49 answers

Sleeping in Crib

I am having issues putting my 4 month old in his own crib to sleep. I think because I my own insecurities (with the issues we have had in the past in conceiving) I am so afraid to let him sleep in there. I tried the AngelCare Monitor (which has way to much static for me to sleep). He sleeps in his crib for naps but at night I still have him in the bassinet next to me. I am sure I am not the only one that has felt this way and I just wanted to find out if there were somethings that other moms did to help ease their tension when putting their babies in the cribs. Also, how old were your little ones when they went in there?

What can I do next?

So What Happened?™

Thank you EVERYONE for your wonderful words and advise, I truly appreciate all the responses I received. I decided to keep him in his bassinet a while longer. So far he is not too long for it and since it is still pretty cold, it was hard to put him in the crib because he wiggles out of the covers. You are all so right, it is my choice, I would like my bedroom back, but will get that in time, it is more important to me to make sure he is ok first. My husband is ok with whatever choice I make, so I am lucky that way. Thank you again!!!

Featured Answers

I HIGHLY recommend the Angelcare! Have you tried many different places so that the static has a chance to disappear? I hope that you can find a place because that monitor (and the piece of mind it offers) is the ONLYL reason I have been able to sleep soundly (sort of, ha ha) while my kids are in their cribs. And boy does that alarm go off if necessary! I recommend it to anyone! hope that static can disappear.... good luck!

he is only 4 months old. Maybe you both need more snuggle time. There is nothing wrong with co-sleeping or having him sleep in a bed next to you.

I understand that you feel so lucky to have him after so much effort. You want to do everything right, and tend to go "by the book". There is no book that takes the place of instinct. Keep him next to you until you are comfortable. Mine was in my bed till he was three. Then he went on his own, knowing he can always climb in with us if he gets scared or cant sleep. There are monitors that are noise activated and quite until he cries. Dont worry, you WILL wake up when he cries.

More Answers

K.:

I, too, was nervous about putting our daughter in her own crib, so she ended up sleeping in her bassinet in our room for somewhere between 4-5 months (I can't recall her exact age, but it was longer than I had planned). Really, it's like pulling a Band-Aid off - you just have to do it. Some things that helped me -

(1) Remove everything from the crib (e.g. that beautiful bumper, as well as any stuffed animals, blankets, pillows) to alleviate any worries concerning SIDS. You can replace the bumper with a breathable one if you haven't already done so (www.breathablebaby.com). A special note about blankets - when my daughter was in her bassinet, I used very light blankets (tucked snuggly under the pad), but I switched to a wearable sleepsack when she moved to the crib (www.halosleep.com). She's now 16 mos. and still using them - boy, did I sleep better once we started using those.

(2) Put a nightlight in the room (I've read several places that it's better for a baby/child not sleep in total darkness).

(3) Get another monitor (the one you have may just be having frequency issues - I find that different monitors work in different house) and, after you have adjusted to him being in another room (may take months), bring the volume down. I found it difficult to sleep when I heard every move our daughter made (of course, my husband had NO trouble sleeping whatsoever), but easier to bring the volume down as she got older.

(4) To help in the adjustment, I had my daughter sleep in her bassinet in another room first, then moved her to the crib (I don't know, I just felt that if she woke up at night, she would at least be familiar with the surroundings).

Lastly, I found a something called a Sound Soother at Sharper Image that I love. We have it on low when she sleeps and it’s been a gem (it helps get her to sleep and keep her asleep).

Hope this helps. My husband and I believe strongly that I child should sleep in their own room, but it was difficult for me to make the adjustment. Notice I said difficult for me - I think children handle it just fine. In fact, in my experience, it only becomes an issue if they've gotten too used to sleeping with parents for too long.

Best,
L.

