# when to put infant in a crib?



## ebony_vbac (Jul 14, 2006)

i've been cosleeping with dd2 since birth, when dads not around and she's been in the cosleeper when he is. but now sometimes she's napping and will get up without me knowing like i'm in another room and i'm afraid she'll crawl off the bed or fall off the bed. should i put the rail up in teh crib and start putting her there? even when we'ere sleeping together i can go to the bathroom and come back and see her up and sitting up she's 7 mos btw


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

: Subbing

DD is 8 mo old now and we are finding the same thing she can wake up and be VERY silent and if we are in another room we don't hear her - even with the monitor on. This morning I walked into the bed room to find her sitting up inthe middle of the bed, luckily happily playing - but I worry about her falling.

For those that use bed rails, do you put one at the foot of the bed too?


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

We never used a crib or bed rails. We taught dd how to climb down safely (backwards)

-Angela


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## mean_jeannie (Mar 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
We never used a crib or bed rails. We taught dd how to climb down safely (backwards)

-Angela









:

Ds did crawl off the bed once - he hadn't noticed the edge. But he didn't start crawling until he was 9 or 10 mos. Just teach them how to get down. They will be able to, especially if they are already crawling.


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## askew (Jun 15, 2006)

We taught DS how to get down from the bed around 8-9 months. We worked on it every day, showing him how to get down backwards, holding onto the covers for support. By 10 months he could do it on his own.


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## Twwly (Jan 30, 2007)

DS just naps on the bed. We have a bedrail, the mattress and boxspring are still fairly high. If I need to leave the room, I go quickly, or use a baby monitor jobby. I used to put pillows around the him so that he couldn't just roll off when he was a bit older, but I don't bother now that he can get off the bed himself.

Adding that while I have come into the room numerous times to see DS sitting up, he's never moved from that spot, I'm in there as soon as I hear a noise.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

Hmmm... with dd1 we had a little "cozy nest" in the dining room so she could nap near the center of daily activity. (technically her cozy nest was a doggie bed on the floor, and we moved it to whatever room was close to activity but quiet...this nest now holds her stuffed animals). We also dropped our bed to the floor, put pillows on the floor, and taught dd1 to climb out feet/bottom first. ("Lead with the feet and not with the head, that is the way to get out of bed" while demonstrating the technique). She fell out once but was fine and never fell again.

With dd2 we're not comfortable putting her on the floor with dd1 running around! dd2 mostly naps in the ergo/sling but we'll be dropping the bed to the floor in the next week or two and doing that routine again.


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## WC_hapamama (Sep 19, 2005)

With my older 3 kids, we moved them to their own beds (twin or toddler) around age 2, when they started kicking, spinning and flailing around a ridiculous amount.

Our now 2 year old transitioned to a toddler bed at the foot of our bed at about 15 months old (around the same time he weaned)... he's a very restless sleeper, and I got tired of waking up with him laying on my head.


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## MindfulBirth (Mar 3, 2005)

We moved our mattress directly to the floor for a while. Later we put the box springs back underneath and just recently have put it back on the frame.


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## amyescott (Mar 13, 2007)

We have our mattress on the floor, and our DD can climb right off, feet first with no problem. I plan to bring the box springs in soon, and have the bed back on the frame in the next 6 months to a year. It seems to be the easiest, and there is no worry about baby falling far!


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## sweetsensation (May 27, 2006)

we always just surrounded ours with pillows and it wasn't usually a problem for them to crawl around too much. after several times of falling off the bed, though, both my 3 year old and 11month old just realized that that wasn't very much fun. my 11 month old did teach herself how to get off the bed backwards using the covers, but she is petite and the floor is a long way down!


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## MilkTrance (Jul 21, 2007)

What about in situations where your DH absolutely will NOT sleep on the floor?


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## darsmama (Jul 23, 2004)

I never used anything with my first two daughters, with my third - she sleeps in the play pen. She rolled off the couch 3 times before I said "Enough!" and brought out the pen for her to sleep in.


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## WasabiMama (Dec 29, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mean_jeannie* 







:

Ds did crawl off the bed once - he hadn't noticed the edge. But he didn't start crawling until he was 9 or 10 mos. Just teach them how to get down. They will be able to, especially if they are already crawling.

OP thanks for this thread. DD just started crawling 8 months old now. I had heard that you could teach them how to get down.

Mean_Jeanie, I have been doing this but not sure if I am doing it 'correctly' (LOL). What I have been doing is trying to get DD to turn around and then slide down on her tummy feet first. Repeat. She isn't getting the 'turn around' part yet. Does that just come with practice?


