Transitioning to Crib from Bassinet

I was very nervous about doing this too!! My daughter has been in her own bed for 1 1/2 months now...she is 3 months old. I left the bumper on and I put her in the middle of the bed....she has not gotten to where she can move THAT much so its not a worry. I have a video monitor too so that I can always keep an eye on her!

M.....you stated "as bad as I don't want to". Follow your own instincts, that is your baby and not your pediatricians. There are some decisions as parents that you will need to make regardless of what "others" are doing. Your child is unique and his/her needs are unique. Parenting is a 24/7 day job and night time needs are just as important as day time needs. Our 4 children are all grown now, but when they were babies we learned to do what was necessary for all of us to get sleep and if that meant letting our kids co sleep with us that is what we did. Our grandchildren are co sleepers now. This is a personal decision for you to make. Babies are not vegetables.....they won't spoil. Sweet Dreams!!

This might be kind of mean to say since I have no idea how you feel about your pediatrician but maybe it's time to find a different one. They sound like they might be a little behind on the times as far as what the American Peds Society recommends. Don't get me wrong though! I don't advocate changing doctors everytime they say something you don't like but my peds dr. is pretty progessive and I like that. In the end you need to trust your gut!

As far putting "to rest" the idea that your child can't be an independent sleeper if they are in your room, millions of child all over the world start their first year of life off in their parents room and still grow in to being an independent sleeper without issues.

American academy of pediatrics says NO crib bumper. They also say that the safest place for your baby to sleep is in your room. Our pediatrician recommended we keep the crib in our room until the 6 month mark, as room sharing has been proven to reduce the risk of sids until that age. There's my two cents, but we all know every one has a different take on this one!!

M.,
You're the mom and need to go with your gut. If you're not ready to move your daughter to a separate room, don't. Moving to a crib is a safety issue if she's getting too big for the bassinet, but why not set up the crib in your room? I've been told lots of things by doctors (and other "concerned" people), but have always resorted to going with my gut, and it has been the "right" thing for us. (Example: I was told that babies just spit up; I pushed the issue and learned our son had reflux...)
Good luck!
M.

I agree with everyone else. You sound like you do not want to move her. You do not have to & you are not doing any disservice to your duaghter if you keep her in your room. If she is outgrowing the bassinet, could you fit the crib in your room?
All of our children slept in our bedroom when they were younger. Our 4 year old still does. We were going to move him when he was 9 months old but it just did not feel right so my husband & I decided that we really did not want to.

Hi M.,
When our son(s) were too big for the bassinet, we kept them in our room in a portable crib. We didn't move them into their own room untill they were 1 year old. In our house the master bedroom is downstairs and all the other bedrooms are upstairs. That was our main reason. I'm sorry to say your pediatrician gave your her personal perference, not any offical pediatric guidelines we were ever made aware of.

Do what your gut tells you. BTW, we did remove the bumper from the portable crib and regular crib. That is a saftey concern.

D.

OK...Sounds like my advice is a bit differnt than everyone else's but I say go ahead and make the transition to her crib, with her bumper pad. This is about the age when we moved my now 2yo daughter to her crib. We left the bumper pad on because she slept on her tummy and did not move around much. And yes, we started putting her on her tummy at six weeks...and it was the ONLY way she would sleep for longer than an hour at a time! My mom suggested it one day when she could tell I was at my wits end at not getting any sleep, and she slept for several hours! I made Mom stay up with her to make sure she was OK while I slept. Anyway, she will cry because you are not right next to her, so prepare yourself. We did the time extention method (not really sure if thats the right name for it) but its where you go in two minutes after she starts crying, then five minutes, seven, and so on until she falls asleep. It will take a few nights but if your daughter is like mine, she will take to it and will be fine. Also, something that is really strange but I believe really helped, was when I put her in her crib, I would take my nursing bra off and wrap it around the bumper pad. I really think she was comforted by being close to my "scent." I know it sounds strange but it worked!!

I hope this advice helps! Good luck!