2 moms found this helpful

Hi K.,

I am a first time mom of a 6 month old girl. I am breastfeeding and I thought I would keep my daughter in a co-sleeper at least until 3 or 4 months old. When my daughter was 6 weeks old she started squirming around a lot in the co-sleeper and I felt like she needed more room. I put her in her crib and she has been sleeping there ever since. Like you, I was so scared and I thought she would stop breathing; of course she didn't! I use the Summer video monitor. It is pricy at $189.99, but it has given me so much piece of mind! In addition, I use a very dim night light. She is such a good sleeper and I feel that she has grown more independent having her own space. The first few weeks might be hard, (I slept with the monitor on my pillow!), but now I am so glad I did it. Good luck, and always remember to do what feels right for you and your baby! :)

1 mom found this helpful

Hi K.,
If your're not ready, don't worry. He will adjust when it's time. I said I was going to put my now 8 month old daughter in her own room at 6 months, but I couldn't do it until almost 7 months. We use the Safety 1st video monitor which works really great. I keep the video monitor next to my bed at night and can see and hear her. The first few nights I went in and checked on her throughout the night, but she was always fine. Just stick to a bedtime routine, ours is a bottle, bath, book and then bed, and he will be fine. I also turn on a cd of baby lullabys everytime I lay her down and she knows as soon as she hears the music it's time for bed. She usually starts rubbing her face on my shoulder when she hears it. Try not to worry to much, but it is normal to have a little anxiety. Goodluck!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi K..

I know what you are going through since I too am going through the same thing. My son Wyatt is two months and I am having a hard time keeping him in his crib the whole night. I realized that if my son didn't sleep in his crib, that my husband was getting jealous and making rude remarks about our son being in our room until he was a teenager, so I finally listened and put him in there and he is doing really well. I also have major insecurities about some thing happening, but all I could do was to make sure that I did not put those onto my son at an early age, he shouldn't have to feel those because they are not his. Advice to you is listen to the things your husband may or may not be saying, because he too may feel jealous and he may be reaching out for your attention, but it is hard for him to get it because your son is in your room. As far as the insecurities they are always there I think and it is important that our sons do not get them from us at such an early age. I hope some of this helps.
L. and Wyatt

K.,
My daughter was about 3 months old when I started putting her in her crib to sleep at night. She wasn't getting good sleep in our room due to my husband's snoring and talking. She slept through the night the first night in her own room. I recommend reading "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" for great sleep advice. I slept with our door open and I have a video baby monitor that I L.! I found that even though she was in the next room I could still hear her. It's that "mom hearing"! Don't move Jack into his own room until your ready. I also had a bed in the same room as her crib if I wanted to sleep in there. I remember sleeping on the floor outside her room a night or two because I was so afraid I wouldn't hear her. We also had a difficult time conceiving so I understand how you feel. Just don't let YOUR insecurities become your child's. Feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
L.

I have four children, they are 6yrs, 3yrs(almost 4), 2yrs, and 6mths. I think that the baby should sleep with you until about 8 or nine months and then can be eased into sleeping in the crib. Your baby is only a baby once and you will never get this opportunity to sleep with him so close on a regular basis again. Some mothers like to put their babies in a crib right away but I feel like my children are such a gift that I want to cherish every moment I have with them while they are still so small because it is gone in the blink of an eye. If it is because you and/or your husband are uncomfortable sleeping, try proping the baby on a pillow with blankets surrounding him very tight, especially around his back and his tummy so that he feels like your right next to him still and give yourselves a little room. If it's just not what you want and the baby needs to be in the crib then try that also in the crib, also when you stuff the blankets a little under each side of the pillow, it makes it to where the baby really cant go rolling around. I know cribs can be scary, but as long as the baby is checked on throughout the night he will be fine. Good luck!

I started putting my little one in his crib when he was 4 months old, but only after I moved his crib into our bedroom, that makes the transition easier for all of us. You know your self and your baby, there is no right age he has to be in his crib, if you want him close, keep him close, he is your little guy
good luck

I HIGHLY recommend the Angelcare! Have you tried many different places so that the static has a chance to disappear? I hope that you can find a place because that monitor (and the piece of mind it offers) is the ONLYL reason I have been able to sleep soundly (sort of, ha ha) while my kids are in their cribs. And boy does that alarm go off if necessary! I recommend it to anyone! hope that static can disappear.... good luck!

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