Ok, everyone puts their baby in a. n. other room at some point, but when is the right time?
The Lullaby Trust safe sleep guidance to protect against SIDS recommends that babies stay in the same room as their parents, (but not the same bed – thats another whole post,) for the first 6 months. (Others say 6-12 months.) I know amazing, loving parents who have ousted a snoring or grunting baby from their room after only a few weeks, all the way across the spectrum to some who still co-sleep with toddlers. Clearly there’s no right answer and so many variables affect the solutions for each individual, maybe the nursery is right next door in a smallish house, for example.
Recently Bea has been waking up like this every day!
Bea has been in our room in a crib since birth, and at over 6 months now, she’s still there. A different baby may have had this question arise earlier as most would have grown out of the crib much sooner than Bea has, as she’s so small. But now we’re on the threshold of needing something different to sleep her in, or to make the move in to the nursery. If I’m honest, I’m pretty emotional about it. She’s very good at night, doesn’t wake up (much – she’s had a cold recently,) and after the grunting settled around 10 weeks, she doesn’t make any noise either – sometimes un-nervingly so! I’ll be really sad not to roll over and wake up next to her tiny face, or see her last thing at night sleeping soundly next to me. But change is coming, I’ll be going back to work in a few short weeks and I think it’s more practical for her to be in another room so I can get ready without disturbing her, then wake her for a feed before I go.
The less sensible, emotional side of me is all for keeping her in our room, but that means we need a sleeping solution for her. The cotbed we have in the nursery is BIG. It would fit in our room but it would be a nightmare to take apart and move – it won’t fit through the door. Alternatives would be to buy a travel cot (which we plan to anyway,) and use that temporarily, or buy a cheap IKEA cot that takes up less space and is easier. But that leaves me worried, the older she gets, the more aware she will be, and will we eventually have a problem on our hands with transitioning her to the nursery when she’s older? I should probably add here that she already naps in the day and for her bedtime to dream feed sleep in the nursery, in her cot. One of the reasons for not moving the combed from the nursery is that aside from getting her used to the cot, I moved her in there in the day so I got my bedroom back and could use it, getting ready in the mornings or doing washing etc while she napped elsewhere.
So readers, share your wisdom! How long did you keep your baby in your room? Did going back to work make a difference to your arrangements? How did it go when you tried to move them out? And were you sad like me?
As always, I’m looking forward to your advice. 🙂
Love,
Rebecca
xo
