@elle-0409 we bought a crib with the convertible option, but when I got pregnant again so soon (kids are 20 months apart) we ended up just transferring the first babe into a twin to save money on buying a second crib. These next 2 babes are a little farther apart but baby 2 is still in the crib currently, however, we plan to buy another twin bed instead of a crib again. My future middle child is ready to be out of their crib finally, I just need to go bed shopping one of these days 🙄
@elle-0409 I have two convertible cribs. DS1is in the full sized portion now. He was in the full sized at age 3- he’s a sideways sleeper
DS2, I bought him a dedicated toddler bed so DD could use the crib. If he can make it in the toddler bed until age 4, he’ll get the converted crib. If not, he’s getting the twin bed we have downstairs until he’s older 🤷🏼♀️
In all honesty, I didn’t want to get a 3rd crib because I’m not super happy with the conversion of ours to a full sized, and I’m glad we got DS2 a dedicated toddler bed because he refused to sleep in the crib converted to a toddler bed because he wanted the rail back on
@elle-0409 DS had a convertible crib but we never used it. My parents bought him a toddler bed matching his Cars room for Easter that year. He got that a week after he was year old because that kid is a master climber 😑 DD had a mini crib cause we have a small room and I didn't have the space for her changing table(DSs originally) and a full crib. So she got a toddler bed at around a year as well. They both just upgraded to twins, a loft/trundle set as they share a room for now. This baby we have a bassinet we got from a friend and I want to buy either a mini crib combo or a just a full-size crib combo. I can fit a full crib in our room now. And those convert too. So I may not need to buy a toddler bed this time round 😂
@elle-0409 we did a convertible for DS. It does toddler and full so we knew with the age gap we were planning it would use all. When we were ready to convert it, he could.not.tolerate.it. To him it still seemed like his crib. I mean, we wasnt wrong. It basically only removed the front rail to convert. We ended up getting nieces old toddler bed back and making the change 100% different. That worked for him. Now he's in a twin and niece is in the other part of that set (bunk to 2 twin option). When this baby is ready for twin, the old crib will convert to full size for her. <------ ETA "her" = neice in this sentance
We did a convertible crib. We have it as a toddler bed right now. Instead of spending $100 on buying the toddler rail that goes with the bed, we just got a $30 rail from Target. not as fancy, but works just the same, as we don't plan on leaving her in the toddler bed for terribly long. I'm ready to convert it to a full size bed now but her room is soooo small, it wouldn't leave much extra space in there.
I just like the idea of being able to use it through childhood. If you buy a regular crib now then a bed later, that can add up for price. My only recommendation is to buy the conversion kit at the same time because what if it gets discontinued later?
We got a convertible crib. I don’t know if we’ll use the toddler bed part but we like having that option. We’re buying a second crib for the new baby. This may be an UO but I’m in no rush to get DD out of her crib. It took forever for her to be a good sleeper, but now she is and loves her crib. She’s staying in there as long as she likes it and it doesn’t occur to her that she could try to climb out.
@elle-0409 We bought the conversion kit for our crib when we had DS in 2016. Although we haven’t used it yet, I am still glad we have it as an option. He loves his crib still and we plan that he will be moving to a new bed soon once we move. The new baby will get this crib and the conversion kit will extend the life of the crib for baby #2.
DD1 was a climber and we were inexperienced so we bought a toddler bed and moved her out at like 14-15mo because the climbing was becoming dangerous. It was the WORST. I recommend moving directly to a regular bed. Bedtime is much nicer when you can snuggle next to them for a book. I have PTSD from bed time with her at that age.
DD2 is still in her crib (team crib forever). She wears a backwards sleep sack that slows her way down since she can’t climb out with it on.
We we will move her to a big girl bed once we pick bunk beds for DD1s room but am in no hurry. Cribs are awesome.
All that to say I think convertible cribs are kind of waste of money. Babies chew up the rails of their cribs and I know very few people who actually did the full conversion.
We we bought our crib on Amazon for like $120 and it will last us three kids. Not too shabby!
@PenelopeSnuz77 that really depends with the chewing. DS wasn't a chewer/bitter and wasn't one to put things in his mouth. I know that's not the norm. He also never tried to climb out. Switching him was more a convenience for me and DH getting him.
I’m not the biggest fan of our crib conversion, but other than that, I’m happy with it. Ours has an attached changing table which is a must for us. I have alligators and changing on the bed or floor is not happening here
@galentine kids at that age just want control of something, anything. I could see it being an issue. They're tough at that age. So if they're constantly being told to stay in bed, they may not do well with now changing another thing and trying to potty train because it makes them feel like they have NO control over their life.
