Do you think this would work?

[MamaSaysMoo]

Our 20m old has slept in her own room since she was about 3 or 4m old.  Bed sharing is not a safe option for us, but room sharing never occurred to me until after she was settled.  I'd really like to move her back into our room, but I'm afraid that it would completely mess up her sleeping habits.  She's still in the crib, but we're planning on converting her crib to a toddler bed over spring break (while my husband is home and can help).  We're also expecting #2 (in October), and we're not sure if we'll be getting a new crib or just moving her into a twin.  I don't know if we should take away her crib and her room, and then add another baby and possibly take her bed away.  But I also don't want to share a room with the baby and leave her alone in her own room. Do you think it would be terrible if we moved her into our room?  Will it make it harder to move her back out when she's bigger?  Any help is welcome, ladies.

[MadelynMc]

I have thought about this a lot for our 3yo, am I crazy? We will have another baby at the end of the summer and I plan to sidecar the crib, but I feel like our 3yo DD will feel left out and alone in her room. Is it even possible to keep a newborn and toddler in the same room? I hope someone can give you answers.

[MamaSaysMoo]

Madelyn, if we both thought of it, it can't be that crazy, right? ;-)

[velveeta]

We share with our 3 yo and we will have a baby in a few weeks. 3 yo is in our bed, but she won't be sleeping by Baby (only I will). Before about two weeks ago, our older boys (6 and 9) were sleeping on another bed in our room, as well. They have some health issues, which are now resolved, so they are (happily for all) in their room together. It was never a problem for us, and DH and I felt safer having the boys close to tend to their needs.

[skycheattraffic]

I'm due in July and have a 23 month old and have a plan. Whether its any good won't be known until the baby is here but I'm throwing it out there in case some part of it sounds good to you.
We also can't bed share in our room so DD has been in her own room in a crib since day one. I'd nurse her in a recliner, transfer her once asleep and leave to sleep with DH. Around 18 months she became very hard to transfer and we put her crib mattress on the floor and I started nursing her down side lying. We got her a very low double bed at ikea so now I can cosleep with her if needed but I can leave easily once she's asleep if I prefer. She's been sleeping pretty well lately with one or two wakings in 11 hours unless she's sick. We moved the crib into the third bedroom for baby along with the recliner. My plan is to have baby in the new nursery and pop in to help DD when she wakes. If DD is having a rough night, I'll simply bring baby into her room and cosleep with them both or use a bassinet for baby. it'll be rough but in case they both sleep well, I'll still be able to retreat to my own bed. I simply do not sleep well with babies/toddlers. Every twitch wakes me and I have a hard time relaxing again. I just LOVE the low double for DD and have weathered many sick and teething nights there in the last 4 months or so.
I'm also open to ideas but classical cosleeping in the master bedroom just isn't in the cards here.
Edited by skycheattraffic - 3/1/13 at 11:51am

[MamaSaysMoo]

Jean, thank you for your example.  It's so nice to know that it can work.  When did your older two transition to their own room?  Was it hard, or were they ok with it?

Skycheattraffic, I'm so jealous that you have three rooms.  We have two, so we have to find a way for the four of us to fit.  It's a pickle.  I do see the appeal of moving our daughter from the toddler bed to a bigger mattress on the floor so I can lay down with her if I need to.  Maybe that will solve the new crib or not argument.