Transitioning from cot to bed

[Sw1234]

We're looking to move my LB from a cot to bed around 18 months as baby 2 will be coming up to 5 months then and need the cot. We'd be buying a bed guard but any tips on how to transition? LB still uses a sleeping bag, would you change to duvet while he's still in a cot?

Plan before baby 2 was to change the cot to a cot bed but we can't justify buying a second cot

[DreamingOfTwo79]

Hello! We transitioned our little boy to a proper single size bed from his cot just before he turned two. His big bed is quite close to the ground and it's shaped like a wooden house, we added some fabric to the "roof" to make it nice and cosy. We went with a bigger bed straight away as we knew we would be co-sleeping for a while and it comes in handy for guests on occasion. We kept him in his sleeping bag for a few weeks so there was still some familiar element, but he soon started using a junior sized duvet and a flat pillow. He is quite an active sleeper so we would need to check frequently to make sure he was still covered. He's now almost five and we still haven't removed the bed guard as he tends to "travel" around his bed quite a bit at night. Good luck with the transition and wishing you a smooth rest of your pregnancy! x

[Countrychic]

We transitioned our little boy when he was about 2 and put him in fleece PJ’s so he would be cosy. We changed to a duvet, in my head I felt it would be safer if he feel out. He took a few weeks to get used to the duvet. He had a low bed so we didn’t use guards. We just put a big duvet on the floor to break any falls. He only fell out a handful of times and didn’t even notice. We picked him up and put him back in without him waking up.

[Cinderella5]

I'm currently doing the same with out twin boys. They're 26months but one has been lobbing himself out of the cot on odd occasions....even although he is in a sleeping bag. I've been dreading it, but he will hurt himself. It's not gone great so far but we are only on night 3 and I think tonight it is sinking in that they can't get up as they'll get put back. Rightly or wrongly I've also put a baby gate on their door....I'm so scared about the baby gate at the top of the stairs and if they'll push over.😬 I've put a folded up double duvet beside their cotbeds incase they fall out....they have several times so far....they don't wake up though, thank goodness! Good luck, you'll be ok!!xxx

[Lozza93]

Hi, we transitioned our baby into a floor bed at around 12 months and all has gone okay so far. When he wakes in the night he just shouts for us and we lay with him, we were cosleeping so the floor bed still gives us the option to settle him and lay with him

[StarsAllAround]

Have you looked at the ikea extendable bed? It starts small then as your child grows you can extend till it becomes a true single. It's only 15cm off the floor so no need for a bed guard and as it's starts close to the size of a cot might be easier for little one to transition into. Good luck x

[Sw1234 in reply to StarsAllAround]

Aw thank you. We're planning an IKEA trip for storage for LB room so will look at beds too. Didn't think about there

[Twiglet2]

Hey 👋🏼 could you maybe pick up a cheap second hand cot on gumtree for a few months use or borrow one just in case? Reason I say that is the wee one might not be ready to move to a bed at 18months (he might though!) ours is just over 2 and we still have the sides up as he’s still rolling all over the bed and when we tried to put him in a bed he just wasn’t ready and his 10 hours of sleep were being interrupted (as was ours!) and he was struggling to settle at bedtime and this might not be what you need with a 5 month old too🤪🤗 I think he just needs a few more months to be able to understand it all mentally if that makes sense and he’s defo getting there as he’s starting to potty train and understand the ‘big toilet’ so think the ‘big boy bed’ will be easier to grasp for him shortly.

We have moved him to a pillow and duvet though and I think that’s going to help his transition in the next few months. one of my friends with little one the same age has put her sides back on for the same reason it just wasn’t working. They have both stopped climbing out the cot too months ago now they aren’t in sleeping bags …

My other friend with a wee one only 2 months older had no trouble moving her little one to a big bed at just under 2 though so it defo can work (he is also already pttt trained) but I think it depends if they are ready really so a back up cot might be a good idea just in case 🤗 xx

[Sw1234 in reply to Twiglet2]

Thank you. I couldn't work out if it was worth trying to get a second cot or not but maybe it's down to seeing if he's ready rather than just moving him and expecting him to settle. They'll only be a 17 month age gap so he's got no understanding that there's going to be a baby soon

[Twiglet2 in reply to Sw1234]

aww what a lovely age gap 🥰 congratulations! yeah a few months might make all the difference but he might be ready so you’re probably right just wait and see and you could always pick one up if needed. Also I didn’t move from next to me crib to own room/cot until nearer 7 months so you might even have a few months more with the new baby too before they need it xx