Baby Contortionist - Should I Worry?

[fionas]

My 3-month-old Katrina sleeps in a cradle next to our bed. She often pushes herself up to the top of the cradle from the bottom where I've put her and also likes to run her hand along the bars. But this morning I found her lying on her side with her legs at a 90 degree angle to her body and both of them slotted through one of the gaps and curled around the outside of the cradle.

I really don't want to get paranoid about it and my cradle meets all the Aussie safety requirements. But should I be worried about her getting her legs through the gap or is it only little heads that are a problem?

Fiona

[Beach Mama]

I had moved Isabelle into her cot from her cradle at around 3 months -mainly because she was moving around a bit and her arms were always out and hitting the sides of the cradle and also I had to pin the cradle all the time because she was heavier and it was starting to tilt!

Now that she is in her cot she does what your daughter is doing in her cot and moving all around the place -she never seems to be in the same place that we put her and my DH told met that last night he had to give her a little cuddle, and when he put her back to bed she turn straight to her side - put both feet between the bars, hands grabbed hold of another bar and thats how she fell asleep!

If your cradle meets all safety standards then there shouldn't be any worry about any part getting stuck but I would think that she may end up sleeping better if she had more room in a cot - particulalary if she is moving around so much and already putting her legs through. Have you thought about moving her into a cot?

[fionas]

Hi Tanstar

Yes, we're going to buy a cot soon but the room that we want to put her in has a cracking wall which we're getting checked out next week. Actually, when I say cracking that's a bit of an understatement, one of the walls has moved and our architect freaked when he saw it and basically said don't sleep in there, it looks unsafe! And our room would be a bit squashy with a full-size cot. So we're kind of making do at the moment. But funnily enough, she is always very happy to sleep in her pram bassinette even though it's obviously smaller. I think if she had more room in a cot she might end up messing about more! But generally she sleeps very well. Usuallly between 9-12 hours per night so I'm really not complaining!

[Beach Mama]

OMG at your cracked wall - you poor thing!!!! Well if shes sleeping that well -send her over here to have a chat to Izzy for me would you?! JK - well it sounds like she's happy enough and like you said in a cot she will probably just do the same thing anyway! Good luck with it all!

[MantaRay]

Sometimes they will just use all the available space. Jack used to end up in the oddest positions and at various times curled up in each of the four corners. Tom at the same age wouldn't even crease the sheet he lay so still. They are all different and the movers will move wherever they sleep. They are unlikely to meet with any danger if you are following all the guidelines.