M.,
I have read all of the responses so far and there were a lot of good ones and some that I don't really get. For what its worth here's one paranoid mommas thoughts. I have four kids and they all slept in my bed or in my room until I decided that it was time for them to have their own room. That's not an age, just when I was ready. My kids still come and get in bed with me if the have had a bad dream or don't feel good. Any of them, from the 2 year old to the 14 year old. I still check on all of my "babies" like three or four times a night just to make sure that they are still breathing. I'm paranoid about my kids. I know that this is not the question that you asked but I think that if you are not ready to move your daughter that you are only upsetting yourself unnessessarily if you do.
As for the question that you asked. I put bumper pads on all my kids cribs. My fear of them getting a leg or arm stuck in the bars was far more real than my fear of SIDS.
Good luck and trust your momma instinct. Its there for a reason and you'll do great!!!

Though I personally think it's better to have baby in crib, IT'S YOUR CHOICE - not the pediatrician's. Many parents even co-share their bed with their babies (my daughter is one of them). She has a baby store in Austin and even sells big body bumpers to keep them from rolling off the bed because she has so many customers wanting them. Anyway for what it's worth, my children nor my grandchildren never had a problem with the crib bumpers.

Wish you well!

we used a crib bumper until he started messing with the strings. I will also go ahead and say that he slept in his own bed in his own room from the day we got home from the hospital.

there are times I sleep in there with him now, if he's sick or won't go back to sleep on a rough night, but I'm happy to be raising an independent sleeper.

that's what works for our family...... bottom line you have to do what works for yours. sleeping position/location, putting cereal in the bottle, everyone has to do what works for them regardless of what "everyone else" is doing.

good luck!

~ t

Hi there M.!
First of all, if you are fine with your child sleeping in your room and it is not a problem for you, then DO IT! I personally have had my youngest son (he is six months old now) in our room in a pack n play or our bed since we brought him home from the hospital. He started sleeping in his room (most of time) recently, but I still bring him in bed with me if I am really tired and don't feel like running to his room that night for feedings or if he isn't feeling well or sleeping well. If you like her being in your room then I would seriously do it and phooey on what the dr. said. P.S. - I would start looking for a new pedi also - I am very surprised that they gave you that advice. My pedi is wonderful and very supportive of the decisions we have made for our kids. As far as the bumpers are concerned most books etc. will tell you to take them off, but I have always left mine on until they start messing with them. You stand your ground Mommy and trust your own Momma instincts and fidn a new pedi!

We were told by the nurse that taught our child birthing class that crib bumpers increased the risk of SIDS because they reduce the air flow in the crib at the baby's level. We didn't have a bumper on our baby's crib until she was able to move around better, and started hitting her head and getting her arms stuck in the crib slats. We started with her in her own room in a crib, but I think that only you should be able to say whether to move her or not. A mother's instinct is an amazing thing!

Hi M..
We just moved our 1 yr old son from our room to his own room and crib upstairs because we loved having him in the room with us. He slept for the first 8 weeks in a cosleeper with sides in our bed and then he slept in his pack and play (first in the bassinet and then on the floor of the pack and play) until we moved him to his room.
Personally, I don't understand the big rush to get the kids out of your room. It was a very special time for us having him close and I wouldn't do it any other way. My husband & I both felt the same way about this.
As far as the bumpers, there are some concerns but I would leave those in as it would be very uncomfortable for the little one to get wedged in the crib.
If you're not comfortable moving her, then get a pack and play and put it in your room. We still have it there as our changing table. You know what is best for your little angel and I would go with your gut.
Good luck and sweet dreams with whatever you choose.

I know you have gotten lots of responses but here is mine... about the bumper: I to hear you should not have one and I didn't until the first night I woke up to my baby screaming (not just crying.. but screaming) because his chubby little leg was completely stuck. It was even hard for me to get it out... and of course I was freaking which probably made it much harder but I got that mother instinct and almost broke the crib because his leg was so wedged in there. I put the bumper on right away and left it on. You can get breathable ones which I recomend to ease the fear of SIDS.
About moving her out... I left both my sons in our room (in their crib) till they were 18 months. When it came time for their own room they had no problem what so ever. It does help to put them to bed and then you go to bed later so they are used to you not being in there when they are falling asleep. Now I have done lots of things against "the book" or what the pediatrician has told me and my sons are sweet, great, smart little boys. Everyone has their own way of doing things and who is to say what's the "best" way?? Good luck!!!

