moving from bassinet to crib

Andrea - posted on 02/03/2009

I hear ya! My daughter hated the switch. She would scream so loud, it made me want to cry. But let me give you hope. We started with just naps (for about a week), this didn't make it that much easier, just easier on me, cuz I got used to it ;) Then when we put her in during nights it messed up her sleep for a while- like 2-3 weeks. She'd only sleep a couple hours tops before screaming. Mighta been bad timing, but anyway- i took a bed sheet, folded it long, then rolled it up from both ends. I put that under her crib sheet, so she wouldn't get tangled, and now I sleep her in between the two rolls. (My sisters boyfriend is a nurse, and he gave me this idea). Also, I wasn't swaddling her in her basinette, but I started again in the crib. I didn't let her cry, per se, but I didn't pick her up while she screamed. I'd walk in, give her her soother, and pat her while she settled. But then she was so wide awake, I'd have to pick her up to put her back to sleep. However, after I made those couple changes, she started sleeping longer. Now she sleeps the best she ever did, and I thought she would never take to it. Don't worry, she'll get there. Be patient, and try a couple different ideas, but don't get frustrated, cuz it won't be hard for much longer. Good luck!!

Kelley - posted on 02/03/2009

With both of my kids, I unscrewed the top/sleeping part of the bassinet and laid it inside the crib.  They slept inside the bassinet that was inside the crib for 1-2 weeks, and then I took the bassinet part out and laid them directly in the crib.  My daughter was fine in about one week, but it took my son longer to feel comfortable.

Lacey - posted on 02/03/2009

Quoting Jen:

 I usually wake up in the morning to hear him "talking" to the lambs on his mobile and giggling.

That's so cute. Sometimes when i go in to check on my little guy in the morning or after a nap he's just sitting in there talking.

Brooke - posted on 02/03/2009

Hi - we made the transition from bassinet to cot a couple of weeks ago. To make it easier we put Oliver in the cot for day time sleeps and bassinet at night, then gradually moved to all night in the cot. That way he got used to going to short sleeps in the cot before we tried longer night time sleeps.

Jen - posted on 01/31/2009

With my son we had to let him cry. Every 10 minutes we would go in and stroke his head and kiss him, but wouldn't pick him up. 3 days later, no more freak outs. We did it at 4 months though (he is long and didn't fit in the bassinet then), so i don't know if it will take a little longer for your daughter. If he woke up after just an hour or two and I knew he wasn't hungry, I would continue to stroke his head and tell him it was "night night time" every 10 minutes until he went back to sleep. There were a few sleepless nights for my husband and I, but we made the decision that we would stick to our guns and hope that it would work.

It was really hard to do (every time I went in I wanted to pick him up), but after seeing the results I am really glad I stuck to it. He loves his crib now and sleeps through the night in it. I usually wake up in the morning to hear him "talking" to the lambs on his mobile and giggling.

Good luck!