Sidecar-ing a regular crib

[Turtle Herder]

Has anyone seen this youtube video about how to sidecar a standard crib? I just watched it and think it's a pretty neat idea. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPqpbSoqvbQ

Has anyone done this? How does it work for you? What about when baby is old enough to move and could crawl out of the crib onto the bed, creating a safety hazard?

We tried co-sleeping with DS, but it wasn't for us. All three of us slept horribly when in the same bed, so I'm thinking this might be a good solution for us. :think

Any thoughts and/or advice is welcome :grin

[hey mommy]

We side-carred Sammy's crib and it was great. But yeah, I had the same issue with him crawling out and falling, so it didn't stay that way too long. But it was great when we did it.

[Turtle Herder]

I suppose I could sidecar it until baby started really moving around and then put the side rail back on but keep it near our bed. Not quite as convenient, but at least they'd still be right there for nighttime nursing.

[Barefoot Bookworm]

We did it with my third for the first five or six months of her life. Then we moved her to the pack 'n' play in the living room because we were disturbing her sleep. We got rid of the crib and now no one sells dropsides or else I would have done it again.

[MrsHutch]

We had one like that for the first few months. Didn't wind up using it except as a holder for nighttime necessities (diapers, wipes, my phone and glasses, etc.) because he wound up in our bed anyway.

But he always napped in our bed and we never had a problem with him crawling off... :think

[Katigre]

We've side-carred several cribs over the years - one that as perfectly level with our mattress and one that was slightly below our mattress so there was basically a 'siderail' built into the crib. It worked especially well with toddlers/preschoolers to help them sleep in their own space.

[solatido]

We have had that setup since late 2009. DS always winds up either right on the crack or between DH and me. The sidecar is more like a bed rail- but I did like to have him start out the night in it.

We did not have a problem with him crawling out, but my body sort of blocked him in when he was just starting to be mobile. By the time he could climb over me he could get down from the bed with no problem.

We used a pack n play for naps too, but also just put pillows to block him in for naps- and used a monitor especially if he was in bed.

[Stiina]

we have one. I'm a sidecar crib evangelist!!!!! DO IT! We love ours.

we don't have it secured in any way (if the video you posted is the same one i think it is:showing tie-down straps etc?). WE have it butted up against the wall and our bed&boxspring are right on the floor. For the space between mattress&siderail/wall, we found another old crib mattress and tied it onto the siderail at the top. it works perfect.

DS slept with us until 14 months. Then he figured it was party time and never slept so he got sent to his own room, which he LOVED! :jawdrop and he's been pretty much sleeping through ever since.

As for the crawling thing - we always had a monitor (and we EC) so whenever I could hear him stirring, I'd go to him before he crawled off. He was kind of a ditz for falling off the bed. Some moms have had good luck teaching their crawler to go off backwards from the bed, but DS never 'got it' until he was almost walking. And, if they fall off the bed...it's not a huge deal, right? They cry, you pop them on to nurse, and life is good again. :giggle

I'll be back with pics - just waiting for photobucket to load and I don't want to lost this post.

---------- Post added at 04:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:12 AM ----------

:poke me tomorrow. PB isn't working right now. :hug

[BeckaBlue]

We have Elfs sidecarred since she was born
Our original mattress had a gap that i used tightly rolled towels to fill. I got a different mattress that works perfectly without filling space. Her mattress is a couple inches below ours now (i would not have been comfortable with that when she was smaller) to help encourage her to stay in there, but if i lay on the edge, it brings us right for nursing.
We have our bed bolted to the wall, the crib is left "free" in the corner

we have one. I'm a sidecar crib evangelist!!!!! DO IT! We love ours.

we don't have it secured in any way (if the video you posted is the same one i think it is:showing tie-down straps etc?). WE have it butted up against the wall and our bed&boxspring are right on the floor. For the space between mattress&siderail/wall, we found another old crib mattress and tied it onto the siderail at the top. it works perfect.

DS slept with us until 14 months. Then he figured it was party time and never slept so he got sent to his own room, which he LOVED! :jawdrop and he's been pretty much sleeping through ever since.

As for the crawling thing - we always had a monitor (and we EC) so whenever I could hear him stirring, I'd go to him before he crawled off. He was kind of a ditz for falling off the bed. Some moms have had good luck teaching their crawler to go off backwards from the bed, but DS never 'got it' until he was almost walking. And, if they fall off the bed...it's not a huge deal, right? They cry, you pop them on to nurse, and life is good again. :giggle

I'll be back with pics - just waiting for photobucket to load and I don't want to lost this post.

---------- Post added at 04:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:12 AM ----------

:poke me tomorrow. PB isn't working right now. :hug