Moving from cot to bed??

[Lizzy]

Hi everyone, has anyone any advice, or suggestions on how to start transferring my 16 month old from cot to bed? We have a newborn 3 weeks old, and we would like to transfer him into the cot in the next month or so. He is sleeping in a bassinette at present. We brought our older sons bed before his brother was born so he could play on it and get used to it a bit. Hints and tips would be appreiciated. Thanks

[nellnell]

We started by putting just the mattress on the floor for a month or so. It was easy them to get in (but also out) and not far to fall if they rolled out. After that we put the bed up and the mattress on and away we went. DD went into a bed at 18 months and DS at 16 months. Neither have had bed rails to stop them falling either. I just placed another mattress beside the bed for the first week or two after they moved into the bed.

GL

[Kazzo]

Hi Lizzy,

I moved DD1 into a bed when she was 14months. I started with just her day sleeps and she went fine. Night time came and she wanted to sleep in the bed again so we let her and had no problems, we never had to put up a rail for her but had one to put up just incase. I did buy a little step for her so she could get back into bed if she climbed out and she loved that. I don't know if this has any tips in it, it is just how I went about it.

[Shanti]

DD was 17/18mths approx when she went into her own 'big girls bed' (king single bed). She loved it. Plenty of room for me to lie next to her to help her get to sleep too when needed.... she was getting too big for our family bed LOL and we wanted to get her into it WELL before this baby is born in May. We got a side rail and never had any probs. Started day sleeps in it first then night sleeps.

Good luck! Just go gently and ease into it, especially as you have a new baby in the house that already is a huge adjustment for your little one to handle already kwim?

In saying this, DD never liked a cot so it was easy to go from 'family bed' to her own big girls bed.

[buzzawuzza]

We had a cot that converted into a toddler bed so we just took the side off and put some pillows down so DD didn't hurt herself when she fell out. After a month or so, we moved her into her big girl bed which we put the cot mattress underneath, again for if she fell out. She adjusted really well to both. Good luck.