Co Sleeper to Crib

I say if it works, why change it? I bought a cosleeper for my son, but he didn't ever use it because he preferred being next to a warm body (me). :-) I didn't mind, and cosleeping worked for us until he went to his own room when he was about 2 1/2 years old. If she likes her cosleeper, and it works for you, then I say you should stick with it.

Yes, do what you feel is right. If you think you might get more rest with her in her crib, try it. I think as long as she can lift her head up, rolling onto her stomach isn't an issue at 5 months. My babies were in a co sleeper for about 5/6 months...they still woke up the same to eat but I slept better not hearing all the little noises they made while sleeping. If you like having her in her co sleeper, just wait awhile longer.

You are not projecting - it IS lonely for infants and toddlers to sleep alone. Adults do not choose to sleep alone, in a dark room - not if they can help it, so why think your infant or toddler would want to?

I'm a co-sleeping advocate. It's more child centered, it creates more relaxation and feelings of "things are good" in Mommy, and most children will definitely prefer it.

My daughter is almost 6 y/o and still co-sleeping, she self weaned almost 2 years ago, and has been slowly deciding she wants her own space (which we've encouraged). Now that baby #2 is coming in July - her transition to her own room is parent guided, since we will not have room for 4 in our queen bed... and she understands that. Ever since she realized the time to go in her own room is fast approaching - she keeps telling me how much she will miss sleeping next to me LOL which is so sweet, especially since she's not a clingy child.

If your friends wanted to force their infant to be all alone, in a dark room - let them... you do what you feel is best for your child.

It sounds like alot of people are saying to trust your own instincts. And I agree. Friends mean well, but let's face it: only you know what will work for you. I still co-sleep with my 22 month old and only now plan on transitioning him to a toddler bed because of the new baby on the way. It is so much easier for me and we even put our king matress on the floor so that there wouldn't be any issues with him falling off the bed. It is true that non co-sleepers don't really understand, but the other co-sleepers do! I have friends who do and friends who don't. If you don't make it an issue when you are discussing it with your friends, they will give you co-sleeping advice less often! :)

Hello, This is your child and if you want her to continue to co-sleep, then that's what you should do. You will get lost of advice throughout her life. Just thank people for their advice and do what feels right for you. You can never love a child too much.
Good luck with your precious baby.
K. K.

I wouldn't move her as long as you are both sleeping well. I tried to move my second child to a crib after he outgrew the bassinet, but ended up moving him back into our room and letting him sleep in pack n play until he stopped nursing in the night and began to sleep 5 or more hours in a row. It was silly to run down the hall when I could just take care of him in my room. I know your friends mean well, but there's really no good reason to move a baby out of your room until you are ready. Your co-sleeper is a safe, convenient option, so don't feel pressured to change it. I moved my now 16 month old out of our room when he turned 1 yr and it wasn't a problem at all.
I had lots of "friends" telling me what to do with my first baby, and unfortunately a lot of their well meaning advice just didn't work for me and my family. By the time I had the 2nd and 3rd child, they stop offering advice and life was a whole lot happier. Sometimes it's OK to just smile, thank them for their helpful hints and just leave it at that. Trust your mom instincts and remember you know your child better than anyone in the world. R., Midwife Mom of 3 of God's greatest blessings

We use our crib as a co-sleeper with our 9 month old. We took one side off and pushed it up against our bed. It's a bit cumbersome but safer than the traditional bassinet co-sleepers made for younger infants. He doesn't stay in there all night long... he usually comes searching for the boob at some point. We practice unrestricted breast feeding in a family bed but it works for us.

So go with your gut, forget your friends or anyone else's opinion. You're her mom and you will know what is best for her. There's no such thing as making a mistake when you do what you feel is best for her.

People mean well, but there is no "right" way to do most things when it comes to babies, especially where they sleep. Do what works! With our older son, that meant sleeping in our bed with us. With our younger son, he preferred his car seat for several months. When he became too big to sleep there safely, it did take us a little while to transition into a new environment, but we did. Do what works. When that stops working you might have to try a few different things before you find what works but you will. Enjoy!

I'd keep her in her co-sleeper a while longer. It's easier for you to breast feed her. She hasn't mastered the skill of rolling back over and needs help with that.

There will come a time when it feels appropriate to move her. Keep her in the co-sleeper for now.

Yes, it is lonely for her. I went from sleeping with a husband to sleeping alone. It was lonely. Still is sometimes but I can't change it. You can keep your baby near you for as long as you're both comfortable with it. I believe co-sleeping is beneficial for the baby.

Sleeping is a personal choice. If you like her close, and she has enough room in the co-sleeper then keep her there. Rolling onto her stomach will happen at some point - and yes, they get "stuck" and wake, but eventually ( a week or two ) learn to roll back : ). Do what you feel is right for you and your daughter. She'll have plenty of time to sleep on her own... I miss those nights....

Don't listen to your friends, Listen to what is right for you and your family. I have a 3month old that co-sleeps with us. She can co-sleep as long as she wants. We also have a doggie and 2 kitty's that sleep on the bed too. Our baby sleeps between us and our doggie sleeps right under her feet. We will probally be co-sleeping for a long time and that is fine with us. It works for our family.

I moved my son to a crib from a bedside cosleeper when he was six months old. He did great. I think you should do what you want to do and not worry about everyone else. EVERYone will have an opinion, no matter what you do! Especially with breastfeeding! Now if it gets to the point where it's no longer safe (she is too big) then you may want to move her to a playpen or something in your room.

Good luck!!

