big job for the mother or the nurse, who could rest.

The modern conception of the cot and cot

Now that we have arrived at the modern conception of the cot and bed, it would be useful to give some advice on how to make the child sleep correctly, so that he or she has a restorative sleep and that at the same time he or she is assured a correct position. The goal is to make sleep absolutely quiet and without any problems both in the cradle and in the baby bed, even when very small. It is important for the child to move from one to the other at the right time. Great attention will have to be paid in the early months to sleep and its quality. In addition to the ideal choice of cradle and cot, you will also have to think about the equipment, which must be chosen mainly in cotton, a highly breathable material, hygienic and suitable for the skin more sensitive as that of children. The mattress should preferably be thin and not too soft, in order to give a correct support to the spine.In the first few months of life, it would be better to avoid the pillow, in order to favour the prone position and, alternatively, to choose it anyway as thin as possible, as the paediatricians recommend: in this way it will guarantee a correct position and an ideal alignment of the spine of the baby, which, delicate as it is in the first months of life, could suffer traumas difficult if not impossible to eradicate. Even if they are pleasing to the eye, it is best not to exaggerate with lace and other decorations for cribs and couches with bars and their equipment, as they represent a useless risk for the child, which could play and choke us, preventing his normal breathing.

Another particularly negative habit to which not much attention is paid is the fact of filling the cradle or cot with many toys, hoping that the child will distract and sleep: in reality it turns out to be a dangerous habit, because the hygiene is diminished and the baby could accidentally swallow the hairs of the plush. What about the best position for the baby to sleep? Ideal would be that belly up, because it allows proper breathing a good alignment of the column. It also avoids the very dangerous SIDS, which is sudden death syndrome of infants by suffocation (very rare, however). Let's now see how to choose, the cot the place of sleep next to the cradle. In reality, it would not be a bad idea to set up the bedroom already with barbeds, which are usually used at the beginning of the 6 months and used up to about three or four years, when you will then pass to the traditional bed.The distance between one bar and the other of the sun loungers with bars must be optimal and, for maximum safety, should be between 6 and 7.5 cm, while the perfect height for the drawers should be at least 60 cm, which can be lowered to 20 cm: in this way the child, when a little older, will not be able to pass over the couch, risking serious harm or worse still to get caught with the head between the bars. It's not a bad idea to put even bumpers on the perimeters and sides of the cot, so that the child, even if he has an agitated sleep or tends to move very frequently, will not go to bump against us. As far as the mattress and cushion are concerned, the rules are exactly those used for the cradle, the bed base and bed base must not be too soft, as well as preferably with wooden staves; the mattress maintains its thin conformity, as well as the cushion.

The selection of LOVETHESIGN cribs and cots

If you want the best for your children, rely on the experience of LovetheSign, which for years has been offering cots and sunbeds with bars for children of excellent quality and also aesthetically pleasing. The cribs and sunbeds with bars, besides being functional and safe, are a real design element, belonging to the creative creativity of the designers who collaborate within the company. Among the brands available, we have for example names such as the likes of Valsecchi 1918, Oliver supplies, Oeuf by Good, Micuna, Leander, Dotandcross and many more. Particularly interesting is the cradle of Valsecchi 1918, which combines the safety of the structure with innovative music therapy. In fact, this cradle is equipped with a musical device capable of lulling the child, promoting sleep and making him overcome the trauma of the passage from the maternal belly to the external environment, thanks also to drum sounds and vibrations that recall the heartbeat of the mother; thanks to its small size, the 1918 Valsecchi cradle can be used and inserted in any type of environment, even the smallest, going to furnish with joy and taste. All the other collections of cribs and cribs are very beautiful, which are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

The materials are of the highest quality. Cradles and sunbeds with bars are cared for in every detail, so as to ensure a safe and gentle sleep, while the design of barbeds does not cease to amaze: LoveTheSign proposals will be a real place of peace for children. The materials with which they are made are wood essences of Nordic origin, very hygienic and breathable. The external and internal structure of the loungers ensures superior sleep quality and enhanced interaction between the parent and infant. Cots with bars have adjustable height and removable safety drawers, two essential features that not only implement the level of safety, but also accompany the child's growth path, without having to replace the bed periodically. LoveTheSign offers a solution that is also effective for our portfolio: LoveTheSign offers collections of cribs and sunbeds with bars of superior quality that are continuously renewed over time, able to satisfy the needs of both children and parents themselves. All the cots and sunbeds are a perfect mix of security, functionality, aesthetic beauty and elegance, with particular attention to stylistic accents, which recall vintage trends of the past. The LoveTheSign cots and loungers with bars never stop adapting to the technological evolution in terms of ergonomics, with a view to the optimal development of the child both from a physical and psychological point of view.