Crib Transition Help!

CLLDLL

Long time lurker, first time poster here.

So I've got a bit of a problem that I'd like to run by you AP parents to see if you have any suggestions.

With DS1 we sort of fell into bed-sharing by default.  We did that until 9 months. At that point all three of us were ready for him to "move out".  (He was a crazy restless sleeper.) He had one night of waking up every hour or two to be soothed.  Then he just magically got used to his crib and was a fabulous sleeper. 

Everything about DS2 has been different than DS1.  He wasn't interested in bed-sharing as a young infant.  He preferred swaddling and the rock-n-play and eventually blanket sleepers in the PNP.  He's always been in our room though. I BF him, and he and I both sleep better with him in the same room. We just sort of have this rhythm where I wake up as soon as he stirs, I BF him, we both go back to sleep pretty quickly. However for the last month or so he has not been waking up to BF in the MOTN. He's 8.5 months old.  He sleeps in his crib for naps pretty consistently. I think it might be time to try sleeping in the crib at night. I think he's ready. I'm just not sure I am I guess. 

My question - how would you go about transitioning him/seeing if he's ready for the transition?  I've considered putting an air mattress on the floor in the nursery and sleeping there for a few nights/weeks.  I've also considered just cold-turkey trying to lay him down in the crib to see how he does.  My biggest concerns are 1.) Him waking up in the MOTN scared and that messing up his sleep pattern 2.) My milk supply.  It's already taking a bit of a hit because of the missing MOTN feeds.  I hope it doesn't drop more once we start sleeping apart. 3.) I don't want to rush things just because society says baby should sleep in his own room. I just want to do this if it truly is what's best for both of us.

Thoughts?

Emerald27

Could you put the crib in your room and move the pnp out for a few nights? That way he'd still be nearby but in the crib.

You might find that he goes through phases of wanting to nurse during the night, especially when he is growing, teething, or sick. I wouldn't bet on being done waking up during the night quite yet. ;D

You could also try a Montessori style setup in your room where you put the crib mattress on the floor near your bed. That's super easy for nursing moms, keeps him close, gets him used to the crib mattress too. You could put a body pillow on the floor next to it if you're worried about him rolling off.

Lastly, if you're concerned about your supply because of dropped feedings, you could always just offer to nurse more often during the day.

CLLDLL

Emerald27:

Could you put the crib in your room and move the pnp out for a few nights? That way he'd still be nearby but in the crib. You might find that he goes through phases of wanting to nurse during the night, especially when he is growing, teething, or sick. I wouldn't bet on being done waking up during the night quite yet. ;D You could also try a Montessori style setup in your room where you put the crib mattress on the floor near your bed. That's super easy for nursing moms, keeps him close, gets him used to the crib mattress too. You could put a body pillow on the floor next to it if you're worried about him rolling off. Lastly, if you're concerned about your supply because of dropped feedings, you could always just offer to nurse more often during the day.

Thanks for the reply and suggestions.  I hadn't even thought about putting the crib in our room.  That's a great idea! I'll have to research Montessori setup too.  I've never heard of it, but it sounds intriguing. 

I've been trying to offer nursing more often during the day, and some days he does, but as a new "army crawler" he's often just too busy for that!  It's fun to see him growing and exploring, but sad that my once content to comfort nurse for long periods of time baby is now to busy for it!

CC1017

Well since he already sleeps in his crib for naps, maybe it won't be so bad at night?

I transitioned to the crib in a several week process.  I started one week just doing our bedtime routine in his room so he could get used to his room. Then the next week I would do our routine and put him to sleep in his crib and then I would transfer him to my bed when he woke up in the middle of the night. He actually took to the crib really well (he never napped in the crib because he is at my mom's during the day). It was around the time that he started moving and rolling a lot more in his sleep so I think he was more comfortable in his own space (and I think he was getting really hot in bed with us). He was in the crib all night after two weeks - if he was still having a tough time at this point I would have slept on the floor, but I didn't need to.

In terms of supply, I haven't taken a hit, but DS still wakes 1-3 times to nurse. I wouldn't think sleeping apart would affect your milk supply, especially since your LO has already dropped his MOTN feed.

But ultimately, it sounds like your DS is doing well and sleeping all night in the pnp in your room. So if he doesn't do well in the crib, just go back to what works for him (unless it's really not working for you). Mine was not doing well in the pnp or our bed - it was time to go, but I would have loved to keep him around longer.

