I would love tips on how to switch baby to crib…my little one is 4 months old and I cant get her to sleep in the crib at night yet!
Transitioning Your Baby to a Crib
Do It Now
The longer you wait to transition, the harder things are going to be. If possible, try to transition before they start sleeping through the night because you might be right back where you started if you try to make the transition afterwards. Do it now! You’ll breathe a sigh of relief when it’s done!
Start at Naptime
When Moriah (2.5 now) was about four or five months old I decided it was time to get her to start napping in her crib instead of the swing. She slept fine in her crib at night, but she did not like it at naptime. Kharis (5 months old) slept in the swing all night and during naptime for the first three or four months of her life. We think she may have had a little reflux, but she definitely slept better sitting up a little in the swing.
Starting at naptime allows you to test out the idea and it doesn’t leave you fighting a fussy baby at bedtime. It also allows them a shorter period of time to “test out” the idea. Make it a habit to lay them down in their crib every time they nap and eventually they’ll get used to it.
Start a Routine
Our girl’s bedtime and nap time routine always consists of a book, a prayer, and singing Jesus Loves Me. We don’t read as much with Kharis (something we need to do), but the one thing we always do is sing with her. I usually give her a bottle and sing to her while she eats when we’re getting ready to go to sleep. She (and Moriah) always sleeps with a little lovie and we use a sleep sack to keep her feeling snug. Creating a routine during naptime and bedtime helps them to know that it’s time to go to sleep.
Lay Them Down Groggy
I almost never let the girl’s fall asleep in my arms and I don’t rock them to sleep. I feel like these are habits that they’ll expect every time they go to sleep (like their routine) and they need to learn how to get themselves to sleep. At this age, Moriah is really good about laying down and just going to sleep. Kharis usually goes to sleep right away too, but if not you’ll hear her “talking” to herself and she likes to rub her lovie against her face. Within a few minutes she’s asleep and the house is quiet!
Let Them Fuss
I know this is a touchy subject. If you don’t agree, we can agree to disagree!
In the first couple of days of trying to transition your baby, they will fuss a little bit each time you lay them down. I spoke with our doctor about this with Kharis and she said to let her fuss for 10-15 minutes and then go in and check on her. But, here’s the thing….she almost never fussed for that long. The premise behind this is, if you continue to go in and get them up when they fuss, they will expect you to come get them every time.
On the other hand, we’re not talking about letting them scream for 15 minutes. As their Mommy, you know their cries. You know when they’re tired, fussy, angry, hurting. Discern your babies cries and get them up if you feel like they’re hurting. But, sometimes they are tired and they just need to figure it all out.
I’ve done this with both of my girl’s and they are very happy, well adjusted kids!
Pray!
Being a Mom, especially a first-time Mom is hard. Transitioning your baby to a crib is only the first of many transitions we’re going to have to deal with in our kids. There have been many days where I’ve cried with them, but when the house is quiet and everyone’s in their own beds, I give myself a little pat on the back. Pray for strength, pray for patience, and pray for your baby…being little isn’t as easy as it seems!
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I couldn’t agree with your post more. Sleep training is so important for a lifetime of great sleep. Just stopping by to welcome you to the Social Fabric Community!