# transition from family bed to crib



## Puppylove (Sep 29, 2005)

DD had her 4 month well baby check. Her growth is great (16lbs 26.5 in). Told the Dr. we were co-sleeping and she was very supportive. She did say that unless we wanted dd to be with us for a few years, we should consider transitioning her to her crib by 7months or separation issues might make it very difficult. While I LOVE having her with me, I was not planning on having her with us beyond a year.

What do you all think. Anyone transitioned a child out at a year? Was it difficult?

Who knows, maybe I will change my mind once a year approaches.

Thanks
mich


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## momofelise (Apr 13, 2005)

My dd's almost a year, and I don't see her wanting to go to a crib anytime soon... We used to put her in the crib in the evening before bringing her to bed with us, but around 6 mo or so, she started refusing that. She now goes to bed in our bed, and we're all happier. She nurses to sleep on the sofa, I carry her to our bed, and then DH and I have our own time. We plan to transition her at 2 yrs. I don't think it would be easy to transition a 1 yr-old, but it probably also depends a lot on the particular child.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

we just made the transition at 18 mos....it went very smoothly and dd is sleeping really well in her crib!!









sorry...can't write more now. someone at the door.....


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## Kia (Sep 21, 2004)

I don't have any experience transitioning my baby from our bed to a crib but, like the OP, I would be interested to hear of other mamas' experiences. My daughter is 18 months old and although nights with her are anything but restful, I think I would really miss her sweet face beside mine in the morning if I moved her to a crib.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

I haven't transitioned my own dd out of our bed (she's 8 months) but my best friend has moved all of her children once they can walk...she's had a lot of luck with gradually moving them from the family bed to a "you start in your own bed but can come back if you need to later" to a "you sleep in your bed and can come into the "adult" bed in the morning". She always told me that once they can walk they can come and get you if they really need something and that she wouldn't want to transition one of them before they could walk because then they'd be "stuck" if they needed nursing or what have you (making more work for her since she'd have to keep checking on them).

I'm curious to see what other mamas have done though...my dd has just started walking and I'm no where near wanting to move her into the nursery!


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## kennedy444 (Aug 2, 2002)

I coslept until dd was 12 mos old and then I really started to feel like a real life human pacifier all night. If the boob wasn't in her mouth then she was crying. It got too much for me.
Now I nurse her then stand up and rock her and sing to her for bit then place her in the crib. She sleeps from 8pm to 5am then comes into nurse and stays in bed with me for another 1-3 hours.
When this routine first started if dd would cry in the middle of the night my husband would go to her and rub her back/pat her bumm. This usually would settle her down. If it didn't then I would nurse her back to sleep.


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## janerose (May 9, 2004)

We co-slept with dd in a crib sidecar for the first 6 months. Around 6 months we noticed that it really seemed to disturb her when we came to bed, we all wanted more space (she's never been a "clingy" sleeper), and nobody was sleeping well.

I just started rocking/nursing her in the evening & laying her down in the crib. Which was still in our room, but just not attached right to the bed. Maybe it was because she co-slept in the crib as a sidecar, but she transitioned really well.

She almost 15 mo now & she starts each night in her room. Whenever she wakes (usually between 12 & 5) she comes to bed with us for the rest of the night.

We did this because it works best for all of us. We see it as the best of both worlds. But if she hadn't been ready to move to sleeping on her own I wouldn't have transitioned her. And there will never be a point in the future where if she wants to join us we'll force her to sleep alone.

Anyway, certainly do whatever works best & feels most natural for your family, but don't let the ped scare you into stopping co-sleeping if you're not ready. Only you know what's best for your family!

Holly


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kia*
I don't have any experience transitioning my baby from our bed to a crib but, like the OP, I would be interested to hear of other mamas' experiences. My daughter is 18 months old and although nights with her are anything but restful, I think I would really miss her sweet face beside mine in the morning if I moved her to a crib.

I feel like I get the best of both worlds now. DD sleeps all night in her crib so I get to stretch out in my bed (very important as my belly expands) and actually sleep myself. Then around 5-5:30ish she wakes up and we bring her into bed with us for nursing/snuggling. We often doze off until my DH's alarm goes off at 7 so we still get to experience waking up with her and getting morning kisses!!


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