Ok Mom's! I need some guidence.

Maggie - posted on 01/05/2011

I had the same question when I was pregnant for my second. My eldest son had turned 2 in April and we moved him into a "big boy" bed in May and my youngest son was born at the end of June. It was a big deal that he got a new bed and got to give the crib to the "baby". I was also nervous about the whole moving in bed. He does 360's in bed! Our solution was putting a queen futon mattress (my parents were going to get rid of it) right on the floor. That way even if he wiggled himself off the bed it was only a few inch difference. I will say in the almost 2 years that he has been in a big boy bed only a few times have I had to move him back onto the bed. Hope that helps...good luck with number 2!!

Sarah - posted on 01/05/2011

We moved our almost 2.5 year old into his bed 2 months before his little sister arrived and he never looked back. He also moved/moves around in his bed, we have a rail on the side of his bed and have never had any problems. He also sat in his crib forever quite happily. If you go into it expecting it to go well, it just might. We started him with a nap in the big bed to see how he did and he never went back to the crib.

Carri - posted on 01/05/2011

I was nervous about switching my daughter to a toddler bed for the Sam reason. When I finally did switch her I found that she did stay in the bed at night (only fell out a handful of times but I had pillows for her to land on and made sure she stayed in the toddler bed which was close to the ground until she went a full 6 months without falling out before moving her to a twin bed) so I say switch her.

Jenn - posted on 01/04/2011

My daughter was the same age when our second was born and I let her stay in her crib. The newborn was going to be in the room with me and then at 5 months the newborn shared a room with my oldest in a Playpen. It has now been almost 1 year and my oldest is still in her crib she is not ready for a toddler bed (has not climbed out and will not sleep in another bed) and my youngest is still in the playpen. They both are happy and love to share a room. My oldest can't even do a sleep over cause "her baby" is not there. So I say wait til she is ready. But you know what is right for you and your family :). Good luck

Nicole - posted on 01/04/2011

Leave her in the crib. If she is playing a lot when you lay her down than imagine what she will do if she can get out of bed. We didn't put our girl in a bed until she was just over 2 years old. You will know when she is ready!!! Good luck!!!

Amber - posted on 01/03/2011

i would try putting her in a toddler bed. try getting one with rails. actually i think its hard to find one without rails. if your still worried about her falling off try getting a fuzzy soft rug of some sort to surround her bed if she does fall between how low the bed is to the floor and the rug she wont hurt herself. my daughter switched to a toddler bed at 15 months, a twin at 2 and now she'll be 3 in march and she sleeps in a full size bed.

Amber Lynn - posted on 01/03/2011

My son is 16mo. old and I have a 6 week old. We just transitioned him to a toddler bed this weekend and he's doing wonderful. He never climbed or fell out of his crib, it was just easier on me to be able to open his door when it's time for him to get up rather than have to go pick him up and out. He does get up sometimes at night and plays a little bit, but he climbs right back into bed and goes to sleep about 20min. after. He's a mover too so we just took a pillow and placed it on the floor next to his bed in case he falls out, but so far no issues. I'd say wait until after the baby comes so you can see if she's regressing or not. Odin seems to love his new bed and we've had no major issues.

Heather - posted on 01/03/2011

IM THINKING TODLER BED WITH SIDE RAILS

Ashley - posted on 01/03/2011

My husband and I were in the same situation that you were in over a year ago. My daughter and son are 24 months and two weeks apart. We actually put our daughter into a toddler bed before my son was born so that she knew that this was her bed, and of course zach was in a bassinet for a few months before he went into the crib so she no longer knew her crib as "her bed". There are bed guards that you can buy that help her adjust and feel secure. Also helps you feel more comfortable to know that she won't be falling out of the bed. I think switching her now will be easier for when baby comes, because she's a "big girl". : ) I hope that helps.

Brandy - posted on 01/03/2011

I recommend transitioning sooner than later. Let her get as comfortable in her new bed as possible. She'll have so many other things to get used to soon enough. I used a bedrail and my daughter never fell out and she never tried to get out a lot either. She loved her crib and loved her bed just as much. Also transitioning soon will give you time to troubleshoot any issues that come up well before #2 arrives. Good luck!

