Is It Too Soon to Put My Daughter in a Toddler Bed?

We put our daughter in a twin bed at 13 months to get ready for her new brother to come and it was great. She loved it and in fact she decided that she needed to be lifted out of the bed by us for a year after putting her in it. She still treated it like a crib. Now we did not have her bed on a frame in was just the mattress and box spring on the floor. She is now in a bunk bed at 3 years old. And we will be moving our son 12 months into a twin in just a month or so.

I think moving them earlier is easier they don't even think about getting off the bed so young. Save your money and just buy a twin! Thats my opinion. Best of luck!

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I can relate to the close in age thing. I had four children in four years. My baby is 4 months old now, and my little girl is 18 months. She also sleeps well during the night in her crib. Since I have had a baby every year for the past four years, we have ironed out alot of the wrinkles with the whole sleeping situation. We keep the newborn in the bassinet in our room (or other room not with the toddler) until they are about 6 months or so, this way we allow the toddler a little longer in the crib, and don't have to purchase two cribs. The bassinet is cheaper,and takes up less space. My little girl will be close to two when we let her have the toddler bed. The change to a toddler bed needs to be done when you as the parent are siked up and ready to stick to your guns about staying in the "big girl" bed. I haven't had trouble with all of mine, but each child is different, and you have to be firm and consistent morso with some than others. My advice to you would be to wait until you and your husband have the emotional energy to follow through with the battle if there is one. I hope it goes smoothly for you and you never have to do the battle of the wills thing! Congratulations on your new precious little one. For me, the blessings of having children close together are: just one more diaper in the assembly line, you don't have to pack away and get everything out all over again, clothes just go from one dresser to the next as they are outgrown, my four kids all play wonderfully together, and I pray that they will remain close as they grow. I would recomend that you plug into some kind of support group to help you shoulder the load, and maintain your personality and identity outside of being a mom. I love my MOPS group for this purpose. I know that there are MOPS groups all over and to find one near you, you can check out www.mops.org. You will be very busy, but I always say that it is the best kind of busy! Enjoy! Feel free to email me if you want to chat.

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Hi Cora,

Our girls are close in age - when I went through this transition, I started with the mattress on the floor. Our eldest was a fabulous sleeper, too. She did great. One thing I did, as I sew, is to make her a special twin-sized quilt. If you don't sew, making that space special - more special (in her eyes) than the crib now going to the baby, that's the trick. There are great 'big sister' benefits - like being able to get up in the morning and pick out a book on her own or coming and cuddling with you (provided the sun is actually up!). Emphasizing what she's getting, vs. what she's giving up, is helpful in this transition phase. And kids are so smart - if you have a great sleeper who puts herself to bed, you're going to have no trouble in this department! Best of luck to you, T.

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I put my son in a toddler bed around that age as well because he would jump out of the crip. Make sure ut us a bed that is low to the ground and I jsut put a quilt next to the bed incase he rolled out so he would be comfortable. He did that several times. He still does not sleep through the night and he is two and a half so you are doing better than me on that aspect. Just move her before the baby comes because it may be a little ajustment. My son did pretty good. he would get out and we would put him back in and after awhile he was fine. I never got upset he got out because he was so young. I also waited tell he was really tired before trying it at night. Congrats on your second one!
Good luck.
Lisa

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It depends on your little girl. I had one that would sleep in a bed at that age and 2 that wouldn't after they turned 2. If she likes it and will stay in bed no problem. If she dosen't know that she will use it soon, so it's no waste of money. You may want to use a bassinet for the baby to give more time to convert over.

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We put our daughter in a toddler bed when she was about 15 months. We made sure her room was safe and child proof (outlets covered,etc) and we put a gate in front of her door in case she wanted to "wander" in the middle of the night. She did great. As long as her room is safe, I don't feel like it's a problem. Maybe ask your doctor.

