Crib experts please help!

coasterqueen wrote: Ok, I am all for co-sleeping and love, love sleeping with my beauties but since Megan never minded too much sleeping outside of my bed at least part of the night I've gone for it.

Ok but here's the situation. Megan has sleep very well in an Amby bed and we put her in that because of her reflux issues, it was to help with that and did greatly. The bed can be used well past a year, but I'm deathly afraid of what would happen if she pulled herself up in there. So DH and I decided that we should get her used to her crib then. So I am camping out in her room on a air mattress on the floor while she sleeps in her crib. The problem is she will only sleep an hour or a bit longer in there before she wakes up. I then pat her bum and she'll go back to sleep and I go back to sleep. 5 minutes later she's awake again so I just bring her to bed with me. We aren't getting anywhere with this. She was sleeping at least 5 hours in her amby before. I'd take 3 in her crib at this point.

I think the problem is in her Amby she couldn't really roll. Technically the instructions says she can, but *she* couldn't. So it kept her tight and snug feeling in there. When I put her in her crib she has the ability to toss and turn and that wakes her up. I tried putting a sleep positioner in there and that makes her mad if she wakes up so I tried nothing and then she wakes from the rolling around. Also the Amby would "rock" her back to sleep if she woke up because it's on a spring system. The crib is not obviously.

Any ideas from the crib experts? I'm half tempted to just ditch the whole attempt and go back to the amby. The amby does not sit that far off the ground, so I could put some pillows underneath it if she ever attempts to climb out. I just know eventually she'll have to get out of that thing so I thought maybe now was better than later. We would have done it sooner but it really helped her reflex. Although lately since she's been sleeping in her crib or in bed with me her reflex is acting up again.

amynicole21 replied: Could you try swaddling her? I know that she never really went for it when she was smaller, but maybe now? We're having similar issues with Nora... except she only sleeps well in our bed now. My bed is getting VERY cramped with two kids and a dog in there

moped replied: That is why I had to swaddle Jack - he slept sooooooooo much better then............I had to get material and make it to fit properly and really tight

coasterqueen replied:
Megan is actually the one who's always needed swaddling. Over the past few weeks we've not swaddled her and she did fine in her amby. I guess I'll go back to swaddling her in her crib and see if that helps. I forgot about that, thanks.

Yeah, our bed was getting very cramped too. We just have a queen too. My problem being alone with the girls and having them both in my bed is Kylie is a very violent sleeper. She kicks the crap out of my back. Anyways, I have to sleep between both of them so Kylie doesn't hurt Megan, but then I get sandwiched in between then and I've been having what I guess you can call panic attacks in the middle of the night. I start feeling so clostrophobic I freak out. Weird, I know. Kylie sleeps several hours in her own room before coming in with me so I get a bit of time with just one in the bed (not much, lol). When DH was home and Kylie would wake up and come sleep with us, he'd take her on his side of the bed or back to her room and sleep with her there.

Ok, I'm going to stop babbling and try the swaddling bit tonight. I almost caved last night and put her back in her amby because she sleeps better in there and I could REALLY use the rest.

amymom replied: Reflux was a big problem with my daughter . I wish we had an Amby bed, because of the success that you have talked about. If I were you, I would put her back in the amby with pillows underneath. On the otherhand, from the picture you posted awhile ago, I remember it held her pretty tight, so maybe the swaddling in the crib would help. Mary was swaddled for a long time. But she never slept laying flat. I would put her crib mattress at an angle, swaddle her and then pin her to the sheet on the mattress. (Did this until she was almost two)

amynicole21 replied:
Yep, the same thing happens in our bed. I can't get the hang of nursing from the top breast, so I have to flip Nora to the other side once a night. I'm always so paranoid that Sophia will kick, elbow or head butt her... I've caught her foot in mid-air when I was half asleep once - it was heading for Nora's head. She also elbowed her in the noggin the other morning

coasterqueen replied:
Yikes! Well she sounds just like Kylie, that is Sophia does. I can nurse "over head" but I just can't get comfortable enough to sleep while doing it so I have to flip her over, stay away and put her back on the other side.

Kylie DID actually whack Megan in the middle of the night once and Megan woke up screaming. That was the last time I let them sleep anywhere near each other. It took me forever to get her calmed down and back to sleep. I think her sister must have gotten her pretty good.

PrairieMom replied: I swaddled my little man. We found a blanket with a little streatch to it, and wrapped him right up. The tighter the better. He is now almost 2 1/2 and still likes to be wrapped up tightly. Now we use a beach towel with Mr. Increadble on it.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: I'm not sure. Wil went pretty quickly from bassinett in our bedroom to crib in his own room. And then of course the pac n play when he was climbing out of his crib. Now we're back to the crib. So I'm no expert! LOL!

Now is the Amby a soft cloth-like thing that you put in bed with you? Or does it stand on it's own on the side of the bed? Because if it's the soft kind, why not put it in the crib if she likes the confinement? And then move it out gradually. My sister's baby only slept in her bouncy seat, so my sister put the bouncy seat in the crib. This way she got used to the crib, but everyone got some sleep. Sorry if I'm way off, but that's an idea!

ediep replied:
I think the amby bed is like a free standing hammock thing....I do't think it can go in a crib.


anyway, I'm no crib expert, but jason has been sleeping in his crib since he was about 7 weeks old. I think if i were in your situation, I'd really try to work through the crib issues. I'd keep rocking her (or nursing) her to sleep and keep trying to get her to sleep in the crib. I think eventually, she'l get used to it. Not sure if that will work for you, but I don't like having Jason sleep in my bed

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: No help here, Logan has been sleeping in his crib in his own room since we brought him home. Sorry you are having sleep deprivation issues. Good luck.

kimberley replied: can't you get those vibrating crib things to make the mattress simulate rocking? otherwise, i think i'd just stick to the amby with pillows for now... or even try the pack n play. and i totally kwym about feeling clostrophobic! DH and Jade do this to me know and i get NO sleep hope you figure it out. how are you feeling these days? hanging in there okay? i worry about you girl! hope you get some sleep soon!

Warbride replied: This is probably going to sound very mean, but sometimes it's all you can do. Put your kiddo in the crib, shut the door, and walk out. Don't go back in unless she actually needs something. I had the problem recently of my son crying and crying and throwing a fit when it was time to go to bed, so much that I couldn't do anything else, not even eat, without holding him. After a week of leaving him in his room, he doesn't cry at nap time, and doesn't cry very long at bed time. It sounds really bad, and it's really hard, but the only other real options are to take the risk of her crawling out of her amby and hurting herself, or living your life almost a slave to a crying baby. They really do need to learn to comfort themselves, and it's harder on you than it is on them. Trust me.