How to Transition to Crib from Sleeping Propped up on Boppy

She just needs to get used to it. Just keep putting her in the crib as has been done for so long without all this new fangled stuff. She will adjust. I think they slept better back when they were on their tummies but the thing now is to be on their backs.

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I have a pad thing that elevates the baby a little bit and has padding on the sides so they don't roll off of it. The material is very breathable that it is made out of and it doesn't seem to pose a threat at all. Check babies r us because that is where we got it. It doesn't elevate much, but does a little, maybe it would be enough. Hope this helps a little! Good luck!

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My suggestion so as not to potentionally get stuck in crevices, is to put a pillow under your crib mattress on one side. My doctor recommeded doing this when they have a head cold and coughing, since it seems to always be worse when you are laying flat. That way your baby will still be elevated with no risk.

B.,
I had the same issues with my second daughter. Sleep positioners/wedges weren't enough of an angle, and neither was putting a pillow or phone books under her crib for her when she was that young. (I tried all these things, and the phone books are a big help now at 7 months when she has a cold). My pediatrician recommended the tucker sling (www.tuckersling.com), which allows you to put them on a wedge at 30 degrees safely by keeping them from slipping down by using a harness that goes between their legs. It was invented by a Dad with a baby with severe acid reflux who had to sleep at a 30 degree angle. There's another similar device too, but I can't remember the name. I never did try it because I couldn't figure out how I would use it while she was swaddled, and she would only sleep about 5 minutes at a time unless she was swaddled. There is also a bed called the Amby Motion Bed, which allows them to sleep at an angle, but it's not a crib. You can find it at www.DrSears.com

I swaddled my daughter and had her sleep in the fischer price baby papasan in her bassinet until she was about 4 weeks old, then she started moving too much, so I used the Kiddopatamus SwaddleMe blankets that have a hole so I could strap her in to the papasan, and then swaddle her. Of course, it was quite a trick, and she woke up a lot and I had to start all over rocking her back to sleep, so we moved on to her car seat. I actually totally covered up the straps with the JJ Cole Bundle me, so there was no strangling risks and I didn't have to strap her in. I still wasn't entirely comfortable and moved on to a Moses Basket. The close in sensation really seemd to help her a lot. I elevated one end of the Moses basket by putting it in a pack n play and then putting a 2x4 under the feet at one end of the pack n play.

My sister swaddled her son and put him in the Boppy like you have for about 3 months, in a bassinet next to her bed. I was not comfortable with that personally, but she didn't have any problems.

For the babies that really have reflux problems, and a strong moro reflex it can be really tough, so I wish you luck finding something that works for you.

Enjoy your daughter. This is a tough time, but she will likely keep improving and start sleeping better slowly over the next 6 weeks or so. I kpet both of my girls in my room with me, in a bassinet near the bed, until around 6 months, and they transitioned easily to their crib and own room at that point.

- A.

Try wedges, they worked for our daughter. It keeps the warmth and closeness that babys love.

Try a moses basket! All of my babies (3) slept in them and my youngest (and smallest) still sleeps in it sometimes at 8 months old. I think they work well because of their size, the baby is more cuddled in them. Your daughter will have much of the same sensation as she has in the boppi. Also, with our youngest, we kept the basket in the cradle. If she was sick or spitting up, we could just put a small pillow or some towels under the basket to elevate it. They also travel well if you are going to be somewhere late in the evening, you can just put her down.

I love the moses basket, my only complaint is that they don't make bigger sizes as your baby grows.

Hi B.,
We used the wedge with the roll prevention cushions and that worked great. We also used his swing and his infant carrier. The benefit we had to all these places is he sleeps anywhere.
I don't want to sound paranoid, but be careful using the boppy or pillows. They can wedge themselves...
congratulations and good luck.

NOt sure if you are looking for a product for directly under your baby but I placed a pillow under my daughter's crib mattress. It raised the whole bed slightly and gave her the angle she needed. Once she got older and was moving all over the place then this did not work as well. We also had her on a head thing for avoid flatness, it came with side velcro foam pads-kept her in place.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2585661

They sell mattress wedges that go under the crib sheet to elevate the head... try that! :) You'll have to order it, but check out the babies r us website.

B. - they do have some things at Babies R Us, Target, etc that elevate them just a little so they aren't laying flat on their back. I haven't heard that they aren't safe. They have something on each side that keeps them from rolling. You could also try putting something like a towel or phone book under the head of the mattress so the whole head of the mattress is higher than the rest of the mattress. Of course, you'd need to make sure you have one of those things that keeps them from rolling over. It may not be enough of an elevation since the baby is used to a higher lift from the boppy, but you could try it. Good luck!

I know this is a completely different view, but my son was the same way until I finally did what felt natural to me: I let him sleep on his belly. That's the way I myself love to sleep, and I knew he was already very good at turning his head if he couldn't breathe. I know the docs recommend that babies sleep on their backs, but my son SLEEPS SO MUCH BETTER on his belly and always has!!!! That's his preferred sleep position, and on the belly, the startle reflex is limited, so it doesn't necessarily wake the baby. Just a recommendation :)

We used a crib wedge that fits snuggly under the crib sheet. it worked great. You can also get a sleep positioner to keep her from rolling around or sliding down to the end of the mattress. The great thing about the crib wedge is that we could take it in the pack-n-play when we traveled. So she didn't have to sleep in her car seat.

