Co-Sleeping To Crib Mini Course DAY 1

 

If you are reading this, congratulations! You’re a Co-Sleeper or you are considering Co-Sleeping. Co-Sleeping is exceptionally beneficial to your baby. Contact with the parents not only encourages healthy development, it prevents SIDS.

Cover image courtesy of Dani Adams Barry Photography

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Yes, PREVENTS! SIDS is commonly misinterpreted as death from suffocation. In actuality, SIDS is a sudden and unexplained death commonly occurring when babies sleep. Small infants have a tendency to simply stop breathing. In the womb, they didn’t need to. As a newborn and small infant, its not uncommon for a babies breathing to delay.

However, when co-sleeping with the parents, the rhythm of the parents breathing prompts baby to follow the parents breathing pattern. This triggers baby to breathe. Cool huh?

So, here we are. Your baby is bigger and you find yourself with only a few inches of room on your side of the bed. Co-sleeping happens to be a wonderful way to sleep soundly at night while baby is small. However, as they grow, you may find yourself thinking, “I used to sleep at night”. Time to make the big switch and transition from co-sleeping to crib.

Before taking the plunge, its best to take careful consideration into planning this life event. Grab a pen and paper, this is a lot of information to take in at once.

Set a Date

It may seem silly to schedule a date to begin the transition, but hear me out. This is a big change for your little one. It will most likely be an obstacle than a blissful walk through the park. When you do decide to make the switch, choose a day (or night rather) when you have no obligations the next day.

You may be up later than expected and the night may be long. Therefore, plan ahead and schedule a weekend specifically to transitioning from co-sleeping to crib. Those first few days may be rough.

Prep the Crib

We all love the adorable crib bedding with ruffles and embellishments. These features are cute. However, you don’t need them. For baby to feel safe in their crib, you will need to remove any extra “stuff”. Remove, bumpers, blankets, stuffies. All that should be in the crib is the mattress and the mattress sheet cover.

This creates a safe space for baby. When you remove the clutter, you remove the distraction and extra “stuff” that may frighten or confuse baby at night. Be sure the mattress is lowered to the appropriate height. If you feel its too high. Lower it. It is completely acceptable to just leave it at its lowest setting. This way baby will be familiar with this setting and not frighten when suddenly their bed has dropped several inches.

Set for Success

You will need to consider where you are making this transition. Will the crib be in your room or the nursery? Is baby sharing a room with a sibling? Perhaps moving the crib into your room for the transition will help keep the oldest little one sleeping well. If baby is moving to the crib in the same room as their sibling, you may have two babies to deal with in the wee hours of the night.

As you settle into the idea of where the crib should be, now you will want to prepare the room around it. Investing in a sound machine is a great way to keep the room protected from outside noise. Place the sound machine near the bedroom door to block out noise from others.

Leave on a small nightlight. This light should be constant and subtle. A night light is a way to establish familiarity. If baby wakes to see this light, they will understand where they are. This light is NEVER turned off! My children have had theirs for years now. You can get creative with these lights too.

We have a Hymalayan Salt Rock Lamp in our children’s room for its many health benefits and the glow is dim and calming. These salt lamps are amazing. They purify the air and promote healthy breathing.

Snug as a Bug

Be sure the room you plan on having baby sleep in is at an appropriate temperature. When co-sleeping, your body heat radiates to keep baby warm. When baby is alone in their crib, they may become chilly. Keep a small heater in the room to regulate the temperature for constant cozy comfort.

Ready, Set, Break

These are key elements to consider before making this change. Take a look around and weigh your options. You may find yourself rolling up those sleeves to move some furniture around. Do what you need to make this change a positive experience. You want to focus on convenience and comfort.

Simply plopping the crib wherever, may result in more stress for you and baby. Carefully consider where you would like to place these items to best fit your lifestyle and baby’s needs.

In the next post we will go over the BEST way to introduce your little one to this new situation as well as tactics to encourage transitioning success.

Catch ya later!

 

4 DAY CRASH COURSE

DAY ONE

DAY TWO 

DAY THREE

DAY FOUR

 

P.S. Share your thoughts about the big switch. What are some struggles you face or are concerned about? Let me know how your co-sleeping to crib transition is coming along.

For those interested in those nifty Himalayan Salt Rock Lamps, Below is a link to a bundle of two that will save you moohla!

HIMALAYAN SALT ROCK LAMP BUNDLE