Nancy - posted on 01/03/2011

Move her to a toddler bed and make a big deal of her being the "big girl" so she will think it's super cool. My kids never regressed when a new baby came. Just make sure she still gets her attention time too so she doesn't feel jealous or left out. The toddler beds have railings on them and they are so close to the ground that if she somehow manages to fall out it won't hurt. Just make sure you get it done before the baby comes so she doesn't feel pushed out by the baby. Make sure she knows she is mommy's "big girl" so she doesn't need the baby bed anymore. Good luck!

Claire - posted on 01/03/2011

my son has just turned 14months and has been in a bed since he was 12months, he loves having the space and with it being a toddler bed he cn get right out without gettin hurt because they are so low to the floor. i find it helps with the morning ect he just gets out and plays however when puttin him to bed sometimes he tests the water and get out a few times but if you make it clear its bedtime he soon settles down but hey kids are here to test us ... i personally give a thumbs up to moving from crib to bed but if you feel its too soon maybe you should be introducing it slowly. hope you figure it out ... x

Jocelyn - posted on 01/03/2011

I agree about keeping her in the crib for as long as possible... especially since you have a new born on the way... Switching your toddler from a crib to a bed is a BIG job and takes a lot of persistance and hard work to get them to eventually grasp the idea of staying in their beds...especially if they know you are out there tending to someone else..eeek! Do you have a bassinet that you can keep your newborn in for the first 3 months or so? It would definetly help your toddler feel more secure to have her own crib just until she gets used to her new baby brother or sister. 3 months is a great start, and then you can go on ahead and change her to a "Big girl bed" and make her feel special! My son was a mover too so I picked up one of those bed rails, they are great! and you can stretch them out almost the complete size of the bed too.

Erin - posted on 12/31/2010

If you want to keep her in the crib, keep her in there. They say not to make any big changes for children while an event (ex new baby) is happening within 6 months of each other. So for your time line if you want to try her in the toddler bed, do it now, if not, then you should wait till the baby is about 6months ( a year from now). Good luck!

Nikki - posted on 12/30/2010

i think mommy needs to let go. my son was 10 mo when i moved him into the toddler bed, and same as yours he moves alot, but my 4 yr old was 2 before i moved her into a toddler bed, but i would put extra blankies or pillows, what ever was handy, on the floor around his bed so they would have a softer landing if they fell, falling out of bed is part of learning to stay in!! take some precautions, but id move her as far beefore #2 gets here as possible becuz she is gonna regress, but if she is in a bed long enough she wont regress completely out of it! my son still ends up in a completely different part of the bed by morning but he doesnt fall out. will your daughter have her own room or is she going to be sharing with #2? mine have their own so even if my son doesnt want a nap he still has quiet time in his room although he isnt trapped in a crib, he is trapped in his room. i have a 4 yr old also and she was very attached to the crib, when i moved her into the toddler bedd she got to go to the store and pick out what ever sheet set she wanted, i even gave her the money and she paid for it and carried it out of the store. we made a really BIG deal that she was such a big girl moving into a big girl bed!! and she was soo excited that she actually slept through the night for the first time in her big girl bed! my sn was easier he got sisters bed and sister got a twin sso he was excited to have sisters bed, i have not had very many problems getting him to take his normal nap, if he doesnt want to nap, he has the freedom to get out of his bed and play but he cant get out of his room so its still quiet time, when he didnt want a nap bt was in a crib it was a scream fest so i had an easier time with naps with both kids when they got into a toddler bed. good luck with whatever you choose, hope this helps!

Mandalynn - posted on 12/30/2010

My daughter just turned 1 and was already climbing out of her bed.. We put her in a toddler bed and she actully sleeps better in it. She will lay down in it on her own when she is ready for a nap and dont even try to get out of it at night.. And to her regressing when baby #2 gets here, she just might not do so.. My oldest one didnt he says that hes a big boy and not a baby so you might get off lucky.. Good Luck

Rebekah - posted on 12/30/2010

I'd go ahead and make the transition. You have 6 months to get her really feeling comfortable in her new bed. My children are 27 months apart and we moved my son to a new bedroom and toddler bed when I got pregnant with his younger sister. We're TTC right now (daughter is 19 months old) and as soon as I get pregnant, we'll move her to a big girl room with a toddler bed.



EDA: Her place in the family will be the "big sister," after the sibling arrives, so if you keep her in the baby crib and still treat her like a baby, it will likely cause jealous issues.

Monique - posted on 12/30/2010

we transitioned our daughter to a toddler bed when i was about 6 months along with our son so she was used to the crib being set up for the baby and so she got used to her bed we put a rail on the bed so she couldnt roll off

Mary - posted on 12/30/2010

I was trying to make the same decision and walked in one day to find my daughter 1/2 out of her crib! I think it would be fine to go ahead and move her. Mine fell off the bed a couple times, but it is only a couple inches off the floor - so no biggie, and she quickly stopped. If you are worried you could put a blanket or pillows on the floor next to the bed. You can also get those bed rails too.

Crystal - posted on 12/30/2010

My oldest slept in her crib untill she was 2 1/2 she also never tried to climb out if she's still a fidgity sleeper she may not be ready just yet for a toddlerrbed you could try it while leaveing the crib up put her down for a nap in the toddler bed and see how it goes it does take time for them to get use to a new bed depending on how it goes it may be easier for you just to put up the other crib

Tracy - posted on 12/30/2010

We switched our son to a toddler bed when he was 25 months (3 months before our daughter was born). I knew he would switch shortly after anyhow and I didn't want to buy a new crib. I was so nervous, but he did great! We bought a toddler bed so he kept the same mattress and was close to the floor. I put one side of the bed up against the wall and placed pillows on the other side. He never ended up falling out. I made a big deal about him moving to a big boy bed and even bought him "big boy" toddler bedding that he picked out. We took the crib apart and waited a couple months to put it back up. He was curious about the crib, but didn't see it as "his" any more. It is now "sister's" crib.
Oh, and he only ever tried getting out of his crib once when he was 18 months, he fell and never tried it again.

Jessie - posted on 12/29/2010

well I had the same issue, my wee girl wasn't climbing out of the crib but with number 2 on the way we decided it would be best for us to shift her to a big girl bed before baby arrives. Our reasoning was that there are a lot of changes once baby arrives so it would be best to do the bed switch beforehand. She was in the bed for 1 1/2 months before baby arrived and has had no problems since. My wee girl fell out of bed a few times that first week but hasn't since, if you are worried about that you can get a bed rail for that extra piece of mind :) Good luck with whatever you decide to do, she will be fine.

Lisa - posted on 12/29/2010

we didn't put our son in a toddler bed until age 2 then he started getting comfy in mommy & daddy's bed & has a double bed so he has room for us to lay on his bed & read to him & even help him fall back asleep when he has a bad dream. you really can't do that in a crib & soon she will have to learn to go to sleep in a toddler bed. I suggest the kind that turns from toddler to regular bed size.. they grow out of toddler bed fast. Also you may want to approach it in a way that it's her reward for being so good. Now that she's going to be a big sister & you r expecting you don't have time after the baby's born... now is the time for her to have your attention & help by being the big girl she'll have to be. Not 2 yet but she'll understand enough. Hope this helps.

Joy - posted on 12/29/2010

Will the new baby have a bassinet for a month or two prior to sleeping in a crib? If so, it'd be easy to keep daughter #1 in the crib until she's ready to leave it. Each child's different. I've heard the 1st one will tend to stay in a crib longer than the 2nd one will because the 2nd one's trying to follow the example of the 1st one.

Stacey - posted on 12/29/2010

I was afraid my daughter would fall out of a toddler bed too. I don't know if this will help but if you want to try and move her to a toddler bed you can try a couple of things. one you can go to a store like walmart or kmart and by a toddler bed in her favorite character to make it special. they are not very high off the ground so a fall out of bed would not hurt. if you have wood floors like i do get a nice plush carpet to go where the bed is. Make a big deal about her new bed and some even come with a small bed rail to help with the falling out. or you can start her on twin size mattress on the floor with a nice carpet underneath it. Julie hated her crib so I did the mattress bed. the mattress is only maybe 3 inches off the floor and she would fall out and eventually learn to not fall out. since it was low to the ground and I had a nice soft carpet that she did fall on she didn't get hurt. After about two falls off the mattress she never fell out again and then I slowly raised the mattress higher (with a box spring) and then when she got used to that I moved her to a regular size twin bed. She has been sleeping in a twin bed since she was 2 and loves it. she is now 2 1/2 and thinks her big girl bed is the best. You are her mom and if you don't feel she is ready for the move then don't move her but if you need the crib for the new baby then I would try to get her to a toddler bed before the new baby came so she wont feel you are taking something away from her. Good luck and congrats.

