Baby number two on the way, moving toddler to her own room

[kappachi]

We're a co-sleeping family. About two months ago we moved our daughter to her own bed, but still right next to our bed. So she's within arms reach. We have baby number two on the way and will be co-sleeping with baby too. I'm concerned about our toddler being woken up at night by my having to turn on lights and tend to the new baby adjusting to the world for a few months. We'd like to move her to her own room so she can sleep peacefully during this time. Can anyone give me advice on a smooth move? Or tell me what your experience has been adding baby into a co-sleeping room of three? Thanks!

[Dobin]

I am so glad you asked this. We are in the same situation. I hope someone answers us!

[kappachi]

I hope they do as well. Today and tonight we are trying the move experiment. I had my daughter "help" me move her bed into her room. Then she took a nap there today. Putting her to bed was a little harder then usual but not much. I think I was more emotional then she was. We'll see how it goes.

[StrongFeather]

anyone? I am looking for ideas here too!

[mamaluvs]

No real advice-just our story.  Just prior to getting pregnant with DS, we bought a double mattress to put in DD's room.  At night, we just did our normal bedtime routine and then DH would lay with her in her new bed until she fell asleep.  Once she fell asleep, DH would roll away.  When dd would wake up in the middle of the night, DH would just go in her room and sleep with for the rest of the night.  At that point, she was still waking up mult times a night.  Generally speaking though, DH was in charge of all night wakings-partly so that I could get enough sleep while I was pregnant and partly so that we could each be in charge of a child once DS arrived.  We were lucky though in that dd was always able to sleep easily for Daddy.  If we had to move DS out of bed now, to make room for a new baby, I don't think the transition would go so smoothly!

Once DS arrived, dd would come in my bed in the early morning hours-after DH got up to work.  I'd sleep in the middle and baby would be right next to me or in co-sleeper and dd would be on my other side.

[thedenverduo]

We tried all different kinds of things but eventually we all moved into ds's room for a couple weeks.  We would put ds down in his room, and then when we went to bed we would go in there and sleep on a spare bed.  I think, for us, ds just needed an adjustment period to his new digs.  Then eventually I moved back to our bedroom, and then dh moved back, and we left the spare bed in there.  Then we moved the spare bed out.

So it ended up needing to be a very gradual thing for us, but I know some kids do great with just moving into the other room and adjusting in a couple nights.

[kappachi]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Our transition experiment went very smoothly. So much so that we just left her there. She now goes to bed very easily and on occasion will sleep through the night. She hasn't asked to come back to our bedroom either. I assume she was ready for a little independence.