# If you planned to cobed, did you purchase a baby crib?



## csroddin (Nov 2, 2011)

I'm pregnant with my first child and planning to cobed/cosleep (I will probably keep a playpen with bassinet next to my bed if it's not going well a certain night or something). But I am not sure whether I should register for a crib or not? I have a friend who tried cosleeping with her son, and he wouldn't do it, so he became a crib-sleeper.

Or should I just wait until the baby is born and see how things go, if I really need it? What did you ladies do.


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## AnnieA (Nov 26, 2007)

We bought a crib from IKEA and side-carred it to our bed. DD spends some time there and some time in the bed with me. If I'm super tired, I will put her in the crib for safety reasons. I don't trust that I will remember she's there when I'm running on little to no sleep. It's working out well for us so far.


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## tooraloora (Oct 15, 2010)

With my DD, I was told that I absolutely had to have a bassinet and a crib, and that a co-sleeper would make night time feedings a lot easier. So I got all three. DD never so much as took a nap in her pretty little bassinet. It turned out to be just a decoration in the nursery (which was also pretty pointless). I spent the first week using the co-sleeper on and off since it was right there, and I figured I should get some use out of it. By the end of that week, I took it out of the bed. I made a few half-hearted attempted at using the crib, but we both hated it. In the end, all three items were a big waste of money.

With my DS, I knew we would co-sleep 100%. However, we were in a DV shelter when he was born, so I got another little co-sleeper like I had with DD so that it could be said that he had his own sleep surface. Though we've never actually used it, I kept it regardless for a long time, because it folded and took up very little space, and had a CPS issue come up, I could pull it out of the closet and use it to show that he had his own sleep surface. Other than that, I had no use for it, but it took up too little space not to hold onto it just in case. After he was a little older, we got a crib mattress to pull out for solo naps occasionally.

If I ever have another child, I doubt I'll bother getting anything other than a crib mattress for naps, if that. I like for DS to be able to get up and move around when he needs to do so, instead of having to cry until I let him out. If I'm not in bed when he needs something (like a diaper change or to nurse), instead of crying, he just hops out of bed and comes to get me, and he's done so since he started crawling. I also like not having jump out of bed as soon as he wakes to get my crying babe out of crib. We skip that and go straight to morning cuddles. However, my bedroom is the family bedroom (fully baby-proofed) and the only parts of the house that aren't totally child-friendly are gated off so he can't get to them without me. If that wasn't the case, I'd likely be more interested in something like a crib or playpen.

What you should do really depends on what works for you and how you see handling things later on down the road (such as when baby becomes mobile). If it isn't going to be safe for baby to roam around upon waking (or you just aren't comfortable with it), you might as well get a crib or playpen. If you're unsure but want an alternative sleep surface available, you can always get a crib mattress for now (which you'd need anyways if you get a crib) and get a crib later if you decide it's necessary.


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## scottishmommy (Nov 30, 2009)

Yeah, you probably should register for a crib. If nothing else, you can use it to set the baby down when you need to go to the bathroom or something. Also, you can convert it into a toddler bed when baby is older. My kids are both co sleepers, but I do put them in the crib for naps.


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## eirual (Mar 21, 2006)

I bought a crib because I thought I'd need it and I thought I'd use it, but it was a big fat waste of space and $$. DS didn't spend so much as 20 minutes in it. We did have it sidecarred at one point, but he still hated it (it was the contact/cuddles he wanted), so occassionally my feet would end up in there if I needed just a few extra inches of wiggle-room.

Otherwise, it was a glorified hamper. I could put DS down on the bed with some pillows surrounding him if I had to run and pee, or had a bouncy infant seat thing if need be. Otherwise DS was pretty much always in arms, and both he and I were happiest that way!


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## Amatullah0 (Apr 7, 2009)

I wish we had invested in a king size bed, and when we save up enough $$ we plan on getting one.

We had a cosleeper bassinet(arms reach) and I didn't like it because it wasn't the same height as our bed and I didn't have the energy to figure out how to adjust it or to anchor it to the bed.

Someone gave us a crib, and I liked it because it was light weight and easy to roll out of the way. I also liked that with it sidecarred to the bed, the crib mattress was the same height as our mattress, and it added a little extra room to our bed. It was also a nice place to stash extra diapers/wipes for midnight changes. I also liked that it was somewhere I could put DS when he decided to sleep and we wanted the bed to ourselves. I didn't like it because it meant I had to climb over DH to get out of bed.

I think it might have been better if we had gotten a full size or twin size bed and put that next to our bed. I wouldn't have bought a crib, especially in hindsight(since DS was able to climb out of it by about 14 months old). It mostly just took up space in the room, though we DID use it. We still use the crib mattress occasionally, for naps, but mostly as a slide!

I would probably ask/look around for a used crib.


