Bedsharing to crib? Help!

Wymasa

I have been bedsharing with my LO since she was born. I will be going back to work in June and daycare needs her to be crib comfortable by then. They don't mind having to rock her a bit or cry a little (their words), whatever the baby needs. But she needs to sleep in her crib...

I have no idea where to start.

My daughter is very stubborn. I have a fear that she will cry and go insane with any type of "crib training." She loses her sh!t in the middle of the night when I try to sneak away to use the bathroom. So yes, I'm there the entire time for ALL naps and bed time.

I feel like I have started these bad habits and it will be hard on her to learn this new routine.

I also nurse to sleep...

Any tips? Did anyone go through a similar situation? I would love to hear your thoughts. I need a plan.

Thanks. 

honkytonk_kid

You might be pleasantly surprised. When my LO started daycare at 9ish months he would occasionally sleep in his crib for us, but I basically had to rock/nurse/shush him into a coma first, and he vastly preferred bedsharing. At daycare they stick his happy little butt in his crib and he lays down and falls asleep for 2.5 hours, no crying, no drama, nothing. Peer pressure I guess- all his little friends are sleeping so he does to. Babies are smart and can adapt to different situations. At home she knows that nursing to sleep and your bed are options, so she's going to protest until she gets them- at daycare those are not options. 

What I mean is, you can try to get her used to a crib (maybe try sidecarring it and going from there?) but if it turns into a huge ordeal and you're both miserable don't push it. She might adapt just fine without too much work.

Kristi1971

I was thinking that, too.  A different place with different people may mean a different way of sleeping?  So it may not be so bad. 

Are you the one who always brings baby to bed?  If so, maybe someone else can be the one to put baby in the crib at home?  Just to see the result?  I don't think I have any other advice on that one.  My girls have always slept in their cribs just because they are such noisy sleepers.  They make so many crazy noises while asleep, and one of them even sleeps with her eyes open.  I have to waive my hand in front of her face to know if she is even sleeping or not.

Wymasa

Thanks ladies. It would be amazing if she just settled in great at daycare, especially for naps. 

That would be a dream.

Right now, I'm the only one to take her to bed. DH sits in the room with us, just hanging out for awhile but I'm the one who lays down with her and she nurses to sleep.

I told DH he should be the one to put her in her crib when we start but he feels like she would just hate him for that. He's the meanie putting her in bed, taking her from her mom. He's a big softie when it comes to his little girl.

He's fine with putting her to bed once she is a bit more comfortable in her crib though. But maybe things would go better with him doing it? Or should it be a joint effort?  

Are there any articles out there that says this is beneficial and that LO will NOT hate him? haha.  

Thanks again. We might try sidecar but I kind of want her to be in her room and kind of feel like doing it all at once. We have been sleeping in her room on a mattress since our room wasn't safe. And DH is a sleep ninja. 

skyejo

I also think you might be very surprised at how easy the sleeping transition will be at daycare. 

My DD started DC at 4 months and we bedshared and nursed to sleep at that time.  I was panicked about how she would sleep in crib sans tears.  I made it a point to her teachers that I was not fine with her crying herself to sleep.  The first couple of weeks DD needed to be rocked to sleep or would sleep in the swing--which they aren't technically allowed to do but I told them that I would much prefer for DD to sleep in the swing if she was content than to be upset in a crib.  DD never let DH or I rock her or put her in the swing so right from the start it was obvious that DD was going to act differently around her daycare teachers than around me and DH.

DD is now 17 months and we still bedshare.  I have to lay with her to get her to fall asleep and she must have her paci; simply laying her on the bed and leaving isn't an option because she freaks out.  But at daycare she sleeps on a cot, sans paci, and she is fine. 

Your baby won't be the first non-perfect sleeper they've encountered so they will be great in transitioning your LO.  I know it's way easier said than done, but try not to stress too much over it

Wymasa

skyejo:

I also think you might be very surprised at how easy the sleeping transition will be at daycare. 

My DD started DC at 4 months and we bedshared and nursed to sleep at that time.  I was panicked about how she would sleep in crib sans tears.  I made it a point to her teachers that I was not fine with her crying herself to sleep.  The first couple of weeks DD needed to be rocked to sleep or would sleep in the swing--which they aren't technically allowed to do but I told them that I would much prefer for DD to sleep in the swing if she was content than to be upset in a crib.  DD never let DH or I rock her or put her in the swing so right from the start it was obvious that DD was going to act differently around her daycare teachers than around me and DH.

DD is now 17 months and we still bedshare.  I have to lay with her to get her to fall asleep and she must have her paci; simply laying her on the bed and leaving isn't an option because she freaks out.  But at daycare she sleeps on a cot, sans paci, and she is fine. 

Your baby won't be the first non-perfect sleeper they've encountered so they will be great in transitioning your LO.  I know it's way easier said than done, but try not to stress too much over it

Thank you. I really hope she has an easy transition like your dd.