When Should My Baby Sleep in His Crib??

I don't mean to scare you, but the swing is an unsafe place for a kid to sleep. If he is sleeping through the night in his swing, I assume you are sleeping too and that is just too much unsupervised swing time. It will probably be a rough transition, but babies aren't very good at the memory thing at that age, and it won't take long for him to get over it (it might be awful and you may not sleep for a few days, but in the end it won't last long). In general, the earlier you break habits like that the easier they are to break. Good luck!

I also did the same with my daughter, but she slept in her crib at night. You're doing the right thing by comforting him. When he gets used to it, you won't have to comfort him anymore. My daughter started sleeping in her crib at 5-6 months.

you're going to have to wean him off of sleeping in the swing eventually, so when is up to you. the sooner you do it, the easier it will be. my son slept in his own crib from night #2 at home. first night he would not sleep so i slept in the rocker with him. every night since, unless he is sick, he has been in his own bed. for the record however, i did not breastfeed, so your situation is different. if he's falling asleep with your rubbing his tummy, that's a good start. but i would rub it for a few minutes then leave. he needs to learn how to fall asleep on his own. it's an independance/security thing. good luck!

Now. Now. Now...... you are in a window and it is rapidly closing. In a couple of months he will be too big for the swing to swing correctly and you will be up that creek looking back at a paddle! As far as making the transition easier; put the swing in his room first. Take the first nap in there in the swing in his DARK room. If he sleeps well, go on to the next step. Second nap, swing in dark room until he is asleep for about 15-20 minutes and then move him to the crib. He will probably wake up during the transition, which is OKAY. He'll be so drowsy he'll probably fall back asleep. Do this for a couple of days until he's fine with it, then move to step 3. Swing for a couple of minutes until he is drowsy but still awake. Move him while drowsy to the crib. Do that for a week or so, then try looking for the drowsy cues before you would have put him in the swing. Then try putting him straight into the bed and turning the swing on (so the familiar noise,etc can soothe him).

Your son is capable of sleeping through the night. You've said he does it. Now all he needs is some help to learn to self soothe, and you're set. You can do it but it might take some hard nights. In two weeks you can be free. If you don't do it now, you'll be stuck because at a certain point, they get too heavy for the swing to be satisfying. Then you end up trying to put the crib up on those vibrating step things - which can be a last resort if the above doesn't go well....

keep him in the swing for as long as ou both want.
BUT make sure he's getting a LOT of TUMMY TIME!
you do not want a flat head!

TODAY! Get him in as soon as possible! Letting him sleep sitting up is a bad idea. It twists the neck to one side and gives the child possible Torticollis. It also gives a flat head. He needs to roll, move and stretch out. Movement is the basis for all future learning. Have positive feelings about putting him in the crib and be firm. Give him a lovey and pacie and use the same routine and the same words each time he goes to sleep. Say night night and close the door. He will begin to soothe himself and you will have a lifeling good sleeper. Once you make the move to a crib, don't ever let him sleep in other places because he will be confused and manipulate you again to let him stay so he can avoid his bed. Don't forget tummy time, 4x a day for 30 mins each time.

You have to trust yourself as much as your motherly instinct allows you. I think that by posting this question you know in your heat that he should be sleeping in his crib, it is just hard. I would encourage you to do the work now. The sooner the better. Before he gets to big for the swing and you can never fall back on it. Right now you can phase out one sleeping time every couple of days, and still use the swing a little. I would start with bed time at night. Comfort him in whatever way you can to get him to sleep in his crib. Good Luck! Know that what works for one mom does not work for the next. Do the best you can for your son and don't let anyone make you feel like you are not doing a great job.

As a mom to three boys I can tell you that every child is different. However, he should be sleeping in his crib by now. It is probably going to take a couple of weeks but he will eventually get use to sleeping in his crib. You will have to go through the crying and fussing thing with him. At some point he will be to big for swings and bassinets. It is going to take you being strong and I know as a mother that it can tear at the heart strings that you don't want to hear your baby crying. It won't hurt him. He will learn from an early age, believe me that if you start giving in to him now and doing everything that makes him happy that you will eventually be unhappy. Just be consistenet with timing and how you go about putting him to sleep.

