When to use a crib?

[Mommy2Be!]

I haven't had my son yet (coming Soon!!)...but wanted to know when I would start to introduce him to his crib? I am going to use a bassinett for a while, but just wanted advice on when to start using his crib?

Alslo...I wanted to get feedback on pacifiers? What would/did you do? I am really hessitant on using one because I don't want to have to worry about breaking the habit when he gets older. I had a friend who just used her pinkie when her baby was just fussy or wanted to suck for a bit. What do you think? My sister in law has a 17 month and she is having one heck of a time trying to get her son off of that. I know there is soo many does and don'ts but just wanted opions. Thanks!!

[myboysmom]

The crib thing is totally up to you and your significant other. With both of my boys, it was about 3 months with me, then the crib. For my friends, who just had their first in November, she went straight to the crib. (and she's fine. :))

About the pacifiers. . . My first son used one. At about 8 months, we took it, it was gone, it wasn't an issue. That was when he began crawling, also. My second son is over 2 years old and has sucked his thumb since that first week. I tried to get him to take the pacifier and he wouldn't. I wish he would have!! You can take away a pacifier; you can't hide their thumb. . . .

[busymom]

I agree with myboysmom about the pacifiers... you can always take away the pacifier but you can't cut off the thumb. The most important thing is to wait until breastfeeding is well established about 1-2 months at least. Babies need to suck, it's very comforting for them and helps sleep better. I've read that pacifiers can help prevent SIDS in babies up to 6 months old. They're not a bad thing at all. My oldest is two and only uses the pacifier to sleep. I'm not in a big hurry to take it away. It stays in the crib and only comes out for nap or bedtime.

[lilypaulrobinson]

Deciding when to put the baby in the crib is totally up to you. When I came home from the hospital with my son, he went straight to the crib. There's no set time as to when to put your son in the crib. It is really up to you.
About the pacifiers...I give my son one (He's 2 months old). I only give it to help to satisfy his sucking or to help him sleep. I make sure that he doesn't get stuck on it because I don't give it to him all the time.
There is nothing wrong with a pacifier. As busymom said, it does help prevent SIDS in babies.
Just maybe try and not give it to him a lot. Because then when you want him to stop taking it, you won't want to have a hard time.
I hope you have a safe and healthy delivery! Congratulations!

[ra11en]

I asked my twin sister these same questions.

I started my little one in the crib at 4 weeks. Prior to night time sleeping, I let her lay in it and doze off in it while I was folding laundry on the floor next to her, jsut to get her used to it. When I asked my sister if they were safe for a baby so young, she laughed and said "Well, they are MADE for babies, so yes they are as safe as anything else." So, whenever you feel comfortable was the advice she gave me and the advice I pass on.

Oooooh, pacifiers. The bane of my existence for the first year. I was dead set against ever giving her one, and instructed the hospital nursery not to. Yeah, that lasted until the first night when they wheeled her in with a big white Nuby in her mouth. I was furious, but quickly learned that she demanded one regardless of my plans.

By 12 months, the pacificier quickly became more of a hinderance than a tool. Having it fall out of her mouth would cause her to wake up more than using it was putting her to sleep. She was also starting to throw it before throwing a tantrum over not having it. At that point, I waited for the first healthy weekend and she went cold turkey. After the first nap which was a fight, she adapted and never fussed for it again. She became much more agreeable, and found other ways (mainly sign language) to communicate frustration or desires.

Use it if you need to, they are so helpful in the early months, but I would suggest you break the habit as early as possible. Even at a year, my little one was a fighter and didn't adapt as quickly to change as she did as an infant. When you do decide to break the habit, do it cold turkey and do not backslide! Tough it out and so will they. The few friends who told me to ease her off it ended up with a much harder, longer ordeal than those who just took it away in the morning and never looked back.

Good luck, and congrats on the new addition! Sleep now while you still can. ;)

[belle51rams]

First of all.. CONGRATS on the new addition! I have a 1 and 1/2 yr old daughter and I am due with a son July 30. My daughter went from bassinet to crib around 3 months. She was sleeping through the night at 6 weeks, so I didn't see any need to keep her so close. I was afraid she would become too dependent on us. She did fine right away. And, clearly it is a personal choice - I don't believe there is any right time.. for me, it was sooner rather than later.

Now... the binky issue. My husband and I stocked up on probably close to 10 binkies before our daughter was born and she never wanted any of them. I even went and bought different kinds in case the one's we had weren't right and she would always just spit them out. She just never wanted them. She would suck on our knuckles or fingers if she needed something, but never wanted the pacifier. Now, I have the question with my soon-to-be son, do I even try? I know every baby is different.... and I am already setting myself up for the fact that no other baby could possibly be as good as my first ;) I would tend to agree with the one who said to try and use it for the first few months because the sucking soothes them, but if the baby won't take it, don't force it.