First of all, having children close together can be a real challenge at first, but I think it is a great blessing to them in the long run. They are often best friends. Now, about the toddler bed... my parents gave my youngest sister's crib away when she wa not ready for it, and she cried buckets over it. In retropect, my Mom wonders why she urged her out of it so soon. She was content there. My own daughters ended up sleeping together in the same bed when my youngest was less than a year old! She was able to get out of her crib, and I do not know how. It felt safest to me to have her out of it. I would recommend purchasing a toddler bed and putting it in her room and seeing if she warms up to it. Good luck, Mama! You sound like a very caring, compassionate woman, and your children are blessed to have your for their Mother.

I hear ya sister!
mine are 17 months apart.
We ended up buying another crib because my oldest was not acting ready to be out of the crib and we didn't want to force him. With all the changes that were going to be in his life I decided that moving him into a toddler bed was just not one that was necessary. The cirb my oldest is in is a convertable crib that becomes a toddler bed and then a full size bed as well. He turns 2 in a few weeks and is now in the toddler bed part of the crib. My little one is in her new crib as well and it is a convertable. I know it can seem to be an unnecessary expense but it was worth it for me to not have to worry about stressing him out. Another piece of advice. Get the baby stuff out now and let your older one get used to it being around. It will save a lot of headaches in the near future. We even got a doll that we called "Baby" and put it in the car seat in the car next to my oldest so he would get used to it.
Good Luck

Hi Cora,
I say just go for it. I'd also say to skip the toddler bed. It's one more thing to transition from. Go straight to a twin or bigger bed. Makes life easier in the long run. I have liked to transition my kids when they were young so they don't get too attached to the crib. It makes the transition easier.
Good luck!

You could always try it and see how she does. My son is 18 months and has been in his toddler bed for about a month now. It was hard at first but he does good now. If she shows desiers to be in a bigger bed, then I would do it.

Good luck!

C.,

Hey! My first 2 boys were 16 months apart as well..I feel for you and am excited for you all at the same time! :o) When Connor was born, he was in our room in the bassenette for almost 6 months, and Devin got to stay in his crib until he was 22 months old. He was old enough to understand that he got a big boy bed now and that the crib was for his baby brother. And we didn't beat around the bush, we put him right into a twin size bed with one of those safety rails on the outside. He used that for quite a while and then after a while he didn't need that anymore. And we did the same thing for Connor. We bought bunk beds for the boys and Connor went from his crib to the twin bunk (bottom) with the safety rail. It works great and there is room for you if that is ever needed! Good luck and just remember, you CAN handle all that is given to you! I still tell my self that and my boys are now 4 and 5..and a 9 month old. And just know that they are going to be BEST FRIENDS when they get to this age! It's fun to watch them play..when they aren't fighting! :o)

I have a 15 month old and we just put him in a twin bed about 3 weeks ago. He also goes to bed very well (unlike his older sister). He never fights it. He has done so well with the new bed. It is low to the ground so he can get up and off it himself. He loves it. Sometimes he will go in his room himself and climb up on his bed to play, it is very cute! We have only had one time when he got up in the middle of the night and came out of his room. He came all the way into our bedroom and was trying to climb up on our bed.

I think the two main things you have to look at is how will she feel about it. Does she want to be in a "big girl" bed or will she feel like the baby took her bed. The second thing is her safety, since she will be able to get out of the toddler bed when she wakes up. Does she know how to climb out feet first rather then on her head, and is her room safe.We plan to convert our little girls crib to a toddler bed once she understands how to crawl out feet first rather then head first. But then she seems to be doing things early, shes already started standing on her own (she's almost 8 months).

edit: One more thought, our little girl slept in her infant car seat carrier at night for the first 4 months. She didn't want to be swaddled and the crib and (borrowed) basinette were too open for her, but she slept very well in the infant carrier. It was great because it made her so portable. I agree with the mom who said get the toddler bed and see how your daughter takes to it, but realize you don't have to have a crib ready to go the day you bring the new baby home.

