# How to use crib as a sidecar????



## Sunshine Mama (Sep 18, 2006)

I've read a couple of posts that mention this. Do you just remove one of the long sides of the crib and pull it up against your bed (ours doesn't have a drop rail)? Does this jeopardize the structural integrity of the crib?
It sounds like a great idea as SO is currently sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor so DS and I can cosleep







. But I wouldn't even consider it if I thought the crib would fall apart.

TIA,
Laurie


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## sunshinesister (Oct 8, 2005)

says sunshinesister to sunshinemama...
we sidecar and it works GREAT! when we looked for a crib, we looked for an especially sturdy one without a dropside so that it would work this way. like you said, we took off one long side (or rather, never attached it) and pushed it up to the bed. then, we took trucker straps (ratchet straps? got them at an auto parts store) and attached them from the underneath far part of the crib to the underneath far part of our bed, so it's all one big bed unit now. also, by pushing the crib mattress flush against the bed, there will then be a gap between the crib and the mattress. we rolled up a couple of towels to fill that gap. HTH!


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## Meiri (Aug 31, 2002)

You remove one of the long sides. Doing this didn't seem to mess up DD's crib. Remember that the springs help hold the whole thing together and squared.

Next you tie or otherwise secure the crib to the side of the bed.

I then shoved the crib mattress against the side of ours, bridging the inevidible gap. To fill in the new gap on the far side of crib, I rolled a blanket or 2 (it's been a long time) into a very firm stuffing roll, filling every bit of the gap and being just slightly above the mattress. Firm is important.

I found that DD tended to gravitate towards us. I also kept the crib mattress just slightly lower than our's. Kept her contained, but still easily accessable and easily slid back into her space.

Hope this helps.


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## mama_tigress (May 19, 2006)

Most cribs these days can be converted to toddler beds by taking off one side and adding a stabilizing board. We did this, then pushed bed and crib together and tied them very securely. Then we pushed the crib mattress to be flush with the bed mattress, and got some sturdy building foam from Home Depot and cut it to fit in the space on the other side. We covered that with sheets. I have pics on photobucket but how do I post them so people can't see my whole album?


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## J2 (Aug 12, 2006)

Just post the url link. It will allow us only to the picture you give us a link for.


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## josh&davesmomme (Feb 24, 2006)

this is how we side carred our crib http://groups.msn.com/SteveandLishsF...decarcrib.msnw
it works fantastic for us


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## mama_tigress (May 19, 2006)

Lish, your site was my inspiration when we set up our side-carred crib! I love the new pics on it. I think I'd love to make a pad like that to put over the junction between the two mattresses. (Not to mention I need something anyway to catch leaks of all sorts)

Here's our setup:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...ecarsetup2.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...decarsetup.jpg

Oh, and also I recommend leaving space between the crib and the wall, if possible. It works great for laying DS down at night when he falls asleep (he goes to bed before we do), because I can walk over to the side of the crib and lay him down, rather than crawl over the entire bed. If the bed and crib are securely tied together, this works fine.


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## gilamama (Aug 9, 2005)

how does this all work in terms of nursing?

are you all aware when your baby starts to roll around and look for your nipple? or does he she have to cry and wake you up?

do you end up sleeping in the crib with the baby?

we currently have a guard rail and it is getting unsafe she holds onto it and stands up and it is an accident waiting to happen.


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## J2 (Aug 12, 2006)

I think you can still be real cloes to your baby with this setup. Just like if you were in a king bed. For us, we are going to do this setup because we have a queen bed and it is very cramped. Baby can still move to mom. But most likely, if baby is a cuddler, then baby will still be sleeping real lcose to mom, like half on bed and half in the crib. Just provides extra room so everyone isn't so cramped.


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## josh&davesmomme (Feb 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gilamama* 
how does this all work in terms of nursing?

are you all aware when your baby starts to roll around and look for your nipple? or does he she have to cry and wake you up?

do you end up sleeping in the crib with the baby?

we currently have a guard rail and it is getting unsafe she holds onto it and stands up and it is an accident waiting to happen.

My ds rarely cries during the night, I actually wake before or as he does I'm not sure how or why. we migrate towards eachother for nursing sometimes he's in my bed or on the crease and sometimes he's in his side car- it's where ever we land- he's a rolly baby some nights he'll be sleeping with his feet on my chin ...so when he wakes I have to turn him to nurse other nights he sleeps nestled up against me and just opens his mouth and begins to nurse. Every baby sleeps different but for us using the side car is just really an extention of our bed. I have a photo of us nursing in the side car on my page- it's kinda dim because I didn't want to wake the baby.


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## josh&davesmomme (Feb 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mama_tigress* 
Lish, your site was my inspiration when we set up our side-carred crib! I love the new pics on it. I think I'd love to make a pad like that to put over the junction between the two mattresses. (Not to mention I need something anyway to catch leaks of all sorts)

Here's our setup:

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...ecarsetup2.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...decarsetup.jpg

Oh, and also I recommend leaving space between the crib and the wall, if possible. It works great for laying DS down at night when he falls asleep (he goes to bed before we do), because I can walk over to the side of the crib and lay him down, rather than crawl over the entire bed. If the bed and crib are securely tied together, this works fine.

Thank You!!
I love our new pad between mommy's milk and diaper leaks and the occasional puking inceident it's nice to have- no changing sheets in the middle of the night just whip it off and go back to sleep.
I like your set up!
Would you mind if I added your photos and tips to my page? you can say "no" ofcourse but I thought it'd be nice for others to see other set ups and tips too!


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## cancat (Jun 15, 2004)

Wow, I was just going to post a question on how to fill the "hole" at the side of the crib...my crib is a little bit different I think in that it sits in the crib a little bit, with a little lip of wood coming up, so I don't know how it will work pushed over, but I will post photos when I get it to work...


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## Ell-Bell (Nov 16, 2002)

We do the same thing, only our crib is so heavy that there is no need to tie it to the bed- it aint going anywhere! We removed the part of the frame that keeps the toddler matress in and pushed the matress right up next to ours and filled in the gap on the outside (did that make sense?).

DS usually just sleeps in the bed with us after the first wake up to breastfeed. Honestly I don't usually even remember feeding him, we both just halfway wake up and roll over. I still guide my nipple into the general area of his mouth.

Once he is in the bed with us, if he's in the middle I usually end up with my upper body in the crib, I love it because it is extra space that I wouldn't have if the bed were just pushed up against the wall.


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## josh&davesmomme (Feb 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cancat* 
Wow, I was just going to post a question on how to fill the "hole" at the side of the crib...my crib is a little bit different I think in that it sits in the crib a little bit, with a little lip of wood coming up, so I don't know how it will work pushed over, but I will post photos when I get it to work...

I heard of another family with the same problem laid a folded blanket or two down under the mattress to make the bottom level and lift the mattress up over that lip - does that make sense? I can picture it in my head but just can't explain it what I mean


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## Ell-Bell (Nov 16, 2002)

That's what we planned on doing (blankets under the mattress to push it above the lip) but it ended up that the lip was removeable so we were able to just push it right over.


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