Emerald27

As they get older, babies become much more efficient nursers. At your LO's age, DS was doing the same thing. He could finish a feeding in 5 mins and be off exploring. Your supply continually adjusts to his needs: when he hits a growth spurt or needs more comfort, it'll increase, and as he's happy and busy, it'll wane a bit. DS still nurses on demand and some days wants to nurse more than others.

As long as you're offering frequently and he's gaining weight appropriately, I'd guess that your supply is fine. :

ETA: do check out the Montessori bed setup! It's what we plan to do when we transition DS from bed sharing to his own space.

CLLDLL

CC1017:

Well since he already sleeps in his crib for naps, maybe it won't be so bad at night?

I transitioned to the crib in a several week process.  I started one week just doing our bedtime routine in his room so he could get used to his room. Then the next week I would do our routine and put him to sleep in his crib and then I would transfer him to my bed when he woke up in the middle of the night. He actually took to the crib really well (he never napped in the crib because he is at my mom's during the day). It was around the time that he started moving and rolling a lot more in his sleep so I think he was more comfortable in his own space (and I think he was getting really hot in bed with us). He was in the crib all night after two weeks - if he was still having a tough time at this point I would have slept on the floor, but I didn't need to.

In terms of supply, I haven't taken a hit, but DS still wakes 1-3 times to nurse. I wouldn't think sleeping apart would affect your milk supply, especially since your LO has already dropped his MOTN feed.

But ultimately, it sounds like your DS is doing well and sleeping all night in the pnp in your room. So if he doesn't do well in the crib, just go back to what works for him (unless it's really not working for you). Mine was not doing well in the pnp or our bed - it was time to go, but I would have loved to keep him around longer.

I like the idea of just starting with the bedtime routine in his room a lot.  That might make it easier if he does wake in the MOTN since he's in the room he started to fall asleep in. 

And I agree about going back to the PNP if it doesn't work.  It really is working fine for DH and I.  I'm just thinking that since he's sleeping all night it might be time to make the transition so that we don't get to the point where it's not working! 

CLLDLL

Emerald27:

As they get older, babies become much more efficient nursers. At your LO's age, DS was doing the same thing. He could finish a feeding in 5 mins and be off exploring. Your supply continually adjusts to his needs: when he hits a growth spurt or needs more comfort, it'll increase, and as he's happy and busy, it'll wane a bit. DS still nurses on demand and some days wants to nurse more than others. As long as you're offering frequently and he's gaining weight appropriately, I'd guess that your supply is fine. : ETA: do check out the Montessori bed setup! It's what we plan to do when we transition DS from bed sharing to his own space.

Thanks for the nursing encouragement too!  It's funny how you think you've got it all figured out and then something throws you for a loop.  The reason I was worried about my supply is more from my pumping output.  Lately I'm getting 1 to 1.5 oz. less per pump than I used to.  But I do know LO is more efficient than the pump.  He's definitely growing fine according to pedi.  (20lbs at 8.5 months!) So maybe it's just that I'm just not responding as well to the pump as I used to.  I really do dislike pumping!

I definitely will look into Montessori.  It sounds like a nice transitional option rather than just going straight to his own room in his crib.

cyprissa

I think it's really common to have a harder time responding to the pump as time goes on. I didn't have supply issues but had a hard time pumping around 9 months. I had to do compressions, lean forward and take lots of deep breaths. If you are concerned about supply, oatmeal ( the real stuff) and fenugreek can help.

CLLDLL:

Emerald27:

As they get older, babies become much more efficient nursers. At your LO's age, DS was doing the same thing. He could finish a feeding in 5 mins and be off exploring. Your supply continually adjusts to his needs: when he hits a growth spurt or needs more comfort, it'll increase, and as he's happy and busy, it'll wane a bit. DS still nurses on demand and some days wants to nurse more than others. As long as you're offering frequently and he's gaining weight appropriately, I'd guess that your supply is fine. : ETA: do check out the Montessori bed setup! It's what we plan to do when we transition DS from bed sharing to his own space.

Thanks for the nursing encouragement too!  It's funny how you think you've got it all figured out and then something throws you for a loop.  The reason I was worried about my supply is more from my pumping output.  Lately I'm getting 1 to 1.5 oz. less per pump than I used to.  But I do know LO is more efficient than the pump.  He's definitely growing fine according to pedi.  (20lbs at 8.5 months!) So maybe it's just that I'm just not responding as well to the pump as I used to.  I really do dislike pumping!

I definitely will look into Montessori.  It sounds like a nice transitional option rather than just going straight to his own room in his crib.