OK, It's Time to Put Baby in His Own Room. . .

Updated on August 30, 2011
S.T. asks from Denver, CO
11 answers

I know, I know - he's 9 months old and he's getting too big for his portable crib in our room. I'm dreading it, but it's time. He takes naps in his room, in his "big boy crib" right now. How do we transition him into sleeping there at night? It's going to be hardest for me—I have weird OCD habits and have to have my door shut and locked to sleep and will have to get used to sleeping with my door and his, open at night. My husband is also not home 15 nights of the month, so it's just me and him and I'm worried! I like having him right there next to me. Sigh. . . Any recommendations to make this easier??? We are going to buy a monitor (is just audio OK since he's older?)

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.R.

answers from Kansas City on

Spring for the video. It will give you piece of mind.

3 moms found this helpful

L.A.

answers from Austin on

He is going to be fine.. The audio will work great. If you feel like you wan to see him, do invest in one with a monitor, to save yourself from feeling like you need to get up and check on him.
The monitors are really fine tuned..

What you will need to get used to is allowing him to fuss for a few moments and not go in there every time to check on him.. Also he may move around, even be awake, but entertain himself and all of this is just fine.

I think you could still shut and lock your door and leave his open. You are going to hear everything.

If you go in to feed and change him in the middle of the night, do it with as little light as possible (I just used the nightlight)and do not speak with him.. He will be bored, or so sleepy, he will easily go right back to sleep.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.R.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Why make it h*** o* both of you? Can't you just keep him in your room somehow? My doctor always said, "Why change things that are working?" And my baby slept in a pack and play forever in our room. I think your transition sounds hard and will cause more stress on both of you. I think it would be fine if you figured out a way to keep him in your room with you. :) It's okay. There's no rule book you have to follow to put your little kids in their own room. You just do what is working for you. I know when my husband is gone, I can't sleep unless my kids are by me. Heck, those nights, we all sleep together. I say do what is working for you - don't make it h*** o* yourself if you don't have to. If it's not broken, don't fix it. :)

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.P.

answers from Cleveland on

just get a regular moniter, its fine, but i sleep with our door closed and our daughter is on a totally different floor then her, (her room is in the finished basement right now and and ours is upstairs) so you would be fine sleeping with both doors closed

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I would go with a video monitor. Just better for you to be able to "see" what's going on while you are in your room--you can then keep your door shut & locked! LOL

He may actually sleep better in his own room, as I've been told that we disturb them more than they disturb us throughout the night.

Just change your bedtime routine to include putting him in his crib.
Good luck!

2 moms found this helpful

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Get whatever will make you comfortable and at ease with it. If it helps, know that generations ago, monitors didn't even exist. And as recently as 10 years ago (my kids are 13 and 10) MOST monitors were only audio and far inferior in quality than what is probably available today. Both my kids stayed in their own room in their own crib from the day they came home from the hospital (48 hours old or less). Our bedroom was at the exact opposite end of the house from the baby's room. You will be able to hear everything just fine. Especially at his age.
When mine were brand spanking new, I could hear every little squeak.. and mommy's usually have one ear that never sleeps anyway... LOL
You'll be fine.

2 moms found this helpful

E.S.

answers from Dayton on

My DS is 16 months old. He still sleeps in our room.
No intent to move him anytime soon.
When DH is not home I also have DD sleep in our bed and lock the door.

Can you move his crib into your room?

IDK...I guess all I'm saying is if you want to keep him in your room...do it. :)
There is no rule that he 'has to' be in his own room.
We kept DD in our room until she became a nuisance (4.5). (Keeping her brother awake.) We don't live in the best neighborhood and I just felt better about it.
And yes, that was a hard transition on the mommy, too. :)

Remember, do what works for your family. :)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.L.

answers from Savannah on

Our son is 9 months too! We used to have a video monitor, but since an airline "lost" it in June, we have been using an audio one. We use one made by Sony and we never have any problems with it. I would not suggest sleeping with his and your door open with the sue of a monitor. The monitor amplifies the sounds and if he is making a little bit of fuss in his sleep, the sound from your end can actually wake him up! Because you are a nervous nelly, I would definitely suggest the video monitor. You can check on him any time you want without going into his room and disturbing him. We moved our son into his nursery at 3 months and I would check the monitor constantly, and check on him once a night before I went to bed by going in and making sure he was still breathing. It will be hard at first, but you will get used to it. I have a feeling it will be harder for Mommy than baby! Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

M.L.

answers from Houston on

You can do it! I have weird OCD too... so I got a baby monitor that isn't just sounds, (b/c I would constantly think I was hearing him even if I wasn't or it was a car or something), but it also shows sound volume on a screen (you know, like a heartbeat). So, when I saw lots of red lights, I knew baby was crying.

Dr. Sears has great baby sleep tips;

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems

scroll down about half a page to see the transitioning techniques:
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/31-ways-g...

1 mom found this helpful

T.C.

answers from Dallas on

We have a regular baby monitor. We leave our door open and leave baby's door closed or else she'll wake up from the other kids. If you really don't want to move him, you don't need to. Maybe just bring his crib into your room. Some of my kids have slept longer in our room than others. Our 14 month old still sleeps in a pack n play:-) That's only because we don't have a crib anymore. They were all being recalled, I got paranoid, and we decided to get rid of it.

As for tips, we used the usual bedtime routine, put her to bed, and let her sleep. We go in if she wakes up (giving her about 5 minutes to settle if she wakes). She has a pacifier, and it helps her sleep better at night. She's a pretty easy baby, so it wasn't too hard. She sleeps through the night. She started consistently sleeping through the night at 11 months. That is WAY younger than any of our other babies.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.R.

answers from Boston on

if it maked you more comfortable you should get the monitor that has picture too....that way you can see him if your worried or just want to watch him sleeping....i never had the one with picture myself

1 mom found this helpful
For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions