Advice needed please

OK, I could use some help here!!!!! Hunter will be 3 months old this coming Tuesday. We have him sleeping in his bassinette next to my side of the bed. I would like to figure out how to get him to the crib over the next few months. **My dilemma's are:**** #1 When I put him to sleep at bedtime (between 7 & 8), I still have him in between us, in our bed, to eat his bottle, then when he is asleep, I will transfer him to his bassinette. He usually wakes up between 1:00am & 3:00am, and I repeat this......back in bed to eat his bottle then transferred back into his bassinette for the remainder of the night. #2. Our house is a tri-level....... it is laid out FUNKY. Hunter's bedroom is on another floor from our bedroom. So, if he were to fall asleep in our room, in order to transfer him into his crib there is stair climbing involved and he would probably wake up. I have gotten him to take a nap in his crib during the daytime, but...... Now that he will be at the sitters all day........ That is changing. OK, hopefully I have given enough details so I sure could use some advice! Thanks -Jamie & Hunter

You are not going to like hearing this but.... You need to have him sleeping in his bed. I know it will suck going up and down to get him but the sooner you get him sleeping in his own crib he will do better. Get a real good monitor. Put him to bed in HIS bed and just wait. It won't be long before he starts sleeping thru the night. I know this sounds heartless but I have been there and it will go so much easier if you start now. Tammy

OK, but when is it ok to let them cry themselves to sleep? Is it after 3 months or 4? This will suck, but welcome to parenting!! Thanks for the advice!! -Jamie & Hunter

Hey Jamie, First I would have to say that I agree with Tammy. I had Sarah sleeping in the bedroom with us until she was about 8 weeks old then I started putting her in her crib. I was lucky and she didn't have any problems going from bassinette to her crib. In fact she started sleeping through the night more and more until she was sleeping through the night by time she was 3 months. One thing that helped me feel better about having her in her own room as the monitor my DH bought for me. It is a video monitor from smarthome.com. It's a little pricey but it has been so worth it. There are times Sarah would start fussing in the middle of the night and with the video monitor I could see that she was just fussing in her sleep. As long as I didn't go in her room she would go right back to sleep. Here is the link for the monitor http://www.smarthome.com/78601.html I think moving her from our room to her own was harder on me then on her. Having Hunter in his own room and own bed is going to be better for everyone. Hunter will start sleeping through the night better which in turn will allow you and DH to get more sleep. Hang in there, it will be a little rough at first but things will get better and probably won't take as long as you would think. Hugs Teresa & Sarah

Thanks for the link & support!!! I'll need it! I agree with it being harder on me than Hunter. I'll have to get used to the "inconvience" of his nighttime feedings ang having to climb the up the stairs. Thanks! -Jamie & Hunter

Hey Jamie, I think that once you get him into a bed time routine and into his own bed there will be less and less night time feedings. I was really surprised how soon Sarah started sleeping through the night once I started putting her in her own bed. Hang in there honey! We are here for you! Hugs Teresa & Sarah

We have had a nighttime routine since he was 3 weeks old, it just involves him falling asleep with US!!! Lots of that had to do with breastfeeding. Now that he is on formula, it has stayed the same, but at least he is sleeping in his bassinette. I KNOW that he NEEDS to fall asleep away from us, but it will be hard on me, not him, HA HA HA HA HA!! So, I have been talking this over with my DH and he is all for getting him to sleep either in his bassinette or his crib. But change is always hard, and it will interrupt DH's early bedtime, but oh well, it should start to get easier down the road! Thanks for the advice & support!! -Jamie & Hunter

Aiden slept next to me in his cosleeper till he was 4 months old and at that time we moved into this one story house. I had stairs in my last house and I didnt like the idea of walking up and down the stairs at night while carrying the baby to get a bottle(i couldnt let him cry it out while I was getting a bottle). so we both slept in the living room next to the kitchen(me on sofa him in cosleeper). When we moved in this 1 story house he went right to his crib and started sleeping through the nights two weeks later. Aidens bedroom is right next to our bedroom and i can hear every sound he makes from my bed. here is my advice... get a video monitor put a chair in his bedroom for that late night feeding, use very very dim night lights for that midnight feeding(I have one in the hall next to A's room) make that feeding boring so he will go back to sleep after you feed him. i did this for Aidens midnight feeding after moving in here and he started sleeping through the night two weeks later. bedtime.. here is what i do with Aiden in the living room while tv is going and phone ringing etc I change his clothes & daiper to his night time stuff, feed him and put him in his playpen/cosleeper to fall asleep(he doesnt cry). After he falls asleep i pick him up and take him to his bedroom. sometimes I will take A straight to his bed after his bath & feeding. I only bath him every other night and he gets sooo tired on bath nights. After I put A in his crib I use a regular monitor to hear him incase he crys. When i get ready to go to bed I turn off the monitors check on A and go to bed. Of course you wouldnt turn monitors off bc your babys room is on different floor. You may be suprised how much he likes his own bed. I think you are just worried bc he will be on a different floor than you. use all the tricks you can to make it safe and easy for both of you. good luck

ps the stairs make wake him up but he probley will fall back asleep. when babies get older they wake up for a sec adn go right back to sleep. I can move Aiden all over his bed and he will fall right back to sleep. last night at 3a I had to turn his over head lights on to find A's binky (all 3 where in the floor behind crib) the whole while he was screaming bloody murder. pop binky in, turn his lights off and he went right back off to sleep. it will shock you how quick they will fall back to sleep when they get older. they become like little rag dolls. oh yeah A loves for me to rub his cheek w/ his blanket -- that starts the right back off too sleep. his little eyes will roll back into his head and he will imed start nodding off. its so darn cute.