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## neonalee (Nov 20, 2009)

My mom & aunts insisted they wanted to buy a crib. I hadn't planned to use one so I made sure to register for one that also is a toddler bed, Day bed, & full size bed. It didn't get set up until he was 10 months old. He's 15 months now & all his toys are in it when I'm cleaning LOL

sent from my phone using tapatalk, please forgive typos


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## Imakcerka (Jul 26, 2011)

We had a crib that our oldest moved into at 3. 3 because she was a wanderer and needed a baby jail. Baby slept with us and then a pack n play during her naps or if 3 yr old felt like gymnastics at 2 am. Baby never used the crib. So all that money and it was used as a jail... well until she learned to monkey out of it.


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## katelove (Apr 28, 2009)

We don't have one. LO is 18mo and we haven't missed it so far.


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## milkybean (Mar 19, 2008)

No, we did not even *think*, not even for a second, about buying a crib.

We did, however, get a king sized bed once he was nearly 2 and started sleeping sideways, LOL.


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## Adaline'sMama (Apr 16, 2010)

We dont have one, but its really because we have limited space and at the time we only had room for one bed-type thing and I chose a pack n play since I could use the bassinet part of it side carred to our bed (which, tbh she only slept in if I moved her into it so DH and I could have some, ahem, space.) and then I could use it as a playpen as she got older. She has never used it as a playpen, and I wouldnt make the same choice again. I would get an arms reach instead.


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## Imakcerka (Jul 26, 2011)

yeah not all babes do well with a playpen. It's very low to the ground too and our house is so drafty! Our lab hated it because he couldn't get under it. He loves babies! So he was stuck staring at her all night with his face mooshed against the mesh. Poor boy.

Either way a crib doesn't matter.


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## PatioGardener (Aug 11, 2007)

No crib for us! I figured if I needed one for some reason I could always buy one. Otherwise it would be a waste of money.

18 months and he's never slept in a crib...


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## Monkey's Mum (May 6, 2009)

We had a crib sidecar style next to our bed but DS wouldn't sleep in it. Big waste of money and space. We eventually got a king size bed and that is soooo nice for space (especially with a 3.5 y old who sleeps sideways when he inevitably ends up back in our bed. I don't mind - I love cuddling with him and he moves too fast now to do much cuddling during the day. When our new baby arrives I'm going to have a mesh side rail next to me so I can put the baby at the edge of the bed and not the middle like I did with DS.


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## tank (Nov 22, 2010)

I started a thread about this same topic a while back when I was pregnant. We planned on cosleeping and my dad and his wife really wanted to buy us a crib. We ended up letting them buy us a crib. We picked the cheapest one (not really on purpose, I just wanted a simple slim one) that could be turned into a toddler bed. My DS is almost 3 weeks now and although we cosleep exclusivly I don't regret having the crib. It is in our bedroom and we put him down in it when we leave the bed for whatever reason during the night or sometimes i will lay him in it during the day just to have somewhere safe to put him while I hang out laundry or whatever. I honestly don't know if we will ever have him sleep the night in there but I like having the option of a safe place to put him down in our bedroom. Our bed is really high up with no option to put the mattress on the floor and we also have 2 very sweet but rambunctious dogs. We also have a pack n play which lives in the living room. I never thought it would be such a necessity to have so many places to set DS down but it is. I feel like I am holding him 99% of the day but when I need to put him down it is really nice for it to be safe.


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## mkat83 (Oct 10, 2010)

We have a crib, an Arm's Reach, and a pack n play, yet DS has slept with us every single night of his life thus far. I knew I wanted to bed share, but we still got a crib because it made things easier to not have certain family members ask too many questions about why we didn't have one. We were lucky in that we had a lot of people who wanted to buy large baby items for us, so I registered for all three. My mom even got us a really expensive organic crib mattress. The crib has never been used once thus far. It is one that can convert to a toddler bed, though, so perhaps it will get some use in the future. The Arm's Reach has never been slept in, either. I've tried to put DS in it a few times, but he never slept there, and I didn't keep trying. I just like having him closer to me anyhow. I also think the Arm's Reach mattress is *really* hard. I don't blame DS for not wanting to sleep in it! I do, however, use it as a place to put extra diapers and other things. I keep a tap light there as well to use during middle of the night wakings. I read on one thread about a mom who bought a piece of foam and added it to the Arm's Reach making it softer and raising it to the level of the bed. I've thought seriously about doing that myself. As for the pack n play, its in the living room and DS has taken naps in it, and it is a place I can put him if I need a safe place for a few minutes. He's a very light sleeper, so getting him to sleep in the pnp doesn't happen often.

We're planning to upgrade to a king latex mattress soon for more space, both because of DS and in anticipation of other kids down the road.


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## mamacolleen (Dec 16, 2009)

We didn't buy a crib when I was pregnant. We bought an arms reach, which DD slept in until she grew out of it. She spent at least part of every night in it and the rest beside me or on me. Once she grew out of the arms reach we did buy a crib with the intention of side-carring it, which we still do at 29 months. She usually sleeps right beside me in the bed anyway but I do find it's nice to have somewhere to shift her over to when I need a little more space.

I wouldn't buy a crib until the baby is born because you never know what will work for your family.