Christiane - posted on 12/29/2010

hi i got 2 kids one of nearly 5 and one of nearly 4 month i would put here in the bed with a bedbar now before baby cumes coz if she playes up u only got that but if u wait till baby cumes u could have both to deal with then but i would explain to here y and i would buy some nice bedding for here and let her pick them makes bed time a bit more fun time

Lisa Marie - posted on 12/29/2010

Let her go!!:)Put her in the big girl bed and tell her how graetit is to be the big sister!Toddler bed have rails on both sides and she probably might even love it when she realizes she can get out on her own!!she growing mom let her gro go or grow!!:)

Michele - posted on 12/29/2010

My 3 year old is still in a crib. He still naps and once they move to a bed it is hard to get them to nap. I have a one year old in a portable crib until I move him out of the crib (which will be in the next few months), so that is the option I would suggest. They are great for taking on vacation so your child still has a "crib" to sleep in and also when my mom watches my kids, she has a bed for the baby to sleep in too.

Stacy-ann - posted on 12/29/2010

my daugher went in a toddler bed at 13 months as she always wanted to get outta her cot and play with her toys i tryed it one nite and she loved it so i neva put her bak in a cot. try it 1st ur baby will let u no if they r ready or not!!!!

Ashley - posted on 12/29/2010

Yes. Transfer her before the new baby comes or she will think 1. the baby is stealing her crib, 2. the baby is more loved than her (because she gets the crib she used to sleep in.) My son still (at age 4) turns completely around several times a week. He wakes up with his head at the bottom of the bed. Just don't put on a top sheet - only use a bottom and blankets. Get a toddler bed with a rail and put pillows where she might fall just in case.

Retha - posted on 12/29/2010

Erica, My daughters were 19 months apart and my oldest who is 26 was a mover. I kept here in her crib till she was about 2 and then I let her help me buy a new set of sheets
for her. That really helped alot. Each child is different. It is okay to keepher in the Crib till she is ready. my sons were a little different my 13 year old loved a new bed at 4, my 5 year old couldn't wait to get out of the crib. I put up a guard rail on all my beds. Blessings to you and your family

Sally - posted on 12/29/2010

If you are moving her to a big kid bed, do it well before the baby comes or she'll have yet another stress to blame her new sibling for.
If she fits in her crib and is happy there and you have access to another crib for the new baby, I'd just leave her until she's ready to move. Why give yourself or her more stress?

Julie - posted on 12/29/2010

Mommy needs to do what's best for her family! There are no rules to what you need to do. I followed the books and advice of others until I had a child that completely broke the mold!! : ) If it works for you, do it! I think you might want to move her on to a bed with a new one coming, just so you don't have to do it after the arrival. I don't rush my little ones. My son will be 3 in February - he's still in his toddler bed. He likes it! They learn the bed boundaries in just a few days, but I still put his bean bag next to the bed just in case. You can get rails for the bed if you are really worried. Congrats on baby number 2! How exciting!!!

Kristine - posted on 12/29/2010

If you move her to soon it may not be good for anyone...& wut I have for my son is a side rail so he doesn't fall out. He let me know when he was ready he refused to sleep in the crib but wanted a matress on the floor in his room. He too never tried to climb out never had a problem with him just hanging out in there asleep or not. Wether we like it or not we kinda got to let them lead the way to a point...I hope this helped alil....& good luck!!

Ayunnah - posted on 12/28/2010

Congrats first of all :) My son is 2 yrs 5 months old, and wow, i really wanted to keep him in his crib till he started climbing out or was 3 yrs old. However, we moved into our new house today (YAY). My husband and brother only had one day off work this week ,so they wanted to move all in one day, so what didn't fit in the moving truck, (crib, 2 dressers and a recliner) got put on a trailer and my brother took it for us. Nice, except the crib got broke, only one side rail, but it still got broke, so we can't use it now. So we set up the toddler bed today. Now i just got the baby to go to sleep (in the floor and i had to move him back to his bed). He moves a lot in his sleep, he's changed positions 3x and he's only been in there 10 min. I put down stuffed animals and body pillows so if he rolls out he's fine. If it was me, i'd leave her in the crib, because she's comfortable in it, and she will be more secure when the new baby comes.