We're team crib forever!!! DD1 Stayed until a month before she turned 3. Never tried to climb out. She loved it. She transitioned so easily to the toddler bed. She just called us if she needed to go potty. She's 3.5 now and just now starting to get up on her own if she needs to go potty, but she still calls, so she's usually to the doorway by the time we get there, which is great. On our way to her going potty by herself at night.
I’m not the biggest fan of our crib conversion, but other than that, I’m happy with it. Ours has an attached changing table which is a must for us. I have alligators and changing on the bed or floor is not happening here
@cmbt2, you have alligators?! In your house?! I may need to step away from the TB until after some coffee because everything is confusing me this morning!!
I’m not the biggest fan of our crib conversion, but other than that, I’m happy with it. Ours has an attached changing table which is a must for us. I have alligators and changing on the bed or floor is not happening here
@cmbt2, you have alligators?! In your house?! I may need to step away from the TB until after some coffee because everything is confusing me this morning!!
LOL. Typing fail. My kids are as slick as alligators. There’s a meme I need to find that will make it all make sense..
A word of hindsight- we’ve had a few kids on Jan’15 refuse to potty train solely because they were moved out of the crib before they were ready...
Clueless FTM here: how are these two things related?
According to the psychologists, it’s because transitioning them too early causes them to feel like they’re being forced to grow up before they’re ready and they want to hold on to diapers to stop that
@elle-0409 we bought a convertible crib, but didn’t end up using it that way. We lucked out and were able to keep DS in his crib until he was almost 4, at that time we put him in a regular twin. I wish I’d saved money on the crib honestly.
@alinic916 I don’t remember how old your little is so idk if this is even an option for you. DS also has a really small room. When we moved him to a regular bed we bought him a child’s loft bed, without the slide option. Once he got used to the steps he loved it and it kept the floor open for play. I had the idea into making to loft part into a tent but that never happened. Picture I’m spoiler for reference, we have the bed up against the wall and not where it is in picture.
@emily1052 I'm up for work at 5 am for clinicals most days so sleeping in for me is like 7. I was up at 5:30. DD1 was up and ready to play at 6. No such thing as sleeping in around here.
@meagan-t Yes to a doula and I highly recommend it!
I liked that there was someone in the room who had been through this before and was just focused on me and my mental and emotional state (as opposed to the medical team who were awesome but also focusing on all the medical stuff going on). I ended up only being in the hospital for a few hours before giving birth, but I liked the idea that DH could take a break (to eat, go to the bathroom, etc) and I wouldn’t be alone. I also wasn’t sure how DH would deal with the stress of it all (he ended up being awesome) and I wanted someone there who I knew could handle it and wouldn’t faint or something. My doula knew all the right things to say, had a lot of tricks up her sleeve to help me stay comfortable, and was a very calming presence. While I was pushing, the nurse held one of my legs and she held the other. Not sure what DH was doing at that time but I think he was happy to just be able to focus on our daughter being born. She also wrote up a birth story afterwards that she sent to me. It had a lot of little details that I would have forgotten otherwise.
Another consideration - after DD was born they eventually took her off to get weighed and cleaned up. It was just on the other side of the (big) room but DH had no hesitation going with her because he knew the doula was with me (while they were stitching me up etc). If there had been an urgent medical problem with DD that required them taking her to say, the NICU, DH also would have felt less bad about leaving me to be with her.
If I had a sister or was very close to my mom or someone else who I wanted to be present for the birth, I might not have felt like I needed a doula.
I’ll definitely be getting a doula again this time. Happy to answer any specific questions you have.
I loved having a doula. My ob/midwife group offers an on-call doula service. It was awesome!
I opted to go med-free with DD2 and she supported me in changing positions, did some pressure work to relieve discomfort (squeezed my hips, low back massage) and was there to speak directly to me with encouragement. It was the most unexpected gift.
DD2 came quickly (only 90 min after we got to the hospital, I opted to labor at home as long as possible), and my midwife got stuck my a train and nearly missed DD’s birth. Our doula kept me calm when the on-call doctor started scrubbing in and loudly telling a nurse (instead of talking to me) I needed to get on my back to labor 🙄.
I liked that there was someone in the room who had been through this before and was just focused on me and my mental and emotional state (as opposed to the medical team who were awesome but also focusing on all the medical stuff going on). I ended up only being in the hospital for a few hours before giving birth, but I liked the idea that DH could take a break (to eat, go to the bathroom, etc) and I wouldn’t be alone. I also wasn’t sure how DH would deal with the stress of it all (he ended up being awesome) and I wanted someone there who I knew could handle it and wouldn’t faint or something. My doula knew all the right things to say, had a lot of tricks up her sleeve to help me stay comfortable, and was a very calming presence. While I was pushing, the nurse held one of my legs and she held the other. Not sure what DH was doing at that time but I think he was happy to just be able to focus on our daughter being born. She also wrote up a birth story afterwards that she sent to me. It had a lot of little details that I would have forgotten otherwise.
