Congratulations on your growing family! 🎉

Before you know it, you’ll be bringing your new baby home, and after that, life will be as busy as you’ve ever known. Between diaper changes, feedings, the baby’s sleep schedule, squeezing in some precious shut-eye for yourself, and managing your postpartum recovery, you’ll probably be a little….preoccupied after baby arrives. A bit of prep work now can help your “fourth trimester” run more smoothly. 

Since you’ve planned your Cradlewise purchase, we’ve compiled a list of things you can do to hit the ground running when the crib arrives. 

Here are some helpful tips to help you get ready for your Cradlewise.

1. Decide who will be in your caregiver circle

Caregiver functionality is one of our app’s most unique features. 

Before your little one’s debut in this world, you can decide who can have Caregiver access to your baby and get them started with the Cradlewise app. Our app’s Caregiver Team functionality is designed to keep your baby connected to you and their loved ones all around the world.

You can grant Caregiver access to grandparents, relatives, friends, and babysitters, allowing them to check in on your baby in real-time.

You can add up to 10 Caregivers and decide their access level to your baby, for example, whether they can view the baby, hear the baby, or even control the crib settings.

2. Enlist the help of friends and family to move the crib when it arrives 

See if you can ask a friend, family member, neighbor, or any other loved one in advance to help your partner bring the Cradlewise box into your home and then move it to your bedroom.

Since you’ll receive the crib around your due date, it’s better to enlist the help of your friends and family rather than lifting and moving the crib on your own.

Because, as a pregnant person, you’ll need some support carrying and lifting the 88 lbs crib.

3. Familiarize yourself with all the crib’s features

Cradlewise is a compact mini crib that packs major functionality. You can familiarize yourself with our amazing features before the crib and the baby arrive. 

Check out our product blog page for detailed insights into our features, ranging from our built-in sound machine and customizable sleep tracks to our sleep insights for easy-to-read, actionable data about your baby’s sleep patterns, that will help you track how long your baby slept in their crib and manage their sleep schedule.

4. Curate a playlist

Sounds and music play an important role in your baby’s brain development.

By six or seven months gestation, babies can hear their mother’s voice as well as music and other sounds, and studies suggest that babies respond to classical music in the womb. 

If there are songs or lullabies that you’ve been playing to your little one during your pregnancy, you can create a special playlist for them on Spotify and use your crib as a speaker using our Spotify integration feature.

Learn more about our Spotify feature here.

5. Choose a location for your crib and other essentials

The latest safe sleep guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that parents room-share with their baby (but not share a bed) for at least the first six months.

If you’re setting up your baby’s Cradlewise in your bedroom, you might need to rearrange some furniture to get the crib just where you want it — and remember, you’ll need to choose a spot that’s near a wall outlet. 

You can also plan where you want to store items like diapers, wipes, and baby clothes near the crib, so they are easily accessible when you need them.

6. Pair your crib with the app and connect it to your home Wi-Fi the Cradlewise app

Download the Cradlewise app on the App Store or Google Play and create a username and password.

The Cradlewise app connects you with your crib and helps you monitor your baby through a live feed, add a Caregiver, control the bounce settings, and add and curate sleep tracks for your baby, among many other things. 

You can also set up your baby’s profile in advance. Once your Cradlewise comes home, you can pair it with the app. 

Learn more about these set-up processes step-by-step. If you have any questions or run into any issues, please call Cradlewise customer support for assistance at +1(888) 717-CRDL or email us at info@cradlewise.com

Your Cradlewise countdown 

2 months in advance

• Ask your friends and family to help you move the crib in advance, for when it arrives.
• Decide on the ideal location for the crib in your home. Consider the proximity to an electrical outlet as well as baby essentials such as diapers and wipes.
• Choose their nursery theme and wallpaper, and start setting up your baby’s room with furniture and decor.

6 weeks in advance

• Ensure your OS, Wi-Fi, and phone are up-to-date and compatible with the Cradlewise app.
• Download the Cradlewise app and create a username. Pair your crib with your app to connect it to the internet.
• Start familiarizing yourself with the different features of our app. 
• Decide who will be in your Caregiver circle. These family and friends (and babysitters) will have access to your crib and can keep an eye on your baby when you need them to.

1 month in advance

• Purchase any necessary baby-related items you might not already have:
  – Baby clothes
  – Swaddles
  – Four to six cotton bibs
  – Diaper bag
  – Diaper dispenser
  – Five or more burp cloths

• Start compiling a Spotify playlist of all the songs you play to your baby using Cradlewise’s Spotify integration feature.
• We recommend having your Cradlewise delivered one month before your due date — so you’ll have plenty of time to set it up and get familiar with your new crib! In the box, you’ll find our complete user manual, step-by-step unboxing instructions, and all the tools you’ll need to assemble the crib.

3 weeks in advance 

• Begin laundering and organizing your baby’s clothes, sheets, and burp cloths.
• Start assembling any additional baby gear you might need, such as a changing table, a car seat, and a stroller.
• Set up your profile and your baby’s profile in the Cradlewise app (if you haven’t already).
• Pair your crib with the app and connect it to your home Wi-Fi.
• Calibrate your crib to improve audio and video monitoring. 

NOTE: After your crib arrives, pair your crib with the app and connect it to your home Wi-Fi before the baby is born.

2 weeks in advance

• Create a meal plan for the first few weeks after the baby arrives.
• Pack your hospital bag.
• If you plan to breastfeed, stock up on helpful nursing supplies:
  – Breast pumps or bottles
  – Nursing pillow
  – Nursing bras
  – Breast milk storage bags

1 week in advance

• Get ready to meet your newborn!  As you prepare for birth, treat yourself to as much self-care as you can — listen to calming birth affirmations, eat your favorite foods, take relaxing walks outdoors, and congratulate yourself on all you’ve already done to welcome baby into the world.
  
  You’re ready.  🧡

Learn more about:

• How Cradlewise packs major functionality into a compact mini crib.
• All the ways to save on your Cradlewise.
• How planning your Cradlewise purchase is also a win for our planet.
• 10 ways Cradlewise builds healthy sleep habits for the entire family.
• Five ways to style your Cradlewise.
• Bassinet vs. crib? Here’s why you don’t have to choose.