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## wanderinggypsy (Jul 26, 2005)

And here I am wondering not when, or why, but HOW?!!!!

My dd is 8 months and I'd lOVE for her to at least NAP in her crib sometimes, but between lowering her into it and removing my hands I always make her wake up and cry. And putting her down drowsy is just a joke... she gets un-drowsy in a hurry.

Ah well... it was just a pipedream.


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## Momtwice (Nov 21, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MindfulBirth* 
We moved our mattress directly to the floor for a while. Later we put the box springs back underneath and just recently have put it back on the frame.

We did not because of pets, but in countries where cosleeping is the norm, low beds are also typical (such as family futons in Japan.)


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## Contrariety (Jul 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *angelika13* 
We taught DS how to get down from the bed around 8-9 months. We worked on it every day, showing him how to get down backwards, holding onto the covers for support. By 10 months he could do it on his own.

Us, too.


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## Contrariety (Jul 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wanderinggypsy* 
And here I am wondering not when, or why, but HOW?!!!!

My dd is 8 months and I'd lOVE for her to at least NAP in her crib sometimes, but between lowering her into it and removing my hands I always make her wake up and cry. And putting her down drowsy is just a joke... she gets un-drowsy in a hurry.

Ah well... it was just a pipedream.

DS will take naps in his crib occasionally, or sometimes start the night out in his crib, but It was tricky to get him to stay in there. I started being diligent about putting him down in the crib for naps when he was about the age of your DD. It was tricky and he woke up a lot at first, but it only took about a week or so to get used to the movement of me placing him in his crib. Now he'll easily go down to sleep in the crib, but doesn't stay there very long.


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## mean_jeannie (Mar 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *WasabiMama* 
OP thanks for this thread. DD just started crawling 8 months old now. I had heard that you could teach them how to get down.

Mean_Jeanie, I have been doing this but not sure if I am doing it 'correctly' (LOL). What I have been doing is trying to get DD to turn around and then slide down on her tummy feet first. Repeat. She isn't getting the 'turn around' part yet. Does that just come with practice?

Ds actually learned the turn-around part on our front steps. He would crawl to the edge of the steps and look down. I would then turn him around on his belly and show him where the step was with his feet. Then we applied it to the bed. Steps are shallow, and with just a few it didn't seem so far for him to peer down and see where he needed to go. Once he got the hang of it, it was like he could trust himself to slide backwards off the bed.

Well, once he got the hang of it, he went up and down the steps 400 times first!









I guess I should've mentioned that, huh! lol!


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## ebony_vbac (Jul 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mean_jeannie* 
Ds actually learned the turn-around part on our front steps. He would crawl to the edge of the steps and look down. I would then turn him around on his belly and show him where the step was with his feet. Then we applied it to the bed. Steps are shallow, and with just a few it didn't seem so far for him to peer down and see where he needed to go. Once he got the hang of it, it was like he could trust himself to slide backwards off the bed.

Well, once he got the hang of it, he went up and down the steps 400 times first!









I guess I should've mentioned that, huh! lol!

wow i can believe your baby was crawling down the front stairs. i remember the first time my dd crawled up the stairs without me being there i almost had a heart attack. i'm interested in this thread but i reallly couldnt imagine teaching a 7 month old to climb off a bed when she just started crawling


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ebony_vbac* 
i'm interested in this thread but i reallly couldnt imagine teaching a 7 month old to climb off a bed when she just started crawling

We started teaching dd as soon as she was mobile- so around 5 months or so? Before she really even was crawling all the way.

We had a silly saying "off with the feet, not with the head, that's the safe way to get off the bed" and we would walk her body through the process.

By 8 or 9 months she was great at doing it herself.

-Angela


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## Momma2SoSweet (Feb 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
We started teaching dd as soon as she was mobile- so around 5 months or so? Before she really even was crawling all the way.

We had a silly saying "off with the feet, not with the head, that's the safe way to get off the bed" and we would walk her body through the process.

By 8 or 9 months she was great at doing it herself.

-Angela

Ditto. We started teaching dd how to safely get off the bed as soon as she started rolling over, actually. (Around 2-3 months.) I would just physically move her body (on her tummy, feet first) off of the bed. The first time she climbed safely off the bed by herself she was around 6-7 months old and wasn't even crawling yet. She has never once fallen off of the bed or couch etc because she has always known how to safely get down.

The only time we ever used the crib was when we side-carred it to the bed.


