To crib from RNP help!

evek14

I've searched tips on how to get baby to sleep in crib from her rock n play but everything involves putting stuff in the crib and I'm not willing to take the risk, pediatrician told me I need to be putting her in her crib asap, and he said she will likely cry for 3-4 hours until she finally passes out..... I'm dying for any tips that don't involve me letting my sweet girl scream herself to sleep, has anyone had an success transferring baby to crib? All suggestions welcome I'm desperate thanks! 

daniellex925

Hi there! Not exactly the same situation, but maybe this will help -- Violet used to nap in the swing during the day, so I decided to start moving her into the crib instead for her daytime naps. I had to start with one nap a day first and gradually increase it. I haven't moved her to the crib overnights yet, but, the gradual introduction to the crib seems to be working. Sometimes she'll cry for a few minutes, but then she soothes herself and falls asleep. The slow transition seems to be helping for us. Good luck! 

chimirossi

What was the reason that your dr said she needed to be in the crib ASAP? Our LO has reflux so we keep him in the RNP at night to keep his food in. I know there are wedges for the crib, but this is just easier.

scientificunicorns

THREE TO FOUR HOURS?!

evek14

All he said was its best for her to be in her crib, and that we should've started trying from the start, she hated being flat on her back and would only sleep 2-3 hour streach at night, as soon as we bought the RNP she started sleeping 10 hours every night, she is starting to get to big for it, she's scrunched at the bottom every morning which is why I brought it up to the pediatrician but there has to be better ways right? I can't go 10 minutes without running in to soothe her  

MomofEv+1

Whoa he sounds way too rigid to me, and really judgmental. Unless he has safety concerns, I don't get why he would suggest such an abrupt change. And 3 to 4 hours is insane. That being said, I don't have a good solution. I still nurse my baby to sleep and put her in the cosleeper. Sleep is hard.

RSB1982

Have you tried putting her in the crib?  You might be pleasantly surprised.  My girl slept in the RNP for a little over two months.  I dreaded moving her to the pack n play but it was fine.  She slept about the same hours as she did in the RNP.  Last week I worked on moving her from the pack n play to her crib and I wish I had done it so much sooner. She sleeps so much better in her own room - it's quieter.  

Shes in the Merlin suit currently and we have a crib soother but in not sure how helpful the soother is.   My advice is just keep putting her in the crib.  If it's terrible, just move her back to the RNP and try again another day. 

redfallon

DS has been sleeping in his crib overnight for a while. However, he doesn't fall asleep there. He falls asleep in the bouncer chair next to me around 9pm, and then I move him to his crib when we go to bed around 10pm. He'll sleep there until around 6am (at least for the last two nights!). 

LaceyH13

Sleeping 2-3 hour stretches for babies is normal. So it sounds a little bit like you were avoiding the normal. I am certainly not blaming you, because we all know sleep is king these days (myself included), but you say 2-3 hours like it was abnormal. My son started sleeping in his crib at 5 days old and he got up probably more often than 2-3 hours. But I didn't want to have to transition later so I kept the long haul in mind and just did it. It was rough when people said their 4 week old was sleeping 9-10 hours at night and mine wasn't, but it is nice now to not have to transition.

I definitely disagree with letting the baby cry for hours and hours, but you probably are going to have to just jump in and try flat sleeping - maybe starting with one nap a day and working up? You could look into a wedge, but A) not all doctors agree with them, and it's just something else you will have to transition out of. Perhaps try a pack in play or crib in your room for the time being? I don't know that there is a simple no hassle no struggle solution.

taysun

And this is why I have never once spoken to the pediatrician about sleep. I honestly am not interested in his input. 
2-3 hour sleep stretches are normal so I'm going to have to agree with pp that it seems like you are acting like its something abnormal when it's not. 
I transitioned to the crib slowly from daytime swing naps and nighttime bed sharing and thought it would suck because daytime naps sucked in the crib compared to the swing. 
However the first night she slept amazingly in the crib- a five hour stretch compared to her 1-2 hour stretches. 
I wouldn't stress too much. Either it will be easy or it will be difficult but you can't use the rnp forever so it has to happen. 

