If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

How and when did you introduce the crib?

DS sleeps at night in the RnP in his nursery (was in our room til last week at 7 weeks, then we introduced a bedtime routine and put the RnP in his room and it's been great for all of us). He naps either in his swing for his long naps, in the RnP or on the boppy on the sofa for short naps (with me sitting with him, obviously). Today we tried to put him for a nap in his crib. I rocked him to sleep and he had his pacifier, but he really only lasted about 20 minutes in there before he woke up wailing and wouldn't settle. I'd like to start introducing the crib...any tips or suggestions?

If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

My DD sleeps in a PnP also. Will transition when she sleeps longer stretches. I go cold turkey when we will use crib. If he gets up from nsp early & wont go back to sleep then try putting down again later. Eventually he will get used to it & be more comfy...just like when you get a new bed or sofa..lol

Re: If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

My ds slept in the rnp at first also. Transitioning to the crib was hard. He would sleep for a little and then wake up crying in the middle of the night. I swaddled in the crib and if he woke up in the middle of the the night and wouldnt go back to sleep I would just put him in the rnp. Eventually hr got use to the crib and didnt need the rnp anymore.

If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

My dd slept in the RNP in my room until 6 months due to some health issues. I initially did the pack n play in my room to get her used to sleeping flat for like 2 weeks then moved her to her crib. She didn't like to nap in her crib at first, I tried that way. That transition didn't work for me. BUT sleeping at night no issues at all.
After her first night in the crib it was much easier getting her to nap in it. Though sometimes she would nap in her car seat still.
Initially during those 2 weeks when she was sleeping flat she woke up the first night every 2-3 hours, then the next night was 3-4, then 4-5 and then through the night. Each night got better.

Keep trying. Habit is how they get used to things and if you keep trying it your DS will get it eventually.

If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

Somewhere around 6-8 weeks. DD slept at night in the cosleeper and napped in the swing or RNP before that. I started with naps, letting her continue to nap in the swing in the morning so she got a good one in and I could shower and then tried the crib later in the day. I put her down sleepy and awake and just hung out in her room with her reading or folding laundry so I could talk to her or reassure her a little if she fussed. It took her a little getting used to but within a few weeks she pretty much did all or her naps in there and we put away the swing and RNP for good. At night, I would start her in the cosleeper and then after her motn feeding I would move her to the crib. After she got used to that I started putting her down in the crib from the start of the night (again by about 8 weeks).

If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

My dd started in the rock n play. At 7 weeks we moved her to her crib. I didn't want her to get used to the incline making a transition hard. It was seamless and she slept exactly the same as she had.

Naps in the crib didn't start until 3 1/2 months. Before that it was almost always the swing.

Edit. Timing is everything for us with naps. She has pretty consistent nap timing and I feel out her cues. When it's been awhile she's been playing and she is rubbing her eyes and pulling on her hair I know it's time to try for a nap. I bring her to her room, shut the blinds, turn on her white noise machine, put her in her crib and walk out. I can tell in the first 5 minutes if she will nap or not. I don't force it and try again in 20 minutes or so if she doesn't fall asleep.

Message edited 12/15/2013 3:26:13 PM.

Re: If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

She slept in the pnp til 7 months. She was ready before then, I wasn't. We'd only put her in it to nap. We got lucky. The transition to her crib was easy right from the start.

Re: If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

DS started sleeping in his crib at night around 4-6 weeks. But it took until he was 5 months old to nap in his crib. IF I could get him down for a nap in his crib it was 30-45 mins and he'd be up.

My point is, it might actually be easier to introduce the crib overnight first, rather than for naps. Just keep trying it, and eventually it'll take. They grow out of swings and RnPs and prefer sleeping on their tummies eventually, and that's when they usually prefer the crib.

If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

DD slept in her bassinet until she was almost 5 months. then we introduced the crib and she took to it right away. she still won't nap in the crib. if i try she'll stay for 30-45 min if i'm lucky when she will usually nap for 1-1½ at a time. she usually naps in her swing or laying down on the couch with me sitting next to her

Re: If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

I used a combo of rnp and bassinet at first. Dd never napped in bassinet, only parts of the night. When I converted to crib, we pretty much did cold turkey and she did great! I was surprised!

Re: If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

DS slept in the PnP in our room until he was 7 weeks old. I started to get him used to the crib with his naps during the day. He transitioned pretty well into the crib.

If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

3m or so I guess.. She slept with us. Even then she still mostly slept with us :) By 8m tho she slept more or less in her crib. By a year I didn't care where slept as long as she slept. By 2.5 she was in her toddler bed and refused to sleep in our bedroom.

Re: If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

Luckily we didn't have too much problem transitioning from rnp to crib.
I started having baby nap in the crib around 2-3w and would always put him in the crib while I showered, even if he was wide awake.

If the transition wasn't easy my plan was to put clothes I've recently worn in his crib during the day so my scent would be on the sheet at night.
Also, when I was ready to put LO back down after mtnt feedings he would be wide awake. We have a projector/sound machine combo so I would put the projector on, say goodnight and run out of the room lol. He seemed to like it and then would fall asleep on his own (the projector had a timer).

My LO actually has a problem sleeping in the pnp. I wish he did.

Message edited 12/16/2013 11:03:17 AM.

Re: If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

Ds slept in a bassinet in our room until he was about 5 months old. Once we moved into a 2 bedroom place, I would start putting him down for naps in the crib so he would get used to it. Maybe the first night in the crib was tough, but he adapted pretty quickly.

If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

DD began in the RnP until about 4 months. We moved her to the crib and she was fine. I felt because she wasn't cozy, she wouldn't sleep well. I had her in a sleep sack and she STTN. I slept horrible that night

Re: If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

My DS was in a RNP as well at first too. I think he preferred sleeping on the incline, so I bought a crib wedge to stick on top of the crib mattress under the sheets to get him elevated a bit. It took a few weeks for him to get used to. Eventually we took the crib wedge out.

If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

I used a crib wedge and made a "nest" to replicate the closeness that the rnp provides. He did amazing in his crib and the transition was totally smooth

Re: If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

DS slept in our room in a cradle when he was a baby. We put him in his crib in his room at about 8 weeks. Once we did he slept much better! (Me too!)
If we're blessed with any more I may end up doing the crib right from the start!

Re: If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

I son LOVED the Rock N Play…..It was a life saver for us!!!

Re: If your DC slept somewhere OTHER than the crib at first...

Rnp at night and swing or rnp for naps. We moved them to crib at 3.5 mo. Still used rnp and swing for naps til about 5/6 mo