one thing to consider is the higher the crib the higher a possible fall if your child tries to climb out. its too bad drop side cribs are being recalled, because at least then you could lift with your legs and not your back.

I believe most cribs have different height settings for different stages.

We have a netto cub sleeper and the tallest position is quite high. I am 5'11 and my husband is 6'7" We liked how the crib was taller in general and not a drop side. Our son is 6 months old and we are getting ready to move it down to one of the two lower positions.

I think the IKEA Gulliver crib in plain wood is the most attractive crib out there in any price range, and it has a high setting. But when your kid starts climbing, you have to put it low anyway. I'm tall too, and being tall is better for reaching into the low cribs that short people can't.

We're also tall (5'9" and 6' 3"). When pregnant, I thought the mattress height would be a problem. Actually, now that our son is over 1 year and the mattress is at its lowest setting, I can report it is NOT SO!

We're blessed with height. That also means that we can bend at the waist over the crib railing and gently plop our kid to bed (with our long arms), even at the lowest mattress setting. Keep in mind, that prior to him sitting up on his own, the mattress can be kept at the highest setting. So, mattress height isn't an issue during the newborn days.

We have a babymod "parklane" crib (was sold at walmart for $400) with a fixed railing. It's a great crib. solid wood, modern, nice drawer for storing blankets....

good luck finding the ideal crib.... and contratulations!

Now I don't know about the safety of this suggestion but it seems to me you could use traditional bed risers like this http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13262713&RN=433 to raise a regular crib up a little and make it more comfortable for you.

I think taller parents actually have the advantage with fixed rail cribs. My husband and I are both fairly tall, and have had no complaints with our son's crib. It was very easy putting a sleeping baby down without waking him when he was small and the mattress was at it's highest levels. Once he was sitting, and then standing, the mattress was lowered but it still was fairly easy getting him in and out. Now he is 18 months and at the lowest possible mattress setting, and I am 8 months pregnant, but I can still manage to lay him down in the crib without much problem. If I was shorter, there would be no way!

i am with rarcke. use some bed risers. i have heard about parents needing to elevate one side to help with reflux. i am super short and had no problems when the bed was at its highest setting. but now that i have to pick my son up and over the side to its lowest setting...its a pain. i could lower the side rail but i pretty much leave that thing alone. get some elevaters for cribs.. that way you can pick your crib of choice.

I have the opposite problem. All cribs are too tall and I'm 5'3, so I'm not tiny.

Gretchen - Check out this website - it's mostly about tall babies, but there are a lot of good recommendations for products that are better for tall parents too (since obviously the two tend to be related).

http://www.tallbabystuff.com/index.html

My husband is 6'7", and bending over for long periods of time really hurts his back (he's just had to do it too much - the world is not ergonomically designed for him!). So I know where you're coming from! And obviously I have a vested interest in his having a changing table he can use comfortably too....
Anne