Bed transition

drunkindonuts

DD is 17 months old and has been cosleeping with DH and I the entire time. She slept in her cradle for maybe 3 months, I'm not sure what happened after that. We don't mind necessarily, in fact we all enjoy a peaceful nights rest and the cuddling since she's growing up so fast BUT when do we transition her to her own bed? And how? She doesn't even nap great in her crib so she usually naps on us. I'm having thoughts of ttc, but I'd really like C in her own bed before then. Any advice would be great:) thanks!

Emerald27

We bedshared with DS until he was almost 2. We went to ikea and bought a $79 foam twin mattress (it's actually so comfy that we went back and bought a queen foam mattress that's currently under our bed for use as a guest bed). We put the twin mattress next to my side of the bed and bought special "boy" sheets, a pillow with a train on it, and some fun wall decals (the twin is between our bed and the wall, fits perfectly, so the decals are within reach of him on the wall). It is a little space just for DS, and I fit there too.

DS loved his bed from the moment we set it up. The transition to him sleeping on his own space was super easy. I spent a week with him sleeping on his bed, and did exactly the same thing I did when he went to bed in our bed. Then, after the week or so, once he fell asleep I moved to our bed instead. When he woke the first time, I moved down to his bed and spent the rest of the night there.

Now if he wakes and needs me, he just says "mama?", and I hop down and nurse him. He falls right back asleep, and I get back into my bed. He usually wakes once, maybe twice a night. NBD.

Eventually we'll move his mattress out of our room and into his own room, but not until he's sleeping the whole night without waking. I love that I'm right there if he needs me AND that I fit comfortably in his bed, so if I need to sleep with him or fall asleep there by accident, I'm comfy and get good sleep.