Try a couple of thick phone books under the feet of one end of the crib. It will give the crib a bit of an angle. This has worked well for us.

Prior to moving to the crib we used a close and secure sleeper (it lays in the bed between the parents), and I put a book under the top end of that, so the baby had a little bit of an angle. My baby always needed to be a bit angled up to help manage his acid reflux.

We just used a pillow under the mattress for both of my kids. It worked great and didn't cost us anything. When my daughter had a really bad cold we even used two pillows so she was practically sitting up because she couldn't breathe when she was lying down.

Hi B.. We used both of the products that Sandy mentioned and LOVED them. In fact my one daughter used the wedge up until she moved into her toddler bed. Babies R Us carries both and are well worth the money.

Boppy has a great sleep positioner (we purchased ours at Target). It's a wedge of comfortable foam that keeps the baby's head and upper body slightly elevated during sleep, and has two soft bumpers on either side to keep the baby securely in place. Our baby slept in her crib in the sleep positioner from day one--the side bumpers kept her feeling secure and cuddled, and the slight elevation helped a lot with her frequent spitting up. It was very safe and easy to use, and she easily gave it up about the time she started to roll. I highly recommend it. My sister uses one of another brand--there are several out there that should work for your situation. Hers even has a heartbeat sound in it.

Good luck!
J.

My hubby and I tried two products that really helped our boy in those early months. We bought both from Babies R Us, but other places may carry them too.

First, we used the "Especially for Baby" brand Ultimate Sleep Positioner. It is a cushy little foam with adjustable "wings" that help cradle baby on the sides. It is inclined to help with reflux, etc. It also has a battery-operated heartbeat function, tho' we never used that. We used a white noise machine instead. It was great for a few weeks when Nathan kept spitting up and waking up in a cold drooly spot in his co-sleeper. Too bad he outgrew it so fast. It is great for smaller babies and our boy is very long. We had to place a rolled up blanket at the base just to help his feet not dangle down. Downside is some babies can roll off it or slide down, but we always swaddled Nathan so he stayed put mostly.

When Nathan went into his crib at 2 months, we bought the "Safe Lift Deluxe Crib Wedge" which goes securely under the sheets. We're still using it at 6 months. We felt both products were pretty safe.

Good luck, keep swaddling (it's great), and wishing you and baby better sleep to come!

Hi B.,

I'm glad you asked this question, because I got a lot out of all the folks who wrote in with answers! My daughter is 3 months old now, and still will not sleep on her back. For a while she slept in her swing in our room, and then in her carseat in her own room. As a transition, I just moved the carseat into the crib! Next week, I'm going to try to put her in the crib again and use some of the ideas here.
Baby steps. Good luck to you and congrats on the baby.

What I did is just put some rolled up towels under the mattress to give it a little elevation. You can really put anything inside the crib, because it's too dangerous.

B.,

Congratulations on your new daughter! Let me first just say that even if she is swaddled and next to you, the boppy should never be used for sleeping. It is an extreme safety issue because of entrapment,suffocation,and even death.They are not meant for sleeping-only to be used with direct parental supervision.I don't mean to scare you, but you need to know. The good news is that there are wedges that you can buy that you put under the crib mattress that help to elevate the surface. Or if you want her to be close to you, bring in her stroller,put the seat at an elevated level and strap her in there- good luck to you and have a great night!

M.

My son had to sleep with his mattress elevated due to asthma issues and we just took a couple of towels, rolled them up and stuck them under the mattress. I would just make sure that her crib is on a low setting. Also, be careful when she can start pulling herself up and standing because one end of the bed will be higher. Good luck!

They have sleep positioners that are elevated and have things on the sides to prevent the child from rolling off. We used one with my son. I can't remember what it was called, but it came from Target I believe. If you do a seach for sleep positioner you will find there are all kinds.

First off just so you know it isnt recommended for babies to sleep on the boppy pillows (From their site and on their products)

Is the Boppy pillow safe for baby to sleep on?

We do not recommend using any of the Boppy pillow products for babies while sleeping.

I did find it was difficult for my son as well so i padded his crib with comforters to fluff it up and not be so hard and he started them sleeping in his crib

We use a sleep positioner with a wedge. There are a bunch of different brands, but it has the positioners on each side of the baby that kind of keeps them in place and it is an inclined wedge so they aren't laying flat on their backs. Our six month old still sleeps on it and she sleeps for 10 hours straight every night.

A crib wedge is very safe (my daughet used one for a couple of months) as is putting a book under the head of the matress. What is not safe is sleeping on a boppy (there's a big warning on the tag about this.) Babies can slide down and end up with their head inside the curve of the pillow where it is very easy to suffocate.

Get a sleeping wedge that will elevate her a little. And have her nap exclusively in her crib. Within short time, she will be comfortable in her crib and out of your bed. and as time progresses, remove the wedge.

Try putting a rolled up towel under her crib mattress. It will elevate the mattress slightly and might have the desired effect. With any bedtime change though expect a few rough nights while she gets used to the change. Just be consistent and you will all get through it. Good luck!

You can put something (a small pillow, for example) under the crib mattress to elevate the head of the crib a little. That way there is nothing extra in the crib for you to worry about.

Infant carrier!!! My son loved it and now sleeps in his crib.