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## Julian's Momma (Oct 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
We never used a crib or bed rails. We taught dd how to climb down safely (backwards)

We did this too, but I was concerned about DS tossing and turning in his sleep and potentially falling off. We had the mattress on the floor with rails too and DS could just climb out of the opening.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Julian's Momma* 
We did this too, but I was concerned about DS tossing and turning in his sleep and potentially falling off. We had the mattress on the floor with rails too and DS could just climb out of the opening.

Dd was never a big toss and turner- I would have worried more if she was. And I was always very aware of her. She did fall off a couple of times







but she was fine...

-Angela


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## Magali (Jun 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Momma2SoSweet* 
Ditto. We started teaching dd how to safely get off the bed as soon as she started rolling over, actually. (Around 2-3 months.) I would just physically move her body (on her tummy, feet first) off of the bed. The first time she climbed safely off the bed by herself she was around 6-7 months old and wasn't even crawling yet. She has never once fallen off of the bed or couch etc because she has always known how to safely get down.


I find this amazing. I am imagining my 8 month old ds getting down off the bed all by himself and all I can see is him falling. Maybe if we had started showing him how to do it months ago? But even then I can't see him getting off the bed by himself. Do those of you that do this have beds that are not too far from the ground?


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Magali* 
I find this amazing. I am imagining my 8 month old ds getting down off the bed all by himself and all I can see is him falling. Maybe if we had started showing him how to do it months ago? But even then I can't see him getting off the bed by himself. Do those of you that do this have beds that are not too far from the ground?

Ours is not *super* high, but it's off the floor for sure.

-Angela


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## Momma2SoSweet (Feb 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Magali* 
I find this amazing. I am imagining my 8 month old ds getting down off the bed all by himself and all I can see is him falling. Maybe if we had started showing him how to do it months ago? But even then I can't see him getting off the bed by himself. Do those of you that do this have beds that are not too far from the ground?

I've got to tell you, I found it pretty amazing myself.







I had friends with kids the same age as mine telling me how their kids would fall off the couch and the bed in seconds- just barrel over the edge. But dd has never once fallen off. It was weird to me to hear all these stories when my little monkey would slide herself straight off the bed feet first. I asked those friends if any of them had been teaching their babes to safely get down off of furniture and they said no. It was very important to me to teach my dd to safely get off the bed because I knew we'd be co sleeping for a long time.

And our bed is a good two feet off the ground. We have it on a frame and a box spring.


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## mean_jeannie (Mar 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
We had a silly saying "off with the feet, not with the head, that's the safe way to get off the bed" and we would walk her body through the process.

-Angela

I love your silly saying! Great!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Magali* 
I find this amazing. I am imagining my 8 month old ds getting down off the bed all by himself and all I can see is him falling. Maybe if we had started showing him how to do it months ago? But even then I can't see him getting off the bed by himself. Do those of you that do this have beds that are not too far from the ground?

My bed is pretty high off the ground. Ds holds onto the comforter while he slides off the bed backwards and always has. I think it's a natural reflex to grip onto something until he feels safe enough to drop the rest of the way. And he has landed on his butt sometimes, lol!


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## mean_jeannie (Mar 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ebony_vbac* 
wow i can believe your baby was crawling down the front stairs. i remember the first time my dd crawled up the stairs without me being there i almost had a heart attack. i'm interested in this thread but i reallly couldnt imagine teaching a 7 month old to climb off a bed when she just started crawling

You definitely have to stay within your comfort zone. It always freaked my mom out to see him going up and down the steps, too. She thought I was nuts.

FWIW, there is no reason to not introduce a crib to your lo (IMO - I know there are people that disagree with cribs). My ds has a crib that he uses more and more as he is growing. We co-sleep whenever he needs us but it is a lot less frequent these days. He always starts off the nights in his crib. And he will take naps in it, too. But in bed with mommy and daddy is always available to him.

We had a lot of success making pillow barriers on the bed, too. We don't have bed rails.

Good luck!


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## huggerwocky (Jun 21, 2004)

nevermind


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *huggerwocky* 
nevermind

Edited after your edit







huggerwocky had asked how I did that









As soon as she was mobile, when she would move towards the edge of the bed we would turn her around and ease her off backwards. We had a silly little rhyme that we always used







"off with the feet, not with the head, that's the safe way to get off the bed"

Every time she'd get close to the edge we'd do it. Soon she was helping with the process (turning around, helping easing herself down) Within a couple of months she could do it fine by herself.

-Angela


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