No it is not too soon. My second child was a suprise and so my kids were 12 1/2 months apart. I didn't have 2 cribs and so when my 2nd child was 3 months old and moving from basinett to the crib we moved our 1st to a regular bed. There was a few nights of reminding her to stay in bed, but all in all it was a pretty smooth transistion. Remember kids can adapt to anything especially if we as parents present it with a positive attitude.

You could try putting the crib mattress on the floor at first... We did that with both our boys a few months before they got younger siblings, and then moved them to the toddler bed when we were sure they weren't going to fall out. :)
The boys were a bit older though - expect some different behavior. She might be a little confused by the change, so if she gets out of bed you can just pick her up and say "uh oh" and place her back on the bed with her blankie and other sleep aids. You might have to do this several times before she gets it, but they get used to it and finally realize that it's their new place to go to sleep.

You might want to try introducing the bed and making the switch gradual, which may make your husband more comfortable. If you think about it, you won't really need the crib for the new baby until she is two or three months old if you have her in a bassinet at first. My son is almost 20 months old and have a 2 month old little girl. We are just moving my son to a mattress on the floor. Unfortunately, he doesn't go to bed as easily as yours does, but he loves having story time & snuggle in his new bed. Good luck.

no, it's not too soon. Just make sure it has those side rails. mom of seven

Trust your gut and what you can/want to handle. Our friend's baby has never slept in a crib and instead sleeps in the queen sized bed that was supposed to be for mom and dad early on. My daughter is 20 months and we just put her in the twin bed in her room and she is SO much happier than before. Had we known we might have done it earlier. Others wait as long as possible. It might make it easier to have her in a crib so she is contained as well.

G.

You're kind of at a stage where you really need your sleep. It's hard to tell if she will feel good about the change or if it's just one more thing the baby is taking away from her. My daughter's doctor says to keep her in a crib for as long as I can.

Is there anyway you can purchase a pack-and-play instead of a crib? They have the basinette up top and then it comes off and you have a convertable crib that can fit her for quite some time (it's also good for vacations). Than you can start talking the "baby" crib down and the "big girl" bed up when she's closer to 2 at least. My daughter (granted, I only have one, so I don't really know what you're going through) stayed in her pack-n-play for awhile because we used to have a house with the master upstairs and the other bedrooms downstairs - I wasn't comfortable with it at all so she slept in her little pnp until she was 6 months old.

Just an idea. Good luck.

My baby is 19 now but I know that I didn't move him until he was old enough to stay in a toddler bed. Safety first. Is your child able to sleep without the rails being there. I mean can she climb in and out? Will she fall?
If it is safe enough I would move her.

Hi,
My oldest son was actually in a twin size bed by around that time {he was about 20 months}, which was not very high off the ground. Unfortunately at that time I didn't have the money to buy a toddler bed. But I am sure that by that age a toddler bed is more than acceptable!

Every kid is differernt. I put my daughter in a toddler bed at 14 months and she has no siblings. I did it because she would climb out of her crib and I hated that. Just know that Toddler beds aren't a long term bed, I wouldn't keep her in it after her fourth birthday. I couldn't figure out why my daughter wasn't sleeping through the night until after I bought her next size up bed. How is a kid gonna know or tell you the bed is uncomfortable or too small, even if they still have room in it. I kept my daughter in a toddler bed a year too long, she was in it until she was five. If you are planning on giving her a twin bed I would just move her into that and save yourself the hassle, less transition you will have to deal with later.

Another mama by the name of Lillian just asked a similar question yesterday, you may want to read some of the responses she's received to see if they help your situation, good luck!

Hi Cora,
I have a little boy that was 16 months old when his brother was born and we still haven't taken him out of his crib, we just got our new born a bassinet, they aren't as big or expensive, and our 4 month old still sleeps just fine in it, plus it's nice because it swings, which is great for comforting and quieting, so I highly suggest getting a bassinet. It can also be easily moved from room to room if needed.