Lisa - posted on 12/28/2010

I just had baby #2 in October and my son turned 2 in November. I opted not to switch him to a toddler bed until I felt like he was adjusted to the new baby. He never tried to get out of his crib and were it not for the fact that I only wanted to have one crib in the room they will share, would have kept him in his crib for a while longer. It has been a challenge to get him to stay in bed. They end up thinking it is great fun to get out of bed simply because they can. The worst part is that he thinks getting out of bed and us putting him back is a fabulously fun game. So his daddy or I had to stand at the door until he stayed in bed. Things are going much better now (We are 5 weeks after the move now.) But it will be at least another month or two before she moves from the pack n play in my room to the crib in their room. By the way, he absolutely loves his big boy bed and has never asked to be back in the crib or expressed any sadness about the switch. Also he was like your kiddo with the flipping all over in bed, and I would frequently find him short ways in the crib all the way at one end. But he has never fallen out of bed even though he still moves quite a bit!

Hope this helps.

Good luck and congrats in baby #2!

Emma - posted on 12/28/2010

get a bed x

Lori - posted on 12/28/2010

Hey, there, Erica. I have two kids, 12 and 8, and am expecting a third in May. If I remember correctly, both of mine were just naturally inclined to be out of the crib and into the "big kid bed" around age two. We let it happen when they wanted it to happen. We did put a regular twin in the room, and talked about it periodically when the baby showed interest/curiosity/etc, but we didn't push--just let it happen. There's so much happening already at that age--potty training, a move toward independence and the need to control their environment--we found it easier to coax them in a certain direction but to allow the actual choice to come from them.

My only concern with this approach would be what your sleeping arrangements for the newborn are going to be. Will you need the crib for the new baby, or do you plan on putting him/her in a bassinet the first few months? Perhaps you could use the impending birth and discussion of what a big helper your other child is going to be to help the transition.

Lori - posted on 12/28/2010

My daughter is 20 months old as well and she is in a crib.... my 6 yr old was in a crib until he was 2 1/2 and potty trained .... I never had a problem with my son getting out of bed we just put a gate in his doorway to ensure his safety. I think I would leave child #1 in a crib for now and use another crib (I think you said you borrowed 1). You will have a newborn that doesnt sleep, you wont be getting much sleep - why take the chance of your toddler having sleeping issues on top of it ....
Best of Luck !

Tiffany - posted on 12/28/2010

I haven't had to do this yet, but I will tell you how my sister did this with all her kiddos (she has 5). First she talked to them about having a 'big boy' bed and got them excited about it. Then she brought them with her to pick out the new toddler bed, sheets, etc. She got them sheets with characters they liked on them. At first she used a bed rail...they have nice netted ones that allow air to flow through. Once she took the railing off, she put an area rug with padding under it on the side of the bed (the side that if they rolled off, they would fall onto that). If you already have a toddler bed for her, let her help you get it together...let her pick out some sheets for the bed and help you make the bed. I would definitely do this at least a few months before your next baby is due so that she has time to get used to the idea. Also, as long as you include your daughter in on all the new experiences going on with the baby you'll be just fine I'm sure. =) Maybe take her to a sibling class. My nephews LOVED that when my sister brought them. I think it's better to have her in the bed before the baby comes, because when the baby does come there are going to be a lot of mixed emotions for her. Jealousy, excitement, sad, happy...the more you involve her and give her 1 on 1 Mommy and Daddy time, the better. Let her help feed the baby, or change the baby. Hold out a few outfits and ask her if she wants to choose which one her brother/sister is going to wear. Make it fun. Congratulations and Good Luck!

Brandy - posted on 12/28/2010

I think that you should have your first child in her own " big girl bed" before the second baby comes and explain to her that she is growing up but don't mention that the new baby needs the crib. make it about her accomplishment not the baby.

Erica - posted on 12/28/2010

Your right, there is no right or wrong answer. I think we will give it a shot after the new year and see if she is interested. if she's not we have a second crib so it's not like baby will be taking her bed. Thank you every one for all your support and recomendations!