Move her when you are ready. I had a co sleeper in my bed that I used for several months. I transferred the co sleeper into his crib and used that as a transition device. Not sure what kind of co sleeper you are using, but that may work to keep her from rolling and getting stuck. I waited until my son was sleeping through the night (well mostly) before I moved him. That was between 4 and 5 months. He is also a pacifier baby and I realized that he wasn't always wanting food in the middle of the night, but just his pacifier. When I started just putting his pacifier in his mouth, he would go back to sleep. This led to him sleeping through the night quicker. I think the separation is harder for us (we get lonely) than for them. Often without realizing it we are keeping them from getting into a deep sleep. I had a deep fear of SIDS so it comforted me to feel him breathing at night. I also felt better having him in his own bed once he started rolling over by himself.

Use your mama instinct and do what you are most comfortable with.

Why does your friend care where your daughter sleeps? I co slept all three of my kids. My oldest was 2 when he went into his own bed. My middle was 9 months and my baby was 11 months. All three times I decided to make the transition was because I was ready to do it not because someone else told me what I should do. Do you not want to nurse her at night anymore? If that's the case then putting her in her crib would be the way to go that's why I put my youngest in his crib I was tired of waking up every 3 hours to nurse him. I think if you want to sleep with your baby close to you and you don't mind feeding her all night then that's your right. She is only 5 months old. It will be difficult when you decide to put her in her crib but you will also never get THIS time back . I saw it this way I got to bond with my babies and when I was ready to put them in the crib it took less than a week to get them into their own beds. So to me it's worth it to have your baby close to you.

Let me start by saying that if you aren't ready to move her then don't. You have to do what works for you. I am not a cosleeper, can't do it, don't want to do it, it's not for me. I think that your friends sound a lot like me and it's hard sometimes for non cosleepers to imagine why on earth you'd do such a thing. So, a lot of times people in my position try and encourage you to move the baby b/c it's what is more comfortable for us...and that is not always good advice. I try to be less judgemental now that I have kids of my own and sometimes I realize that people just have to do what works. I guess my point is this, you trust your friend and value her opinion but sometimes you just have to do what works for you and what you are comfortable doing. I do think you might be projecting a little bit about her being lonely, but again...refer back to the beginning! ;)

This is what I say:
Whatever.
Meaning, whatever to whatever the friends say.

Just do what YOU want to do.
This is YOUR baby.
Not theirs.

Her rolling over is normal. She is changing per motor-skills. Tis' normal stuff.
Each time a baby changes developmentally and per motor-skills, little tweaks like this will happen and it will affect their sleep.

But, yes, there is also 'safety', per a baby. They cannot yet, untangle themselves or do it at-will. Their coordination is not yet, fine tuned or reactionary.

And yes, some babies do sleep better, on their own, without being next to someone. Just like some adults. Each person being different.
So you just gotta try it or not.

OR, sleep on the floor, on a floor futon, with her. I did that too. I co-slept with my kids & nursed on-demand 24/7, day and night. But not in our bed, I did it on the floor futon we have in our room. I co-slept with them there. In our room.
I had no blankets/pillows there, hence reducing safety/tangling issues per a baby. And if they rolled around, they could not roll OFF, of it. Because, the futon was ON the floor.
At a certain age, my son did sleep in his crib and loved it. But for some moments and naps, I did co-sleep. As needed.
My Daughter, never really slept in a crib at all. Hated it. I co-slept with her. On the floor futon we have. In our room.
Each kid, being different.

The BOTTOM line is: do as you feel is best.
NOT according to what your friends, are telling you to do.
That is them.
This is you.

all the best,
Susan

I nursed all three of my kids and never did the co sleeping thing. They were in their own room so they could get used to the sounds and smells of their own room so never had to deal with transitioning them. You'll eventually have to transfer her to her own room anyway, so why not start now with doing it for after the last feeding and then work up to all night?

It depends on what is working with your family. If the cosleeper is working for you, smile and nod to your friends and do your own thing. baby's sleep through the night when they are ready. My son nurses more at night than in the day, cosleeping, I get to sleep too. Be aware that your friends seem like they will pressure you to stop nursing too, so you should decide how to react to that...
Good luck!
R.

There is no "right" answer here. You must do what feels best for you and your baby. I'm sorry, but your friends don't get a vote! I kept both my son and my daughter in my room for as long as I was able to breastfeed. I moved my son into a "big boy" bed when I fell pregnant with my second child so he'd have plenty of time to get used to his own room before the baby was born (that way I didn't have any "sibling rivalry"). When they were in primary school, they chose to sleep in the same room. As soon as they hit the "tween" years, they decided to move into their own rooms. I only mention this because I think that we feel comforted by knowing someone else is near while we sleep! I know I sleep better when my husband is home than when he's away for business! Whatever you choose to do, do what feels right to you! Best wishes.

i failed miserably with the whole getting them to sleep thing,,, but i will tell you that when my daughter was about 5 months, i walked into my bedroom to find her having pulled herself up the side of the cosleeper and peering over the edge. scary. that was her last night in there.

At 5 months she should be sleeping through the night, why so many feedings? I agree woth your friends break this habit amd put her in her crib. Of course she likes to co-sleep you have allowed it to become a habit for her, it will only get harder as she gets older. For all you who do the co-sleeping it was said on Nancy Grace that around 500 hundren baby's die every year due to co-sleeping, that would be reason enough right there, baby's are not lonely in theirn own room, and hopefully you have a night lite so they are not in the dark. But like others said it's your baby, but like I said it will get harder when she gets older. J.