Try using the calming baby bath, some calming music and lay him in bed when his eyes are heavy and let him fall to sleep in the crib. Like I said it may take a few weeks but in the long run you will be happy that you did it.

Good luck.

S.
37 y/o SAHM of 3 boys
15, 7 and 4 1/2

We moved my daughter to her crib at 4 weeks. I think the sooner you make the adjustment the better. She is now 7 weeks and it sleeping through the night. (YIPPEE!!)

Have you tryed swaddling???i have a 3 month old who up until a month ago would only sleep in swing at all times she hated her cradle but then i read a book called happiest baby on the block and it is all about swaddling which i was against because i thought she didnt like it well i went out and bought what is called a swaddle me which takes the work out of having to do it with a receiving blanket and is warmer too and then bought a sleep positioner with a heartbeat sound and i take a teddy bear that has a white noise sound and lay her in cradle now and she prefers cradle to swing now.I didnt think that could be possible but since she has been swaddled she sleeps better and longer.I think anytime at 3months and after a baby is fine in crib but its your preference try a cradle or bassinet first to get her or him used to a stationary thing.I hope this will help you

I have kept all 3 of my babies in my bed or in a cradle next to my bed until 5-6 months old. Then moved them to their cribs for nighttime. They all seemed to sleep better once I moved them to their crib. Naptime was a different story. I will take a nap in any form I can get it. I don't care where they sleep at nap as long as they sleep.

I would not recommend him sleeping in the swing at night. they grow and learn so fast that he may get out of there. i had my daughter sleeping in her packnplay/bassient next to us til she could sit up on her own. then i put her in the crib in the other room with a tv monitor. there is no certain time you put them in the crib. but i would start doing it now. so that way your little one doesnt get use to either sleeping with you or in the swing. i think once your little one can sit up or roll over on his own you should be fine. every baby is different and there mothers know whats best. so do what you think is right.. your mother insinct will tell you. ya it was hard leaving my daughter in the crib but you need to let them cry. i know its hard. but soon he wont anymore or just for a little. if he likes a certain blanket or stuffed animal put that in the crib or music with lights on the ceiling but try not to put alot of things in the crib specialy if he cant roll over etc. i didnt put anything in her crip til she could sit up all by herself. thats usually a good time. im still breast feeding my daughter(16months) she never liked the pacifier so a pacifier in the crib will help him calm down.

my son moved from bassinet or my bed to his own crib at 3 months. it takes some adjusting to a new area but i think after a few days your little one would get used to it. i never used a swing, but moving my son at 3 months worked out well. If your son is getting to big for the swing then you should definitely get him moved so he will be safe.

My step-daughter slept in a swing for the first 4 months of her life. She had severe neck problems because of it. Luckily, once she started crawling/walking, they straightened themselves out. You do what is best for your baby, but keep in mind sleeping in a swing/bouncer/infant carrier can be damaging to an infant's neck and back.

My daughter slept in her crib from the day she was born. She napped in her swing or bouncer, but slept through the night in the crib, even while I was breastfeeding. There is no age when it becomes appropriate. It is ALWAYS appropriate. You will probably have to comfort him for a few nights, but he will adjust.

Good luck :)

Hi,

You are right that it doesn't matter where he sleeps, as long as he is sleeping! In addition I would say that your easiest nights will be with him sleeping next to you, as long as you read the few basic rules about co-sleeping and are comfortable implementing it.

I have not gotten up in months with my daughter, and she has not fretted a bit at night, because we co-sleep and nurse while asleep. It's irreplaceable bonding, and an ideal way for us all to get a good night's sleep.

Leave him wwhere he will sleep- how lucky he sleeps!
k