laurabwalker

Can you soothe in the room or in the crib? You can feed to sleep or rock? You can let her cry for two minutes then check? My LO cried for 5 mins last night in the crib (mainly fussy sounds) and fell asleep. She cries while I hold her to sleep as well, so I figure it's gonna happen for me either way unfortunately. 
Then she woke up at 12 and rolled all night while I flipped her back over, but still she went to sleep easily at least lol

evek14

I have tried putting her in her crib to nap and she will sleep for 15-20 minutes and then she's screaming, 2-3 hours is normal for most babies so I guess maybe I'll just have to be okay with that, but I'm not sure if I will have to start night feeding again? Or just rock her back to sleep, she hasn't needed night feeds for over 2 months now, I do like the idea or trying her in her pack n play! I do wish I would've started in the crib from the start but I'll know for the next one, just wanted to see if anyone had an success moving their little ones  

LaceyH13

I would say do whatever you have to do to get a good schedule going in the crib (or wherever you ultimately want baby to sleep long term). Once that is established, then worry about sleep associations and/or weaning from night feedings. Don't try try change everything at once. Start with the big thing, but offer all of the comfort and soothing that you can until that transition is made, then work on the little things like eliminating night feedings (if that is right in your case).

suchaglencoco

We started the  rnp to crib transition at 3 months. We started with one nap and then 2 and then 3. After that we did that, we moved them to their cribs after their 2 am feeding, did that 2 nights and then just did all night. DS was still having minor reflux issues so we put a crib wedge in his crib to help.
Also, the first few nights in their cribs, I slept on a mattress in their nursery. That way they could smell me and when I'd hear them start to fuss, I'd jump up and try to calm them in their crib quickly and hope they'd fall back asleep without much assistance. It took us about a week to do the full transition. 
That being said, your lo can stay in the rnp til 25 lbs.  We made the decision to move them on our own because the 4 of us were ready. Our ped just asked where they were sleeping to make sure it was somewhere safe. Do what you feel is best for you. AND 3-4 hours?  That ped sounds like a jacka**.

Mother0fDragons

I put DD in her crib one night after she fell asleep (after a bedtime bottle) a month or so ago and she ended up sleeping for several hours until her next feeding. I put her back in the crib afterwards and she slept several more hours. She has been sleeping in her crib at night ever since! 

grkgdss00

Definitely start naps in the crib so baby gets used to it. Also I recommend the Magic Merlin sleep suit. We used this when transitioning from bassinet and it's great. Now, I just put her in it awake (but sleepy) and she's out within minutes. I use it for naps sometimes too.

sharonholck28

My girl slept in her swing for naps and bedtime since she was a month old. I tried slowing the swing down. Didn't work. I tried going back to the rock in play didn't work. Only thing that did was to just go cold turkey. 

However the the best way I got her in the crib was by putting her on a boppy and double swaddling her. She wiggles all night until she lays flat. the boppy bothered me but after a couple nights I was okay. if you don't want to do a boppy you could try a crib wedge?

ill admit though I'm terrified once she outgrows the swaddle cause she's pretty much impossible to move unswaddled o.o lol I'll face it when we get there. 

kdsmith43

Roll up a receiving blanket in a U shape underneath the crib sheet. It's "in the crib", but under the sheet... it will surround her and help her sleep. Maybe a zipadee zip since it's too late to swaddle?

glovebug

So glad you Posted this because we're in the same boat. It seems to be harder on me than my lo. it feels like having a newborn again but I know it's what he needs. He slept for 7 hours strait last night and stayed in the crib the entire night. Didn't have to feed him extra last night but did have to help him settle down twice. I asked my doctor for transition suggestions and she said put him down on his tummy since he can roll over well. But we don't.... He likes sleeping on his side. 

evek14

You ladies are great! Thanks for all the advice totally googling the magic Merlin and zipadee zip! We let her nap in the boppy when we're watching her but I'm so scared to put it in the crib, I'm so glad you had success!!! We're trying naps for now which isn't going so well but we aren't giving up! 

LaceyH13

Zipadeezip saved our sanity when we transitioned from swaddling. Good luck!