Good Luck!

[ShutterbugMommie]

We didnt put my son in his crib until he was 7 months old. I loved having him in the room with us. He co-slept with me. I finally agreed to put him in his crib after the hundreth conversation with my husband (he wanted the crib to be used at about 4 months). It’s hard, but I'm getting use to it so is my son. It is really up to when you and your husband feel it is time to move your baby to the crib.

About the binky, my son rarely takes a binky. The only time he will actually take it is in the car; otherwise he does not want it. He preferred my pinky and I didn’t have a problem with that (this is why the binky in the car is okay, my son got use to the binky in the car and mommies pinky everywhere else).
You could try just using the binky for sleeping times; I've seen parents do this.

[mary84]

i used both the bassinet and the crib from birth. at night and for most of their naps my kids were in the bassinet but i tried to at least stick them in their cribs for at least one nap a day that way they got used to it. that may not be for everyone but it worked really well with my kids

[Littleape]

My twins were about 3 months when I moved them from bassinet to crib.

The pacifiers I would agree that yes it makes life so much easier in the beginning but I never realized that it would become such a problem. My girls only used their pacifiers for sleeping until about 9 months old and then they wanted them all the time. They are 18 months now and I have finally gotten them back to only using them to sleep and that was a real struggle! It was like I was taking away their best friend. Next step is to get them to go to sleep without it! So I would definitely say if you use one, to try to take it away when you 1st notice them getting too attached to it. If I have another baby I probably will try to not use a pacifier.

[KilliansMommy]

This might sound terrible but we kept our son in his bassinet til we were able to be intimate again haha. But here's the way to do it... Lay him in his crib for naps from the time he gets home. At night keep him with you. That transistion will help ALOT. And about the pacifers... I wish my son kept his. He never wanted one and he would take it when he was tired til he was 3mon old and discovered his fingers... now he's 8months old and he's stopped for the most part except for when his gums are bothering him. When my son was just about 2 months old he slept in his crib for the first time and you know what? It was the first night he slept through the night. It was the best night of my life lol. But I let him sleep on his tummy. So ya.

[newmommy1211]

The crib thing...that's going to be up to you and your husband. For me, before I had my son, I thought that I would have my son sleeping in his crib by 3 months. He is now almost 4 months and still sleeping in our bed. That's partly our fault though. We love being able to see him in the middle of the night and haven't been able to part with him yet. Also, I have read on some websites that SIDS peak between 2 -4 months of age. That made us real nervous because our son's nursery is actually upstairs and we're downstairs. So for now, we are pushing the crib thing off.

Pacifiers...I also swore that I would not let my child have a pacifier because I read so many bad things about them before my son was born. Well, when my son was born, he had severe jaundice and had to lay under the phototherapy lights for hours at a time. The only comfort we could give him was a pacifier dipped in sugar water that the hospital provided. When your child is crying and your heart is breaking, you will do just about anything to comfort your baby. So as far as pacifiers are concerned, I would let your baby decide whether or not he/she wants to take one. As I have found out now, there are plenty of pros (like decreasing the chance of SIDS).

[twiceblessed]

Crib: well that's up to you and your hubby/so. On this end, we co-slept with our oldest until she was almost 3 years old. At that time she went into her own bed. Our youngest didn't want to co-sleep with us (she wanted to play or be held) so we put her in a bassinet beside the bed. She was in the bassinet until she out grew it then she was put in her crib.

Pacifier: A lot of moms will disagree with me on this but my advice is this DON'T START YOUR BABY ON A PACIFIER!!!!!!! I think they are the worst thing ever invented and they are hard as heck to break from. It took my friend a very long time (almost 4 years) to break her child from it. You also have to look at the damage they can cause to the formation of teeth as well as the tendency it has to stunt speech. If you really feel that your baby needs a "soother" then give her a snuggly like a small stuffed animal or something like that. Good luck

[fuzzy]

My son went straight to the crib,It makes it a little harder when it comes to midnight feedings but I had heard so many horror stories of parents having a terrible time getting their child into the crib that I decided to skip the bassinette all together. About the suther thing well,I think you child will let you know if it even wants one (some don't) and I agree that's it's easier to take away the suther that the thumb!

[eckomami9217]

you should use the crib as soon as possible. but if you want to wait as long as possible they can hold up to a certain weight. when your child reaches that weight just switch him over. i use a pacifier with my daughter, but only when she wants to go to sleep, so she doesnt use it that often.