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## McGucks (Nov 27, 2010)

We didn't want a crib and instead put a changing pad (probably had three inch sides or something like that) from Target into the bed with us when he was a newborn/infant. We already had a king-sized bed, though, so this was workable for us.

Two of my neighbors were so concerned that we didn't have a crib that they literally nabbed one from a friend who was having a yard sale and carried it to our house. We tried it for a time, but I found that I could either spend 45 minutes-1 hour trying to get him to sleep in that vs. lying down in our big bed with him for 10-20 minutes.

Also, our bed is on boxsprings on the floor. He bumped out of it a time or two, but we have a rug and he never got hurt at all.

The crib is now taking up space in our basement and DH wants to use it in the garden in the spring for something or other.

My MIL was obsessed with getting us a bassinette (sp.). I was so frustrated with how our son DIDN'T sleep in it that, on a sleep-deprived night, I literally threw it into the backyard and broke it. It was a piece of crap, too. Poorly made and our son didn't sleep nearly as well in that as when I would sleep next to him.

I know people want to shop for new babies, but it can turn into a big hassle when someone is very focused on getting you something that you don't want or need and for which you don't have the room. Space is a big issue for us.


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## McGucks (Nov 27, 2010)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mamacolleen*
> 
> I wouldn't buy a crib until the baby is born because you never know what will work for your family.












Also, I just remembered that sometimes we'd use the crib for the first couple of hours of the night, then move him in bed with us.


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## Adaline'sMama (Apr 16, 2010)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *caedenmomma*
> 
> We didn't want a crib and instead put a changing pad (probably had three inch sides or something like that) from Target into the bed with us when he was a newborn/infant. We already had a king-sized bed, though, so this was workable for us.
> 
> ...










this sounds a lot like my new mom behavior.


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## J1379 (Feb 25, 2011)

We bought a crib when I was pregnant with DS1...and I wish we hadn't. A complete waste - neither one of my children slept in it at all. But that being said, I didn't know when I was pregnant just how much I would love co-sleeping and love the bond that it developed with my children and I (and DH too!). I bought the crib thinking that I would only co-sleep in the early months and then move my children to the crib....but I never did. We did buy a convertible crib at least - so it will get used eventually as a full-sized bed. It also converts to a "daybed" and DS2 (15 months old) does nap there (with a bedrail in place) when my Mom is here watching him because she feels more comfortable with him in there than in my bed. I'm okay with that.

I had to laugh at caedenmomma's post...we had our crib in our crawlspace for about the first year of DS2's life and neighbours or extended family members visiting would always comment on the fact that there was no crib set up in his room. Sometimes I thought it would just be easier to set up a crib "for show" than to have to explain to these people who are not like-minded to me as to why I co-sleep LOL!


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## RStelle (Jul 12, 2011)

My mom kept telling us "don't get a crib, you're never going to use it," probably the best piece of baby advice I've gotten, we ignored it and got a crib with and organic mattress (sooo expensive)...which we've never used. Maybe twice a week dd will play in it for like half an hour. I would really recommend you wait and see, because you can always get a crib if you end up wanting/needing one, but you probably won't need it.


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## mkat83 (Oct 10, 2010)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *J1379*
> 
> I had to laugh at caedenmomma's post...we had our crib in our crawlspace for about the first year of DS2's life and neighbours or extended family members visiting would always comment on the fact that there was no crib set up in his room. *Sometimes I thought it would just be easier to set up a crib "for show" than to have to explain to these people who are not like-minded to me as to why I co-sleep LOL!*










Pretty much the only reason we have the crib set up... for show, and it makes a nice place to store toys for now!


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## kateber (Nov 16, 2011)

We have a crib in our bedroom. For the first year, I used as a place for dd to hang out while I took a shower or if I was doing something upstairs and needed a safe place for her to hang out in. Now she will usually sleep in the crib for part of the night and sleeps with us the rest of the night. I feel like it was good having it from the beginning because it was a play space to her and a secure place. She knows I am nearby and feels safe in her crib, and now that I'm expecting twins I'm glad she feels comfortable to sleep at least part of the night in her own little space.


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## angireid (Nov 29, 2011)

We got a crib and a basinette and a co sleeper which I returned. I wanted to but I didn't think Co sleeping cold work for us because I move so much in the night. Little did I know what a difference knowing my baby was there would make.  We used the basinette for a bit, the first 6 weeks or so, I would put him in there when he was asleep until I went to bed, then when he outgrew it at 6 weeks I started putting him in the crib after he was asleep until i went to bed (or rather when he woke) and that worked well for a while. but at the 9 month mark I wanted to stop rocking him to sleep. and our bed is shared with our dog, who is 85 lbs and very gentle but it made me too worried to have our baby there when I wasn't. So I started putting him on a montessori floor bed. I lay down with him, nurse, pat whatever to sleep then he sleeps in his room until he wakes and comes in bed with us. so now the crib is still there, empty. If I had read more before I wouldnt have bothered with a crib. the matress on the floor fulfills my need for independent sleeping space.


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