I would definitely try the toddler bed now while she is so agreeable. You can get those rails for the bed that fit under the mattress (if you buy a twin bed). We knew we'd eventually be buying our first daughter a twin bed, so we just skipped the toddler bed and went straight to a twin. She didn't have any problems because there were still "sides" to it, so she felt secure. You can get them from www.onestepahead.com. I would definitely try it before the baby comes, since you still have 3 months before the big change. Good Luck!

I would keep her in the crib. Our kids are 2.5 yrs apart and we kept our son in the crib until he was almost 3. We borrowed a crib from a friend for the time we needed two cribs. You can also use a bassinet for the first 5-6 months. You also can find farely cheap cribs on craigslist. A one year old is too little to be able to get out of bed by herself. It could be dangerous no matter how well childproofed your home is. I say keep them safe until they are able to get out of the crib themselves or they are around 3 and you have another bed for them. Congratulations on number 2! S.

Can I say Craigs list? I think she will just fall out of her bed a lot and then she can wander..... My 2 year old went from napping and sleeping really well to NOT. IT was a big transition for him when no. 2 was coming. We got a crib for $75.

my daughter and my cousins daughter took to it like pro's. i just put up a baby gate at the door and she may play a few mins then goes right to sleep. sometimes naps are a little more difficult if she really isn't tired, but she will play in her room and i still get me time. (did i mention that my cousin and i are also have babies and are also trying not to think of just how close they will be in age to their siblings.

Hi C.,

Congratulations on your soon-to-be new addition! How exciting!

As for the toddler bed, I agree with some of the other comments here. It sounds like she might adapt really easily to it, especially if she gets excited about the idea. If she's an easygoing child all-around, she'll probably accept it with no major problems.

We put my son in a toddler bed at around 18 months, and he resisted it pretty hard, but my son resists everything new. My friend's little boy transitioned at the same age, and he never blinked an eye. He loved his new bed! So, it's hard to say how she'll react, but if she goes to bed easily already and is fairly adaptable to most changes, I have a feeling she'll do just fine.

The only thing I would recommend is to place the bed in exactly the same spot as the crib was, and to take the crib down completely. If it's still in the room, it might give her the idea that she can choose or remind her of that security. I would also make sure the room is extra child-proofed. I'm sure it's already childproofed, but I would look around and double-check everything one more time. And if she can open her door, I would put a baby gate outside the door. We did that with my son, so that he wouldn't be able to wander the house at night.

Good luck with the transition and the new baby!

~J.

You might consider using a pack-n-play while your baby is an infant and then transitioning your first child when she is a little older. My girls are 2 years a part and our youngest is still in the pack-n-play although our oldest transitioned (without a hitch) to her "big girl bed" in December. We wanted to create some space in moving the baby to the crib so our oldest didn't get territorial.
Good luck!

My sons are 20 months apart. We did not go the Toddler bed route because 1) who wants to spend money on a bed they will grow out of in a couple of years as opposed to 18 and 2) what do you do with it after they grow out of it. So, we bought a regular twin bed, pushed it up into the corner of the room so that one long side and one short side is against the wall and then bought a rail for the other long side. They sell them at babies r us and I'm sure other baby type places. They have rails that slip between the mattress and box spring and they do not come out and then the part that is blocking the side of the bed is mesh. So, the only side of the bed that is open is the foot. My son was 18 months old when we put him in it and we never had a problem with it. We made the transition 2 months before the baby was due so that he had plenty of time to get used to it and did not feel like he was kicked out of the crib when the baby came.

I actually put my daughter in a twin bed when she was 11 months old so my brother & sister in law could have the crib. She never had a problem with it and stayed in bed. I think she liked it when she woke up in the morning and could get out of bed on her own. I would not wait till they can climb out of the crib as they could get hurt. My son was a little over a year when we put him in a race car twin bed and he loved it as well.