Another consideration - after DD was born they eventually took her off to get weighed and cleaned up. It was just on the other side of the (big) room but DH had no hesitation going with her because he knew the doula was with me (while they were stitching me up etc). If there had been an urgent medical problem with DD that required them taking her to say, the NICU, DH also would have felt less bad about leaving me to be with her.
If I had a sister or was very close to my mom or someone else who I wanted to be present for the birth, I might not have felt like I needed a doula.
I’ll definitely be getting a doula again this time. Happy to answer any specific questions you have.
This! I would have definitely benefited from a doula at DD1's birth. While Hubby was an amazing coach, he went to be with our daughter. When I had my hemorrhage it was a bit overwhelming for him. He was so excited with the baby and then boom he was terrified, and the stuck him with the baby in a chair and told him to not move. Thankfully it was a minor bleed, but still very scary. I also would have like to have had my mom with me. It's nice to have people encourage you, which the nurses did, but having someone like a doula I think has its benefits.
@obsessedwithoranges I asked my OB for recommendations, and she recommended a doula group that they had worked with a lot before. There’s also a website called doula match where you can search for people in your area. I think I was around 6 or 7 months pregnant by the time I had signed up with the doula, but some doulas book much earlier because often doulas will block off a couple weeks before and after your due date to make sure they’re available for you. I went with a doula group, which meant they had multiple women who could be a doula on any given day, so they were less worried about double booking.
One big thing to consider is finding a doula whose views match your own. A lot of doulas are against any intervention, which may or may not be what you want (for example, if you really are set on a med free birth, you may want someone who is also very committed to that). I was pretty sure I would want an epidural eventually but wanted to try without for as long as I could without. My doula practice is more than happy to help with med free births, medicated births, inductions, c-sections - whatever you want/need. I liked that I knew my doula didn’t have an agenda and wouldn’t be judging me for getting pain relief.
Also look into specific services they offer - there’s a range. Some will provide some support at home in the days after the birth, some will help with breastfeeding at the hospital, some will meet with you a few times before the birth to really get to know you, etc.
I didn't use her before she retired, but we had an OB that somewhat doubled as a doula. In IL it's difficult to be a midwife/doula, we have one of the strictest laws on it. I only know one woman that had all 7 of her kids at home unmedicated with only midwives and she had to travel to I think Iowa to meet with them(I'm not close to her, she was SO exbest friends girlfriend. We we're pregnant at the same time when I had DS;she was having #7) but my friend went to this In for her son and she said she was amazing! She stuck to jeeoing her meds free for birth, and was a good base even as the doctor. I wish she hadn't retired, she had amazing feedback. I have always had good experiences with my nurses at our L & D and I feel confident this time round since I had two very different labors with my older two. But it's never a bad idea! I would definitely look into it, even just for reference if you're not totally sure!
Has anyone had experience with pregnancies with low PAPP-A levels? If so, did it seem to have any negative impacts on the pregnancy/baby?
I researched this a few weeks ago and now that my A/S is this Friday I find myself freaking out all over again. In all honesty, I probably won't stop freaking out until our baby is meeting all growth milestones.
Re: The Great Question Thread
DS2, I bought him a dedicated toddler bed so DD could use the crib. If he can make it in the toddler bed until age 4, he’ll get the converted crib. If not, he’s getting the twin bed we have downstairs until he’s older 🤷🏼♀️
In all honesty, I didn’t want to get a 3rd crib because I’m not super happy with the conversion of ours to a full sized, and I’m glad we got DS2 a dedicated toddler bed because he refused to sleep in the crib converted to a toddler bed because he wanted the rail back on
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BFP #2 5/4/14, EDD 1/15/15, DS1 1/19/15
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DS had a convertible crib but we never used it. My parents bought him a toddler bed matching his Cars room for Easter that year. He got that a week after he was year old because that kid is a master climber 😑 DD had a mini crib cause we have a small room and I didn't have the space for her changing table(DSs originally) and a full crib. So she got a toddler bed at around a year as well. They both just upgraded to twins, a loft/trundle set as they share a room for now. This baby we have a bassinet we got from a friend and I want to buy either a mini crib combo or a just a full-size crib combo. I can fit a full crib in our room now. And those convert too. So I may not need to buy a toddler bed this time round 😂
I just like the idea of being able to use it through childhood. If you buy a regular crib now then a bed later, that can add up for price. My only recommendation is to buy the conversion kit at the same time because what if it gets discontinued later?
DD2 is still in her crib (team crib forever). She wears a backwards sleep sack that slows her way down since she can’t climb out with it on.