Jenny - posted on 12/28/2010

Hi Erica! I think it really depends on your child. We transitioned my daughter into a toddler bed at 20 months while I was expecting my son. My son on the other hand has been a bit harder to transition. A month after his second birthday we tried putting him in a toddler bed and he hated it, he actually feel asleep on the floor next to his bed. We tried this for two weeks and then I finally put the crib back up. I remember he couldn't wait to get back in it! He is now 31 months and we are trying it again (2nd day) and so far he has taken two naps and one night and he seems fine...he even woke up from his nap yesterday and said "I did it!" All kids are different and I don't think there is a right or wrong answer...My advice is to try it out for a couple of weeks, she may surprise you!

Lama - posted on 12/27/2010

dear erica u should immediatley transfer her to tooddler bed so she will be fine when she sees the new baby in the cribe she love..and try to make the new bed funny to her so she will spend hours playing on it like she use to do
and buy bed barriers if she is movable although i never used it for my children because if they fall down once they will learn the limits and sizes of the bed
best wishes

Jennifer - posted on 12/27/2010

My son is 22 months and will be 27 months when our 2nd little guy is born. He loves his crib and I have no plans to move him to a toddler bed until I absolutely have to. We also already have a second crib for the new baby. I figure that as long as he's happy, comfortable and sleeping well there's no reason to make the switch. We'll actually most likely move him straight to a twin when he's ready for a big kid bed.

Erin - posted on 12/27/2010

my son is 21 months old and when he was 15 months I moved him to a toddler bed not b/c he climb out he never did that but we were trying for another baby and I didn't want to just up and move him to a different bed at the same time he was getting a baby in the house so we put the toddler bed up about a month b4 put him to sleep in it so he could get used to it,(and to show him how to get off and on without walking off) its in a different room so we made a big deal about him having a big boy room. then I finally started putting him down for naps in it. I put the mattress from the crib in the floor next to the bed just in case he fell off there was only once or twice that he was on it when he got up and then I just finally took the mattress off the floor and he does just fine in there we have another baby on the was due in March. and he loves his big boy bed! good luck! you'll probably like the fact that the further along you get in your pregnancy that she can get herself out of her bed and your not having to lift her out of a crib!

Michelle - posted on 12/27/2010

I think it depends on the child. I have three children and their ages gaps are 18 months and 20 months. With the first two, I kept my daughter in her crib and when she was two I let her stay in her crip, but took the side off and used rail until she was three. Between the second two, my little Abby went straight to a twim mattress at 19 months (about a month and a half before her brother arrived). It takes them time. If you have a crib, I say, do the crib! :) Unless you really think she might be ready for a "big girl bed". Both my girls went to their first big girl beds (bunk beds actually) when their little brother was born. Don't stress too much, it'll work itself out. :)

Trish - posted on 12/27/2010

My lil man is 14 months old and he has a double bed all to himself. He moves a lot in his sleep which I put pillows around him...and I check up on him in the middle of the night. Plus when I'm pissed off at my hubby I got a nice place to sleep! So you could try putting her in a big girls bed. It just some getting use to for her. Better to start now don't wait for baby to come then change to a big bed. Start her now.

Tracy - posted on 12/27/2010

We switched my son to a crib about 2 months before my daughter arrived, we used bed rails to help stop him from falling out :)

Amy - posted on 12/27/2010

I'm at about the same point. My son does know how to climb out, but he is still taking daily naps with no fusses [thank you, God!]. I am also due in july. [congratulations to you!!] We are thinking of taking the side off his crib and then putting one of those side catch things on - it just helps them from rolling out. And then we plan on one day taking the crib out and putting a twin mattress in there in the exact same spot, with the side catch - head and other side against walls so he won't fall out. We're hoping it'll work. He's just going to have to deal with it and I figure I'm going to do it within the next month or two. I don't want him to think baby is stealing his bed. I have a bigger problem, though, too. He's going to have to get really used to his bed....and then sleep in that bed in a different room. He'll have to share with his sister. Agh. It's a tough one. My daughter was the easy one. She kept trying to sneak into the guest bedroom and sleep when she was 18 months, so we made it her room and she was oh so happy. But we only have three bedrooms and will have to put three kids between two of them. I think she can handle a big girl bed. Just make sure to have a side catch on there and maybe put a nice little fluffy area rug by where you think she may fall out. My daughter fell out twice. That's it. :)