I would lean towards not getting a new bed. There will be plenty of changes for her when the baby is born. Won't the new baby be sleeping with you anyway? or get a big bed and all sleep together?

IMO, it is most important to keep things EASY for mom, especially with little ones so close in age. I had two that were pretty close, and I am glad that I kept things easy!! One thing that I did was to buy a wooden portacrib. They are compact, inexpensive, have a more comfortable matress than pack 'n' plays, and many come with wheels, so they can be easily moved around the house. My idea was to keep the littlest one in the portacrib until my oldest was THOUROUGHLY ready to leave the crib and go to a big-boy-bed. As it turned out, my big boy wasn't ready until he was three (often toilet-readiness and bed-readiness come at the same time), and we all loved the portacrib so much that my baby never left it for the big crib. He LOVED it. He slept in it until his little feet were nearly hanging through the sides, and then he went to a big boy bed, too. One thing you will want to avoid is making like more difficult for yourself than you need to with such small children, and having one who gets in and out and in and out of bed because she is not ready to leave the crib would be really tough, on top of those inevitable sleepless nights that a new baby brings. I'm sure you will find what works out best for your family. Best of luck to you and congrats on the new little blessing.

I always put my kids in a toddler bed a little after thier first birthday. Although I alter the bed. I get one of those things that keep your kids from rolling out of bed and put that on their bed. Then I put the crib bumper pad around the inside of the railings. With my toddler bed it leaves about 6 inches at the bottom edge of the bed for them to get out if they want. Keep in mind that I have also taught my kids to climb down the stairs and slide of beds so he knows how to get out of his bed safely. Take into account the abilities of your child. If your child is trying to climb over the edge unsafely then you should probably keep them in a crib.

I put all of my kids intorwin beds just after they turned a year old. I have back problems, so this is why I did, not to mention I didnt want them climbing out of th crib! Anyway it is a good age. Just get the rails for the side so she doesnt fall out. COngrats on No 2 and there is no need to get another crib!!!

I moved my daughter (who's 15 month old) into her toddler bed at 13 months old because she is such an active sleeper she kept hitting her head on the bars of the crib and waking herself up! I moved my other children out of their cribs at 18 mo, 14 mo and 17 months old, respectively.
It is not too soon and you can make it very exciting. Make it special and just for her! Let her help pick out a cute "big girl" bed set! That way it also gives a little time before the baby starts using "her" crib and she won't even care at that point.
My older two children were 20 months apart, then only 15 months between #2 and #3. I know what you are going through!

You've had some great advice here, I haven't read all of them, so hopefully I'm not duplicating. When we put our kids in their toddler beds, we put one of those removable rails on the side of the bed (they were both under 2 - I can't remember exact ages, it's been too long - they're 12 yrs and 8 yrs old now). When my daughter was somewhere around 16-18 mos I had to put her in a toddler bed, she was swan diving out of her crib, that was way more dangerous than her getting out of a toddler bed, or even falling out of it sleeping.
The pack-n-play is a great idea that a few moms have mentioned.
Good luck.

Hi! my son was about 15 months when he moved to the "big bed" i was dreading the transition because he seemed to love his crib. but one night he was sick so, i slept with him in the twin bed in his room. the next day he wanted to take a nap in the big bed and the next night wanted to go to bed in the big bed and that has been it! we have the bed up against the wall with a railing on the outer edge that we got from "Ones Step Ahead"

Hi Cora,

My two sons are 13 months apart. We kept the youngest in a bassinet for the first month and then did the switch so that we didn't have to buy another crib. The oldest son was so excited because he was being a "big" brother going into a twin bed. We skipped the toddler bed because of cost and just got the mesh sides to protect him from falling out. We didn't have any problems at all with the switch!
C.

