So my 4 1/2 month old daughter has been sleeping next to our bed in an Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper. It's been great for breastfeeding- she gets hungry, I simply lift her over to me and nurse very quickly and conveniently. However, I think she's getting to the point that I'd like to transition her to her own room. I still plan on nursing her, I'd just like her to get better sleep (not hearing me or my husband turning over, etc). We were planning on using her big brother's crib and moving him to a "big boy bed"...
Here's the problem. Our 2 1/2 year old son is just not ready to give up his crib. He loves it! He can climb out, but doesn't- he just loves sleeping in it! We have his "big boy bed" set up in the next bedroom and were planning on moving him over about now, but he has shown no interest in moving! (By the way, we kept him in the Co-Sleeper next to me until age 4 months- loved it!)
So my question: Rather than buying another crib, can I just put the rail of her Co-Sleeper up to full height (not the co-sleeping dropped height) and use it as a crib in her room? I know the manufacturer recommends against this, but it would only be for a little while longer until we can get the crib from big brother... My daughter hasn't rolled over yet, but is getting close- I still think it would be fine- the Co-sleeper is sturdy and good quality, no dangerous parts...
What do you all think?
C.,
We didn't use a co-sleeper, but when my son came along we put our 2 1/2 yr old daughter (who also loved her crib!) in a Day Bed - with the open side facing the wall - so it was like a big-girl(big-boy) crib! She LOVED it and it solved our problem. :)
Good luck-
C.
Do you have the mini or the full size co-sleeper? I think the full size one allows you to drop the platform so that it is more like a pack-n-play, right? If so, I think it'd be find dropped low. I would not feel comfortable having my baby in the other room at the full height. If it was me, I'd probably keep her in my room until her brother was comfortable in the toddler bed. Granted, my 1 yo still sleeps in our bed, so take my advice with a grain of salt.
C.,
Our daughter is almost three (in February) & just moved to her toddler bed. What facilitated the process greatly was talking to her about how animals are making new beds for the winter & similarly, she will have a new bed for the winter too. We even saw a squirrel ripping stuffing out of our chair, much to my disappointment, for his new bed. Then I set up the toddler bed & had it, well it was the sheets & blankets on top of the frame, for about 4 days so that we could talk about & she could anticipate the move. (She got a new fitted sheet in a new colour & we used twin sheets & comforter). We were hoping it would go well bc. we tried last year & she was too young for it. She is loving her toddler bed. I now see the advantage on waiting to move them out of the crib until they are older if possible. I wonder if your son feels like he is getting pushed out. Perhaps if he sees that other animals move beds come wintertime, he might start to see the specialness of preparing for winter & the association he has to other sentient beings. We then left the crib in her room for about three nights, which didn't have the mattress anymore, as a transition. My husband says that that helped her with the transition too. I wish you luck with the transition.
About the co-sleeper. We used it like you did until our daughter was about 6 months. Using it as a stand alone sounds risky to me especially since your daughter is about to roll over. Better safe than sorry perhaps.
Best of luck,
K.
my only thoughts are how sturdy is the crib compared to the co-sleeper? and can you keep your son completely out of his sister's room? if there is a possibility that he can get into her room without you, he may be able to tip the co-sleeper or do any number of things if he can reach into it. a taller crib with bars gives a little more protection to the baby, even if the older sibling can climb. of course this may not even be a problem for you, just something to consider!
I love my cosleeper. My daughter slept in her cosleeper until she was 14 months, and we only have the mini. We have a very small bedroom (thus the mini) and our second bedroom was already being shared by the older two. When I was ready for my daughter to really start sleeping through the night (no nursing) I moved the co sleeper to the foot of our bed (with the fourth side rail up). She was 12 months at the time, your daughter is a lot smaller. Part of this is personality. My other two were more adventurous at trying to stand or climb out of cribs earlier....this one was content just to sleep and then when she woke would make noise and I'd go get her out(still, my second was in the cosleeper till 9 months, when she was really pulling up and getting ready to walk). She took naps during the day just fine also. if you are still planning to nurse for a while I would keep her in your room, easier for both of you. Once she was sleeping through the night at the foot of our bed we made the trasition to the crib in the other room at about 14 months with absolutely no problem (she's 16mos now). With all 3 of my kids I always felt like we all slept better when we were together,as opposed to them crying longer than necessary, getting worked up and me having to get out of bed to nurse.
C., I am not sure about the co sleeper but you could invest in a pack and play portable crib. They are so handy to have anyway, for traveling and guests. Then you could just put your baby in that and let the big boy decide when he is ready. Good luck with all the transitioning.
E.
I would not use the co-sleeper. It is just not worth the risk. Pack and Plays are great. Also if your son gets a new bed with new bedding (something he likes) he may be more willing to switch to a toddler bed and give up the crib. Good Luck
I wouldn't. There's a reason why the manufacturer recommends against it (most likely safety). Also, once you get your son transitioned to his bed, you'll want to wait at least another month before giving his crib to the baby - especially since he loves it so much! You don't want him to feel like he's being replaced or moved just to make way for the new baby.
A less-expensive option could be a mini-crib (dont remember what they are called for sure, but they are smaller) or a play-pen that has the insert for babies sleeping in (or even one without, if its firm enough on the bottoms). Or let her sleep with you a bit longer.
Hi, C..
Using the co-sleeper as a crib in a second room seems scary. It isn't designed to contain a baby, and if you are sleeping soundly in another room you may not hear her before she starts scooting and waking.
Also, the American Academy of Pediatrics rcommends sleeping in close proximity for 1 year to reduce SIDS. Translated, keeping baby in the parents' room for a year. I wonder if you could make a separate bed in your room for your little one and then let your older have his crib a bit longer? Just a thought.
Good luck!
A.
Do you have a pack and play you can use in her room? That might be more secure and give her more room as she learns to move... than the co sleeper.
You have to make a mommy call on this. I did it with my first baby for a month or two until we bought her crib. She was rolling over, but not pushing up to crawl or anything. It's your choice, and it sounds like you're not too concerned about it.
One other option to consider is to take the "cosleeper" part off and lay her down to sleep in it as a playpen. There would be no way for her to get out of it in that situation.
Best of luck,
S.
I wouldn't use the co-sleeper this way. As secure as it seems, it is just not worth the risk.
One thing you might want to consider is, my middle boy had the hardest time transitioning and I found out that it was because I moved his room. Once I moved the crib instead of him, all was good. He felt like his little sister was taking his stuff when I tried to move him. In short, move the big boy bed into his room and the crib into the big boy bed room. Also, another thing I did, was get netted rails for my son's big boy bed, it gave him the crib feel and kept him from rolling out.
Good luck.