Hi M.,

If you really dont feel comfortable about moving your daughter then its not the right time. Pediatricians should be giving you solicited advice on baby health care, not on parenting style which is what this is. Every pediatritan has different opinions on such things so what makes his the right one. There are a millions ways to raise a baby doing what is best for you and your baby is your call noone elses.
I suggest you read The Baby Book by William Sears, M.D. He is a renowned published pediatritan and father of eight. Website:askdrsears.com He follows the parenting style of attachment parenting. This means that you follow your heart and let it tell you when its time to change the baby's sleep arrangements. The latest research on attachment parenting states that by giving the Baby as much touch and attention in its early life it will create a more independant and confident child because it knows that you will always be there.

My son is 19months. I breastfed and he slept in my room or bed until he was 18months. We travelled the world, changed his enviroment, sleep times, home, family around him, everything because of family illness and yet he is a totally confident easy going guy. I am pregnant with my second so I decided it was time to get him into his own bed and without any fuss he did it. He now sleeps in his own room in his own bed all night for 10hrs. But we did it when we were ready.

Finally about Bumpers. I too was concerned about the entrapemnt issues but my little guy moves a lot while he sleeps so i opted for the Breathable Bumper. I got it from Walmart or babiesrus. Its thin, breathable and works. No little body parts dangeling out of the crib.

Hope this helps

Mertees

No bumper.

As far as moving her, if she doesn't fit in the bassinet, what else are you going to do? I know how you feel, I kept my son in his bassinet until about a week before he turned 4 mos. old. He has been in his crib a month and my heart aches each night because I feel like he is a mile away. But you know what, he has done great, so I think it has been better for him (more room) even though not great for me!

Both of my children, now 14 and 15, slept in the room with me in a bassinet (right next to my side of the bed) until the 8 month mark.........no problem transitioning after that......they took naps in their room.......I think this is a personal decision and not one for the pedi...I did it to decrease the chance of sids and because it was easier to nurse etc.......good luck on this personal decision....

Hi M.,

I agree with the mom who says to read some books on co-sleeping. Humans are the only warm blooded mammals who put their children in a cage-like object down the hall to sleep alone. What right does your pediatrician have to tell you when to move your child out of your room. It sounds to me like your not wanting to do this is a sign of very good mother instincts on your part. Your daughter needs you at 3 months, she should not sleep alone. There is nothing as wonderful as snuggling and cuddling with your child in bed. My son slept in my bed until he was 5 and he went happily into his own room and bed. Of course each family has to make their own decision and whatever you feel is right for you is best...just make sure it's right for YOU not your doctor. Best, M.

If you are more comfortable with her in your room, then keep her there. I didn't move my now 6 mo until he was too big for the bassinet, and even then I had the monitor on super sensitive close to his head w/o being a hazard. Your the mom and you know best.

Hi M.,

Why do you have to move her exactly? It doesn't sound like you are really ready. Is there some reason your pediatrician told you she should be in her own room, or is that just their "belief"? There are many schools of thought on "co-sleeping" so unless your pediatrician gave you a particular reason that you agree with regarding moving your daughter to her own room, I personally wouldn't feel the pressure to do so until I was ready.

If you do agree with you pediatrician and you choose to move your baby into her own room, I personally did not use the crib bumper for fear of suffocation. Neither of my kids ever hurt themselves when not using a crib bumper. I think my son got his leg caught between the spindles once or twice, but he didn't hurt himself. It was more fear because he couldn't figure out how to get his leg back out. You need to make sure your crib has all the current safety features of course, like spindles being close enough together, etc., but if you have a fairly new one, that shouldn't be an issue.

Again, you might do a little more research about co-sleeping (either having baby in their own bassinet or crib in your room which is what we did, or even having them sleep in your bed which I know some other parents do) before you move her unless your pediatrician gave you a health related reason to move your baby into her own room. You don't sound like you're very comfortable with moving her and it might be worth it to wait until you are. That's just my opinion of course. :-)

Good luck!

If you don't really want to move her, don't. I'm surprised your pediatrician would say that--the latest American Association of Pediatrics recommendations said that children who sleep in the same room as their parents, but in a separate bed, had a lowered risk of SIDS.

If you do move her, I'd take off the crib bumper.