As a mom and grandma, I think 13 1/2 mons is too young for a toddler bed. If you're prepared to have the child up and wandering around the house at all hours during the night, then go for it. My first 2 children were 15 months apart. I got a second crib and the oldest child was still in the crib at 2 yrs. There was 3 yrs between my 2nd and 3rd child. The youngest was put into a bed too early I thought (my husband's idea). She would get up all during the night and come into our bed - which disrupted our sleep as well as hers. To each his own, but I wouldn't do it again!

A day bed turned backwards worked for my daughter. We put pillows around. She did great. You could wait until the baby is born if you use a basinet. Then the crib remains empty until the new baby is ready for the crib.

C.

Why would you want to "break" the child twice? I would put her in to the toddler bed or even a regular single bed. If you think she is going to fall out you can always put the crib matteress on the floor to protect her should she fall out of bed. All my children went from cribs to single beds and we didn't have any problems. They are now all grown up and doing just fine.

I would say it's too early to do the toddler bed. There are wonderful cribs that configure into toddler beds, then to a head and foot board for a full size bed. I would look into one of those for the older child, and use the crib for the new baby. Transitioning to a big bed for both of my girls happened around 2 1/2 and it was a smoother transition. Congrats on the new baby!

I'm in your situation although my son is a bit older. He's 19 months and I'm having our 2nd child in 2 weeks. We were debating on when to move him into a big boy bed when lo and behold, he started climbling out of his crib 4 days ago!It's been really hard for him/us to make the transition. Advice from friends/super nanny syas to continue putiing them back in bed when they get ou w/out words. The first try it took 79 times and then we gave up(nap time) that night it took 75 times and he finally went to sleep. Today(4 days later) it took 26 times and he's asleep for his nap. I think he will take a couple weeks to be used to his bed.
I'm telling you our situation just so you have an example. I know many parents whose children transition very easily. It takes consistency!

If you don't have a bassinette, purchase a second hand one and the baby can be in that for the first few months. That would make the older child 18 months or so before she needs to switch to a toddler bed. My children all moved into a toddler bed by the age of 15-18 months and they handled it well.

nope. Its really up to you! My son got his before his 2nd birthday (actually his crib converted). we had a bit of a problem with his staying in it to go to sleep because now he could get up and play but after a week or so he was sleeping no problem except for the occational night. ALSO, we had these half side rails on the top and bottom of the bed and not in the middle and he fell out often at the beginning so maybe if thats a possibility pad the floor there with a cushion, pillow or folded blanket. He just got a big bed (twin) last week at 3yrs and its fairly high and made me nervous but no falling out.
My sister put her boy in a big bed at about 18 months and had no problems except the occational falling out.

Hey Cora,
That's a great questions and you have provided really good information about your oldest. My daughters were close in age as well. (Looking back, I think it was easier that way!)Anyway, my oldest was in a toddler bed shortly after her first birthday. She was such a climber that I didn't want her to fall from her crib. If your daughter is a good sleeper, I wouldn't worry about putting her in a toddler bed. If your husband is still worried, maybe see if he can install one of those doors that you see in nurseries at church. Do you know what I mean? The ones that are cut in half. That way you could shut the bottom one and hear when she wakes up before she wanders through the house on her own. Good luck on the new baby!

S. B....mom of 3

I would just make sure that she is unable to get out of her room, which is really the reason for a crib! Also that all of the toys in her room are safe unsupervised. A toddler bed would be a good idea b/c a new baby will be a big adjustment for her. A new bed will help her to feel like a "big sister". It will also give her something of her own. I would do it soon though. You don't want to try to change everything once the baby is here. Good luck!