We we will move her to a big girl bed once we pick bunk beds for DD1s room but am in no hurry. Cribs are awesome.
All that to say I think convertible cribs are kind of waste of money. Babies chew up the rails of their cribs and I know very few people who actually did the full conversion.
We we bought our crib on Amazon for like $120 and it will last us three kids. Not too shabby!
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BFP #2 5/4/14, EDD 1/15/15, DS1 1/19/15
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BFP #2 5/4/14, EDD 1/15/15, DS1 1/19/15
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We're team crib forever!!! DD1 Stayed until a month before she turned 3. Never tried to climb out. She loved it. She transitioned so easily to the toddler bed. She just called us if she needed to go potty. She's 3.5 now and just now starting to get up on her own if she needs to go potty, but she still calls, so she's usually to the doorway by the time we get there, which is great. On our way to her going potty by herself at night.
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BFP #2 5/4/14, EDD 1/15/15, DS1 1/19/15
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BFP #2 5/4/14, EDD 1/15/15, DS1 1/19/15
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BFP #2 5/4/14, EDD 1/15/15, DS1 1/19/15
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HX
DSD: 17
DS: 4(Nov'14)
MMC:8/17
MMC: 1/18
BFP: 2/7/19 EDD:10/16/19
Tickers
HX
DSD: 17
DS: 4(Nov'14)
MMC:8/17
MMC: 1/18
BFP: 2/7/19 EDD:10/16/19
Tickers
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BFP #2 5/4/14, EDD 1/15/15, DS1 1/19/15
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Me (32) DH (34) | |
BFP #1 4/5/12 | Natural m/c on 4/18/12 (6w1d)
BFP #2 8/23/12 | DS born 5/3/13
BFP #3 12/6/15 | DD born 8/23/16
BFP #4 2/22/19 | EDD 10/28/19
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BFP #2 5/4/14, EDD 1/15/15, DS1 1/19/15
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I liked that there was someone in the room who had been through this before and was just focused on me and my mental and emotional state (as opposed to the medical team who were awesome but also focusing on all the medical stuff going on). I ended up only being in the hospital for a few hours before giving birth, but I liked the idea that DH could take a break (to eat, go to the bathroom, etc) and I wouldn’t be alone. I also wasn’t sure how DH would deal with the stress of it all (he ended up being awesome) and I wanted someone there who I knew could handle it and wouldn’t faint or something. My doula knew all the right things to say, had a lot of tricks up her sleeve to help me stay comfortable, and was a very calming presence. While I was pushing, the nurse held one of my legs and she held the other. Not sure what DH was doing at that time but I think he was happy to just be able to focus on our daughter being born. She also wrote up a birth story afterwards that she sent to me. It had a lot of little details that I would have forgotten otherwise.
Another consideration - after DD was born they eventually took her off to get weighed and cleaned up. It was just on the other side of the (big) room but DH had no hesitation going with her because he knew the doula was with me (while they were stitching me up etc). If there had been an urgent medical problem with DD that required them taking her to say, the NICU, DH also would have felt less bad about leaving me to be with her.
If I had a sister or was very close to my mom or someone else who I wanted to be present for the birth, I might not have felt like I needed a doula.
I’ll definitely be getting a doula again this time. Happy to answer any specific questions you have.
I loved having a doula. My ob/midwife group offers an on-call doula service. It was awesome!
I opted to go med-free with DD2 and she supported me in changing positions, did some pressure work to relieve discomfort (squeezed my hips, low back massage) and was there to speak directly to me with encouragement. It was the most unexpected gift.
DD2 came quickly (only 90 min after we got to the hospital, I opted to labor at home as long as possible), and my midwife got stuck my a train and nearly missed DD’s birth. Our doula kept me calm when the on-call doctor started scrubbing in and loudly telling a nurse (instead of talking to me) I needed to get on my back to labor 🙄.
Highly recommend, and so would DH!
One big thing to consider is finding a doula whose views match your own. A lot of doulas are against any intervention, which may or may not be what you want (for example, if you really are set on a med free birth, you may want someone who is also very committed to that). I was pretty sure I would want an epidural eventually but wanted to try without for as long as I could without. My doula practice is more than happy to help with med free births, medicated births, inductions, c-sections - whatever you want/need. I liked that I knew my doula didn’t have an agenda and wouldn’t be judging me for getting pain relief.
Also look into specific services they offer - there’s a range. Some will provide some support at home in the days after the birth, some will help with breastfeeding at the hospital, some will meet with you a few times before the birth to really get to know you, etc.
I researched this a few weeks ago and now that my A/S is this Friday I find myself freaking out all over again. In all honesty, I probably won't stop freaking out until our baby is meeting all growth milestones.