Crib Advice

[doodler]

Hello all!  First time Mom here in need of some crib advice.  Yesterday when I put DS down for his afternoon nap he managed to get a foot up and had about half of his body out of his crib.  Thankfully he decided to climb back in or else I was imagining him plummeting face first to his death.  I thought maybe it was a one time thing until he immediately did it again and only stopped because I got on the monitor and yelled at him to get down as I was sprinting up the stairs to get him out of the deathcrib.  

He is only 16 months and nowhere near ready for a toddler bed yet.  Last night we dropped the mattress to the floor but there are gaps in the back and one side where the mattress does not reach the crib slats.  We compensated last night by wedging a hard memory foam pillow and a rolled up quilt between the crib and the wall to make sure the gaps are gone.  I had posted about this on my local moms group on facebook and another Mom basically said the crib is now a death trap.  

I found this online:
growinguptriplets.com/2013/08/05/how-to-keep-baby-from-climbing-out-of-a-crib/#sthash.5NVK8syM.dpbs

Has anyone ever tried anything similar or do you have any advice for me?

[2chatter]

I would get rid of the crib if the lowest setting does not line up with the rails. Something is wrong. Alternatively, take it apart, google the assembly instructions and see if you made an error in assembly?

DD climbed out of her crib at 12 months. She would monkey up the corner and jump out. She moved into a twin bed as we had one of those and her crib was not convertible. Totally worked - well, she was a horrible sleeper, but that was true in the crib, too. You can toddler bed a one year old.

[doodler]

Jan 27, 2015 10:10:50 GMT -5 2chatter said:

I would get rid of the crib if the lowest setting does not line up with the rails. Something is wrong. Alternatively, take it apart, google the assembly instructions and see if you made an error in assembly?

DD climbed out of her crib at 12 months. She would monkey up the corner and jump out. She moved into a twin bed as we had one of those and her crib was not convertible. Totally worked - well, she was a horrible sleeper, but that was true in the crib, too. You can toddler bed a one year old.

No, the lowest setting is what he climbed out on.  Several people suggested dropping the mattress to the floor so that is what we did.  Nothing wrong with the crib.  

Maybe I am being silly and just need to try the toddler bed.  I'm just imagining my amazing sleeper prowling his room and never sleeping again.

[k3am]

At that age, DD was napping on a cot on the floor at DC. Can you just do a mattress on the floor - no crib around it?

[2chatter]

I cannot imagine that the mattress on the floor with the crib around it is safe....agree with k3am - maybe just try the mattress sans crib?

[leap08]

I'd go to the toddler bed or mattress on the floor (without the crib). You don't want your baby's bed to be a safety hazard. I think DD1 was about 18 months when we moved her to a toddler bed. She did fine staying in her bed initially and then about 6 months later she started getting out of bed at bedtime. You just never know how they're going to react.

[alli2672]

I wouldn't actually advise anyone else to do this, but when my son started climbing out of his crib, we put his crib mattress up on the highest setting. That way when he climbed out of it, he was at least getting out feet first.

He wasn't able to sleep on a mattress on the floor. I don't know why, but it didn't feel right to him, and he just looked so tiny and sad and pathetic in it.

[doodler]

Sounds like we just need to make the leap to the toddler bed or mattress on the floor. I was really hoping to not have to deal with this yet!!!

[clldll]

I'm with the majority. Either put his mattress on the floor or get a toddler bed. Will he get up and wander? Maybe. But will he fall and get hurt? No.

This is like so many other toddler things. You do your best to keep them safe. They do their best to have "fun" and usually end up doing something dangerous. It might be a rough week/month while he gets used to his new sleeping arrangements. Then one day he'll be a tween and you won't be able to get him out of the bed!

[minirella]

There are tent tops made out of netting that you can get for cribs. My SIL used them.

[Deleted]

Jan 27, 2015 11:53:51 GMT -5 privacy said:

Jan 27, 2015 11:17:47 GMT -5 minirella said:

There are tent tops made out of netting that you can get for cribs. My SIL used them.

I think most of those have been recalled.

I agree with the others that it sounds like he's ready for a toddler bed.  In my experience as long as you're firm the first few nights and watch him and put him back in the bed every single time he gets out he'll learn that he has to stay in there.  My kids were in beds by 14 months and actually slept better

Yes they're apparently a big strangulation hazard. My friend used one successfully with her young toddler a few years ago, but I would be afraid to use one.

[sandandsea]

I agree with just putting the mattress on the floor or getting a toddler/twin bed. DS has always been a horrible sleeper and the toddler bed/twin bed hasn't helped. He now knows he can get up whenever he wants. We have all sorts of sleep issues with him (many night wakings, nightmares, monsters, scared of dark even with 2 nightlights, etc.) and are really working on the sleep thing. Our pedi suggested locking the door so he can't leave and letting him CIO because he's 3 and should be sleeping better. I haven't had the heart to do it yet because I know at times he is really terrified in the MOTN.

[theborg7of9]

We stopped my older son from climbing out by just putting him in a sleep sack. Then he couldn't lift one leg over to climb out. Now he is almost three and even though we don't use the sleep sack, he is happy in the crib and doesn't try climbing out anymore.

But he did start taking off all his clothes and diaper, so we had to cut off the feet of his PJs and put them on backwards.