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Transition to the crib

kdehlerkdehler member
in Babies: 9 - 12 Months
My 10 month old has been sleeping with me ever since she was a newborn.  I know that I should have put her in the crib but need some suggestions on an easy transition now.  Everytime she falls asleep and wakes in the crib she flips out. 
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Re: Transition to the crib

  • RedDDDRedDDD member
    You will likely need to take your time with this transition.  Meaning she needs to learn to fall asleep on her own so that when she does wake she gets herself back down without your help.  I would start by putting her in there for diaper changes or while you are putting away laundry in her room so that she becomes accustomed to her crib.  Then putting her in there for naps.  But really you need to start putting her down drowsy by awake.  But do this slowly.....almost asleep, put her in the crib, do this for a few days, then less asleep and lay her down ...try this until you are actually putting her down awake but tired.  i love this site....very helpful  GL!
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  • r0zzr0zz member
    RedDDD said:

    You will likely need to take your time with this transition.  Meaning she needs to learn to fall asleep on her own so that when she does wake she gets herself back down without your help.  I would start by putting her in there for diaper changes or while you are putting away laundry in her room so that she becomes accustomed to her crib.  Then putting her in there for naps.  But really you need to start putting her down drowsy by awake.  But do this slowly.....almost asleep, put her in the crib, do this for a few days, then less asleep and lay her down ...try this until you are actually putting her down awake but tired.  i love this site....very helpful  GL!

    Same. I got bb girl to sleep in her crib at an early age by getting her accustomed to being in there. I'd put her in her crib with her mobile after changing her while I washed my hands or when I was doing stuff in her room.
    I also swaddled her and put stuff in her RNP, like a blanket (it was tucked into the mattress so she couldn't pull it out) so it'd feel familiar.
    Maybe sleep on one of her crib sheets for a couple of days so it smells like you so she won't freak out as much?

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  • bellaitalia603bellaitalia603 member
    edited June 2014
    I just went through this myself. I honestly searched dozens of boards looking for some advice or hope and found nothing...but now I can offer my own experience since I'm over the hump finally. 

    My little one slept in the crib no problem from 4 months to 9 months. Previously she slept in her swing. Then at about 9 months she got two colds during which I ended up moving her to our bed because she would wake up coughing and it was just easier to help her sit up and all that while she was in our bed. Plus I work full time, so it was easier for all of us to get some sleep this way. Well, that was the start of it. She never wanted to sleep in the crib again. She would fall asleep with me in bed, but the minute her head touched the crib, she would wake up and freak out! Note - her crib in our bedroom, but we have a huge room so she is about 6 feet away from our bed. 

    I tried everything...leaving a shirt of mine in the crib with her, sitting next to the crib, music, sounds, stars on the ceiling, EVERYTHING. Again, having to be at work at 8am, I couldn't sit up with her all night trying to get her to sleep in the crib. Honestly I felt like a failure as a mom, but just let her sleep in the bed, because at least we were all sleeping. Luckily my husband works nights, so the her being in the bed wasn't that big of an issue as far as the sleeping arrangements. Well as weeks went on, it got more and more difficult to have her in the bed, I was hardly sleeping, but even if I occasionally tried, nothing. 

    So...two weeks ago, and she's about to turn 1, I decided to move her crib right next to the bed, and make her crib just like our bed. Meaning lots of blankets and pillows, her stuffed animals, just make it a little comfy home for her. I started by letting her play in there right after her bath. I would let her just play and explore until she would get fussy, like 20 minutes, and then I put her to bed as usual and let her sleep with me. After a week or so, I decided it was time to try to move her. So I still put her to sleep with me in the bed, and after she was asleep for about 20-30 minutes, I moved her. She didn't wake up when I put her down, and I was so hopeful. Throughout the night, I noticed her cuddling with the blankets and stuffed animals and I'm thinking maybe that was it. Maybe the bare crib I had before (which I did because I read it was safer) just didn't work for her. Don't get me wrong it's not FULL of stuff, but I just put more than one blanket in there, and her stuffed animals, and it has been working since. I'm on night 5 and we are still going strong. Mind you the first 2-3 nights, she would wake up, but I would immediately rub her back, and she would go back to sleep. The last 2 nights, she has pretty successfully put herself back to sleep even if she woke up a little. 

    I don't know if what I did will work for other people, but at least there is an idea. I just remember reading all these posts for 3 months, and nothing ever worked for moms, except just letting the baby stay in bed with them, so at least you can try something and see if it works. After another week or so, I'm going to start moving the crib away from the bed a little at a time. Then hopefully after awhile get the crib in her own room. We have until October, when our second is due, so I"m hoping we can do it a little at a time. I hope this helps someone!!! As a mom, I just decided that there was a reason she wasn't ready, and when she was, it would all work out, and it has so far :) 

    My next challenge is getting her to fall asleep on her own, but I'm not going to focus too much on that right this minute! 
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  • ILMommaILMomma member
    Troublesometots.com it works but you have to be consistent. Give yourself a timeframe. We said we wouldn't let him cry longer then 20 minutes. He stopped at 15 and just whined a little bit so we didn't go in. I can't believe how easy it was. We went from nursing every 2 hours at night with constant crying to only waking up once last night. We bed shared from day one as well and we transitioned at 10 months.
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