How we sidecarred our crib

What kind of crib to use?

Some moms use the type of crib that converts to a toddler bed, and say it's more stable since it's designed to work with only three sides.  We use an ordinary CHEAP crib we bought on clearance and it has worked great for us and there aren't any stability problems.  So most likely any crib will do, ofcourse double check the stabilty of your arrangement, regardless of what type of crib you use, before you put your baby in it. Also you'll want to be sure the crib slats are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart ( should not be able to fit a can of soda pop through the openings)

How long can I use the side car arrangement?

In general, as long as your child is within the weight limits of your crib ( check the owner's manual). My 4 yr old still sleeps/plays in the side car occasionally. I have even on a rare occasion found myself half sleeping in the crib- though I don't reccomend an adult sleeping in a crib, it has held my plus size weight, so I'm very satisfied our crib will hold  my children as long as they want to be in it!

What do you do for naps?

this is a question I get a lot!  There is no one answer or fix but this is what we have done. When Josh was a baby he would sleep anywhere, he slept in a pack n play, floor, swing  you name it and as he got a little bigger he slept on his "play couch" something like this ( not endorsing this store) and many days I would also take advantage of the calm and nap with him in bed! Now with David, he's a little more of a challenge! When he was smaller he would nap in a sling or swing but now the only two places he will nap on a regular basis are my arms or bed. It can be challenging some days but it really does force a busy mom to take a break! I either get in a comfy chair where I plan to be for a couple hours - where I can also supervise Josh ( now 4), and nurse David to sleep and stay right there or the thing that works better most days is head upstairs nurse Davey to sleep and then play with Josh in his room.  Some days the three of us all cuddle in for a family nap- which I love, but Josh is trying hard not to partake in the naps anymore  I know there are days when I wish I could use nap time to get things done like SHOWER, or clean the house. But the house work can wait and my husband reassures me that I really don't stink that bad! So for now this is what we have to do- I know the time when they're small is so short and soon Davey will also be telling me he's too big for nursing and naps so I'll treasure it while I can!

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How do I keep little one from getting hurt/falling off bed when they start crawling?

When Davey was "younger" we would never leave him in the bed alone.  But despite watching him like a hawk he would still try to climb right over the edge of the bed (during awake time, during sleep time he never tried to "escape"). So we decided to teach him *how* to get off the bed safely.

We borrowed this from our parent /child swim class at the YMCA: When getting off the bed ( or into a swimming pool) always use "THE SAFE WAY" and always call it "THE SAFE WAY" this way when reminding them, they have consistancy and have a name/word they can associate with the method. Teach them first by moving their body for them, then soon they will do it for themselves. Have them roll on to their tummy, and slide to and over the edge feet first, even before Davey could stand we taught him this, his feet would touch the ground enough to slow him before he landed on his butt. Here's Davey getting down "The Safe Way".

My adult and crib mattresses aren't the same height how do I get them to flush?

                                                

If the baby is going to sleep between my husband and I, which now that he's bigger, he occasionally does, Steve and I will sleep with our own seperate blankets and we'll both wrap the blankets around us to be sure there's no loose blanket towards the baby. With the blankets firmly under us, we feel confident that they don't pose a suffocation or entrapment risk to our baby, again only YOU can determine if your sleeping arrangement is safe for your little one.

what about pillows?

Check out this family's set up  hedda dabbler:grab your goggles

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mama tigress from MDC shares her tips and photos below

"mama  tigress" writes: I was a bit concerned that having the foam come up was a safety risk, as perhaps DS could smush his head against that and not be able to breathe. But then I realized that co-sleepers and basinnets have sides, so it should be fine. He does wiggle around the crib, but almost always in my direction, not the other way. Besides, with me right next to him (or checking constantly if he's by himself), I don't worry...I think it works great if your room will allow it to have a space between the crib and the wall for putting baby down at night. Oh, and the other suggestion I have is to get a lamp that clips onto your bed frame if you want light. I needed it the first few weeks of DS's life to get him latched at night. At this point I don't use it though.

Thank you for your site!

Thank you mama tigress !

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