Hi, I am also due in June. My little one is a little older though. (24 months) I have decided to keep her in her crib as long as possible! Many moms have told me to keep her in until she climbs out. I also don't want the transition with the new baby to be rough with her in a "big girl bed". So what I did is went on Craigs list and bought a portable crib. not the pack and play but one of those sturdy wood ones that are about one third of the size of the regular crib. I got one for 15 dollars! The baby will be in a bassinet for a while and can stay in the portable for probably a year! By that time, my first will be ready to switch, be adjusted to the new baby, and we'll be good to go! (all speculation on my part);)
As far as a toddler bed, I have heard that kids are in them for such a short amount of time that they can be a waste of money. Getting a quality twin bed and putting the mattress on the floor to start is what I think we are going to do.
I hope this helps,
Congrats on the June baby!
S. V.

I had the same thing happen with my boys. I found out I was pregnant a week after my son's 1st B-Day. I opted for a toddler bed, because the crib mattress fits the same, and I just got a new mattress for the new baby! He loved it and it wasn't a huge transition at all. He got his favorite bedding and stuffed animals, had his sippy cup, music, and was good to go! He didn't even flinch the 1st night we put him in it. If she's well adjusted to sleeping all night, it won't take her long at all for a "big girl" bed :-).

Sounds like your daughter is mature enough for a toddler bed. If she's trying to climb out of her crib, or the edge of the crib side reaches below her nipples, then she's OK for a toddler bed (according to my pediatrician). My son was in a toddler bed at that age to make way for his sister and it worked out fine.

I would recommend some sort of barrier to put on the side of the bed in case of roll overs, however.

She just might enjoy being in a "big girl" bed!

Good luck honey!

Moving her out of the crib too early may create a whole other set of problems...we moved our son out of the crib and ended up with him in our bed several times a night. The crib is safe and secure...and getting a sibling can be very threatening. Can you borrow a bassinet or play yard to use for your new born for a few months and then transition them both in about 6 months?

I am about 28 weeks pregnant and have a 16 month old. I just started her in her toddler bed last week. I tried it out at naps for the fist few days. She seems to be doing well it has only been about three nights, but in the morning she sits and chats until I get her and at naps she gets out on her own. good luck

You should really keep your little girl in her crib. At her age and doing well in a crib she is still not quite mature enough to handle a big girl bed. The recommendatin by most professionals is to keep kids in their cribs until 3. Also, having a 2 yo and a 10 week old myself, it is going to be a huge adjustment for your little girl. The less change right now, the better. She will continue to sleep the way she does being in her own familiar and comfortable surrounding. Also, you will have a lot going on when the new baby arrives and the last thing you need is to worry about your older one not sleeping at night! Sorry for the advice, but I've been through it!

we put our daughter in her toddler bed at 18months because she refused to go inthe crib. We just bought one of those long bean bage animals that we put along the side of the bed so she can easier get up and down and in case she rolls out somehow, she is very happy with her big girl bed!

I wouldn't put her into a toddler bed until she's climbing out of the crib. Think of the headache you may have if she decides to "escape" instead of go to bed...while juggling the new baby. It was difficult enough when we switched our daughter at 2 years. I wish I would've waited until she was climbing out. It's manageable, but you're dealing with an entire new living arrangement for your older child if you switch her bed and THEN add another baby.

You could get another crib as they take up the same floorspace as a toddler bed. Cragislist is a great place to get one on the cheap -- I've seen them as low as $50, including a mattress. They do range in quality, but you can really get a steal sometimes. Otherwise, you can save on space and get a portacrib/playpen and bassinet combo. The baby won't mind. :)

Well, other than not having a convenient place to sit for bedtime stories, there really is nothing wrong with a toddler-bed mattress on the floor. My oldest two are 15 months apart and shared a room with one in a crib and one in a "nest" and both loved it. It's all in the presentation: a very cozy nest with all the favorite blankies and stuffies. Then, a little later, the same familiar mattress can go up on a "big girl bed"---hope this is helpful! (This is bringing back memories of the frantic days of nursing, storytelling, and potty training all at the same time--literally! My first three are less than three years apart! It was a wonderful time and now that they are older, 11, 10, and almost 9, they are best of friends and into everything together.)