Family bed to crib transition - eek!

[MamaSong]

We are parents to a 9 month old boy that has been sleeping in our bed from birth. For many reasons we feel it is now best to move him to his own crib. We have been trying to do this for a week now and have had success about 40% of the time; only when he is utterly exhausted. Basically I get him to sleep by rocking him and when I go to lay him down in the crib he wakes up instantly and sits up. I don't even have time to get the blanket on him that is how quickly he wakes. Anyone else been through this and have and advice? Thanks in advance!

[OneHipMamaJS]

We are having a very similar issue: Our 12 month old has slept with us since birth. We have been trying to transition him to his crib the last several weeks with no success...(wakes up immediately, cries, sits up etc.). My instinct is, well, he must not be ready and we continue having him sleep in our family bed. But, the reason for the transition in the first place is, while sleeping in the family bed he has begun to wake up in the middle of the night and try to call crawl off the end of the bed head first. I am concerned he is going to fall off on to our wood floor! I have always woken up and caught him, but am fearful that, I might wake up to late! Any suggestions on a effective way to make the crib transition smoother and help him to feel secure and supported outside of family bed?

[PaxMamma]

AP means meeting your child's nighttime needs as well as the daytime. for more information, read our Ensure Safe Sleep Principle here.

if your instinct is that he isn't ready, then listen to yourself. as dr. sears says, "who wants to be alone in a dark room, behind bars?"

when our children were that age, we took our bed off the frame and put the mattress down on the floor and then laid extra pillows all around as we have wood floors, too. we never forced the transition issue. they both transitioned when they were ready. at 7 and 4, they are both very good sleepers and sleep together in their own room. so don't worry, it does happen naturally!

[mommypower]

Have you thought about side carrying a crib? So he is in the same room, same sounds, same smells that he is used to, you are still there if he wakes he can see you. You could do it either with one side down attached to your bed like a ********** or just putting the crib in your room. This can really help some kids. I remember having a conversation with a 4 year old not to long ago, her parents never intended to co-sleep but she wouldn't sleep in her own room and would sleep on a mattress in the corner of their room for 4 years. They were really working on moving her to her own room and she told me she said there isn't the wooshing sound in my room. Something in Mom and Dad's room was making a wooshing sound that really helped her sleep, after that came out she transitioned pretty easily. So you never know what it is about the sleep environment that's preventing the move. we never bothered with a crib my daughter hated the confinement but at a year she happily started to move to a queen size bed and now at 21mo. stays there almost all night she comes in to our room at first morning light or if she wakes up and is scared earlier.

[3SweetBoys]

My boys are 3, 2 and 6 mos and sleep with us in a King bed with a toddler bed against it. We just embrace the short-lived specialness of it, though we do struggle to find comfort. Sometimes dh takes one to the guest bed so we can spread out, but to us it's worth everyone having peace of mind.