Will our crib ever be used again?

[lkmiscnet]

We used it for the first 3 months and now our 7.5 mo DS co-sleeps with me since he wakes every 2-3 hours to nurse and it was just easier for everyone to get much needed sleep. My DH has been banished to the guest room, as our DS takes up half the bed and my DH needs to wake up at 4:30am daily anyway and needs to sleep since I can take naps during the day if necessary.

I hate the fact that we bought a brand new crib, organic mattress, and all the organic bedding and it's just gathering dust.

Not sure when you transition to a toddler bed, but is it likely the crib will ever be used (I know that's up to us, but in theory, not sure how successful we'll be in getting him back into it)?

[sapphire_chan]

Maybe for naps?

Frankly, I'd start trying to sell it.

[NorthStarMom]

We've used ours for naps starting at 17 months. Still using it seven months later. I also felt it was safer to move that LO to a crib at night before our next baby arrived. Now it's used for naps and at night.

Every kid is different. If you plan on having any more children I'd wait before selling it. You might need it for the next one

[lkmiscnet]

Co-sleeping: Do you use bed rails on both sides of your bed?

I have one bed rail, but am debating whether I should get another one for our 7.5 mo old co-sleeping DS (provided we don't get him back in his crib).

However, the bed rails don't go the length of the entire bed, so there is a place he would eventually be able to crawl/fall out of...

The bed has to stay in the middle of the room, so we can't push it up against any walls either.

[Abraisme]

Have you thought about side-carring it to your bed? That was your LO has his own space and your husband can get back in bed with you. Most babies need to sleep with someone for quite a while and it is easier to have them close for nursing. My DD sleeps in a home-made co-sleeper which is similar to side-carring a crib. It works quite well for our family and keeps my DH in bed with us.

[claras_mom]

Originally Posted by lkmiscnet

I have one bed rail, but am debating whether I should get another one for our 7.5 mo old co-sleeping DS (provided we don't get him back in his crib).

However, the bed rails don't go the length of the entire bed, so there is a place he would eventually be able to crawl/fall out of...

The bed has to stay in the middle of the room, so we can't push it up against any walls either.

In my experience, only the one rail is necessary; my 9.5 mo dd basically prefers to stick close to dh and I. We use our crib for naps.

I'd hang onto the crib. With dd1, she reached a point at about 18 months where she wanted to nurse and then be in the crib right next to the bed. Currently, everyone's still in the same room, with dd1 on a twin mattress on the floor. Eventually, we hope that both girls will sleep in the room next to ours, and so the crib stays there for now.

[sunnygir1]

There was a time when I used it for naps to make sure dd wouldn't crawl off the bed.

We have it side-carred, and now our almost 3yo dd sleeps in there when she comes to our bed (she goes to bed in the next room, but sometimes ends up with us by morning). Pretty soon I'm going to try to put ds (4 mos) in there since he's sleeping better and it will give us a little more room. He's moving around enough while sleeping that he gets in our way a bit.

[BrittneyMarie]

This is the reason I'm so glad we didn't buy a crib. I would've been so mad to put out a bunch of money and not use it. We borrowed ours from my brother. It looks lovely in dd's room that she's never been in

[Alisse]

My inlaws bought us an exorbitantly expensive crib and mattress even though they knew we co-sleep. They had good intentions but now after 4months i'm feeling so guilty for not using it. To make matters worse, they bought an exorbitantly expensive crib for their place for when we visit. Argh .

[nukuspot]

I second (third?) the idea of sidecarring. It gives you so much more room in the family bed, and with your organic mattress it gives your LO a nice chemical free sleep space while still basically being in the same bed.

[Drummer's Wife]

I think I'd side-car it, or sell it for something more useful.

[guestmama9971]

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[abharrington]

after 2 cosleeping kids...we got rid of our crib. noone used it. we have a bed rail for our bed for naps. ds moved to a twin trundle (so low to the ground) at 11 months in the same room with dd.

i dont' think we will be getting another crib for this babe either.

[JMJ]

I love our sidecarred crib even though DD doesn't sleep in it. It's like a bed rail, except that it's open space. When DD needs some space to crawl around while winding down at night, that's often where she goes. Also, some cribs can be converted to toddler beds, so you might check it out to see if you'd like to save your crib for that. Even if your crib doesn't convert to a toddler bed, the organic mattress would likely fit one. I actually even know people who put crib mattresses in their older kids' bunkbeds, so the mattress doesn't necessarily have to go to waste.

[Anastasiya]

We bought our first crib and dd never slept in it. Well, maybe once for one nap. We sold it.

Then along came #2 who despised co-sleeping with every ounce of his being. He wasn't happy unless he was in his own space. So we bought another crib. (A mini crib this time) I thought about a pack-n-play but my back was already so bad that bending that far was next to impossible.

Since then, we've never stopped using the mini crib. #2 slept in it till toddlerhood. Then #3 came along and we used it for naps, then #4 came along and is the same was #2 was - he hates co-sleeping and needs to be in his own space.

So I guess it all depends on whether you're planning on having more kids and what kind of personalities those kids will have. There isn't one "right" answer.

[stephanie95]

My DD used a crib from ages 1 to 2 1/2 when she could climb out. She was a horrid sleeper the 1st year and then one night I put her in it because I was desperate. She was a bit over a year old and waking every hour to eat. I needed sleep soooo very badly. She slept 10 hours that night and every night after until she started to climb out of it in the morning. Now that DS #2 is here using the crib, she's asking for it back. ha ha ha I think it really depends on your kids and where they sleep best as well as how you sleep best.