Tips for moving from bassinet to crib in own room?

[jenniferr]

Hi.
My LO is 4.5 months old and has been sleeping in a bassinet in our room since birth. Some time in the next few weeks I would like to mover her to her crib in her nursery. Any tips on how to make this move go smoothly?
Jenn

[Bryony]

We did it by putting Katie in her moses basket (which I think is similar to a bassinet) inside the cot for a week or two, so that she could get used to the room before we put her straight into the cot.  We also put her lovie (a piece of muslin) into the moses basket for a few weeks before the move, and I slept on her cot sheet for a day or two so that it would smell of me rather than "new". 

Oh - the one other thing I did was put rolled up blankets either side of her and accross her head in the cot so that it would not feel so big.  She loves snuggling up to the one accross her head and so we still have that one in there now even though we've taken the ones away from the sides

As you can probably tell I was worried that she wouldn't like the move - but it was all fine and she didn't seem to notice any difference!  I suspect we didn't need all the precautions but I was worried that the cot would seem really big after her cosy little moses basket...

Bryony

[15milner]

I started doing some naps / part of night time in the cot rather than than bassinet.

I am working on it with Andrew at the moment as he will shortly be too big for the bassinet.  I am doign it slowly (more for me actually)

First nap - in bassinet in his brother's room so I can use the computer which is in his room / my office.
Rest of the naps - in the cot in his room.
From bedtime to dreamfeed - in his cot in his room (DH can lounge around in our room without having to tiptoe)
After DF - bassinet in our room
Depending on time(s) of night feed - either all of it in bassinet in our room, or if he's back to sleep at around 5am I pop him in his cot for the last little bit when we are all sleeping more lightly etc.

alex

[gleek]

our move was similar to bryony. i had a little lamb's head blanket (hereby dubbed "the lambie") that i knew i wanted to give camille as a lovie. i slept with it for a week or so to give it my scent then started putting it in with her in the bassinet. then i put the bassinet IN the crib for nap times until she was used to it. then i put her straight into the crib for naps (but still in the bassinet in our room at night.) then i went straight to the crib one night and never looked back. she has her lambie and the pacifier so her crib is a good place now. my daughter is all about the gradual.. never likes to do anything cold turkey

[jenniferr]

Thanks for all the great tips everyone. I think it's a wonderful idea to put the bassinet in the crib. I would've never thought of that! At what ages did you all make the move?

[Bryony]

Think we did it around 3-4 months but can't remember exactly!  I then slept in Katie's room till she was 6 months

Bryony

[gleek]

4 months

[Lu_C]

My son was in his cot in our room from the beginning then we moved him at 6 weeks in the same cot into his room. I had been feeding him in there and playing with him in the corner the cot would be. At the beginning I had a 'fake wall' in his cot so it wouldn't feel so big.

We move his room around a lot and he still seems pretty happy in there. I reckon putting the bassinet in the cot is an excellent idea.

Good luck with it
Lucy x

[nicolamary]

We moved our daughter when she was around 10 weeks old.  The moses basket was getting too small and my partner and I were being kept awake by her grunts and vice versa she was being disturbed by us too!  I got her used to her cot by putting her in it during the day for her activity time with her musical mobile whirring round above her.  She loved the mobile and therefore saw the cot as a pretty cool place to be.  We had always done all her night feeds in her own room so I also guess she was used to the room as well.

On the night she went into her own room I was very anxious but it worked a treat.  She slept soundly apart from rising for her feeds and has down ever since. 

What I have never done is to put her in her cot for her daytime naps as a friend told me she may confuse night with day and therefore I am too nervous in case this happens (don't know how true this is). 

[gleek]

nicolamary, i've never had a problem with putting my LO in her room for naps as well. she loves it in there. i've blacked out the windows and made it a great place to sleep. BUT she does have trouble sleeping places other than her room but i have trouble sleeping in strange places so i know how she feels!

[Lu_C]

Nicolamary - I was terrified about putting DS in the cot for naps too but he just wouldn't settle for naps and in the end I went for it. I was SOO nervous! He took to the quiet and the dark immediately and started settling for naps much better. I was also worried about the confusing night for day but I don't think they do; they get used to a routine and where they sleep for it doens't really matter at the end of the day!

Putting DD in the cot to play during A time is an excellent idea

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

We put the moses basket in the cot for a few nights too, and I slept with the cot sheet for few nights as well.  Enfys was 10 weeks when she went into her cot; she has her naps there too.  Luckily, she's always known the difference between night and day so that was never an issue.  I think as long as you follow your routine and keep night feeds etc very quiet it's not a problem for naps to be in the cot.

[Lu_C]

I second Sarah's keeping nights quiet - they're going to get the day/night thing pretty quickly anyway.

Have you tried it yet Jennifer? How's it going?

[jenniferr]

Michela has been in her crib now for about a week. Naps are going really well but at the night time, she's settling down good but she still startles awake every few hours or so. I've been letting her try and settle back down herself, but usually she gets to a cry and after about ten minutes I have to go back in and give her a soother. Have you had this happen at all?

[gleek]

yes, at 4.5 months, my DD was doing the exact same thing. if she uses a pacifier then i would suggest that you give her plenty of opportunity to practice putting it in during the day. make it an activity like any other but don't let her sit with it in for long periods of time if you don't want her using it during awake time. we did this and eventually DD got very good at plugging herself and then started doing it on her own at night.