**Please scroll to bottom of page for my update on DockaTot** There are so many different ways of going about this, but if you don’t start your baby in the crib from Day 1 (I did not) there is going to be a transition period.  My babies at least weren’t born loving their cribs – why would they enjoy a large flat cage when they could be snuggled in the swing or better yet, cuddling with me?!  I have let both kids sleep pretty much wherever they want at some point or another, but there comes a time where I make the crib happen – the sleep is more restful in there after a certain point, it is safe, and it becomes a space they love.  Well, at least A loves his – C is yet to be determined 🙂

With A, we started with nights at about 10 weeks.  I remember working on crib naps for a couple of months, but it wasn’t until about 6 months that he started really napping in the crib.  As a newborn at night he slept in the Rock and Play next to my bed and we both loved that thing.  But I was going back to work and felt like it would be better for him to have his own space so that I wouldn’t disturb him as I got up and got myself ready, so off to his room he went.  For about a week he didn’t sleep quite as long stretches in his crib, but he got used it and I will never forget at about 4 or 5 months, if you tried to rock him near his crib he would arch his little body away from you trying to get in his crib – once you put him down he would roll over and pass out and even now if you say it’s nap or bed time he sprints to his crib.

I made a little “nest” in his crib to transition him, which when describing this to a friend recently I realize there are actually products that do this for you, I don’t know why I decided to create a makeshift one myself!  Anyway, I put towels under the mattress so that it was at a bit of an incline, then I rolled towels tightly under the sheet into a “U” shape that sort of snuggled his feet.  After a few days, I took the “nest” away – A also started to roll to his side, and then his belly, and he loved to sleep like that so I think he rather started to enjoy the flat expansive surface!

Sweet baby C is the noisiest, gruntiest little guy and J and I decided to move him to his own room at 7 weeks old; I was sad and it felt too soon but at the same time, the 3 of us were barely sleeping and sure enough once he was in his own room we all started sleeping better, so moving to the crib does not necessary mean less sleep.  This time around I have a fancy thing called the DockaTot – it is like a tiny little snuggly bed for baby, and I put it right in is crib.  I will probably keep it in there for a few more weeks until he starts rolling.  C requires help settling down for the night in his crib, but he is getting more used to it each night and once he is asleep for the night, he gives us a good 6 hour stretch usually before his next feeding.  I’ll update once the DockaTot is gone to let you know the final results of the crib transition!

**Update: So the DockaTot website states that it shouldn’t be used in the crib, however I figured it would be fine since you can use the DockaTot for cosleeping in your own bed, so I didn’t see the difference between putting it in the crib, especially when C was too young to roll.  However, one night I was reading online about how babies might get too hot in the DockaTot and that overheating is a SIDS risk and I just didn’t want him sleeping in it anymore so I went to his room right then and there, took it out from under him, and that was that.  He didn’t wake up, and he slept clear until 6:20am so at 13 weeks, bye DockaTot.