Am I missing something/ how the heck do you get baby in and out of cot once you've lowered it?

[soundsystem]

Sorry, I'm clearly being a bit dim with this but...

We've got the IKEA Stuva cot that is adjustable to two levels. Up until now DD has slept perfectly happily in it on the higher level, so very easier to put her down and pick her up.

At 9 months, she's figures out how to get herself from lying down to sitting and then pulling herself up on the bars. She's quite tall and at risk of toppling out.

So easy solution: lower the mattress to the lower level. Just put her down and my back wasn't massively happy. Trying to lean in and pick her up is quite awkward and painful.

I'm an average height and don't have a back problem so am I doing this all wrong? Is there something I'm missing? Do I just need to accept having a sore back until she's big enough for the side of the cot to come off? (When do you take the side off?)

I've got a toddler bed for her that she'd quite happily sleep in but it seems time for that is a long way off yet!

What do/did you do?

[soundsystem]

(Sorry I appreciate this should be a straightforward thing I'm not sure why I'm so baffled by it!)

[ThatJustAintCricket]

I had a cot that one side of could be lowered. Does your cot not do that? Mine was just a standard Mamas and Papas one.

[trilbydoll]

I don't think we lowered it until DD was standing (holding onto the bars like she was in jail!) so never had to fully bend down. Tbh the cot was a disaster from start to finish, we took the side off around 20mo because she hated it so much. Certainly never managed to successfully lower a sleeping baby into it!

[captainproton]

We have a John Lewis cot which one side lowered a bit too. Not that we ever bloody used it because I could never get them in the cot in the first place. As soon as I got a sleeping baby within a foot of a cot they would cry, and I gave in and co-slept.

[MrsAukerman]

Are you putting her in awake or asleep? We just had to lower the mattress and that was the kick in the bum we needed to try and get DS to learn to self-settle. It honestly has been a lot easier than I feared. And before any anti-cio/cc people come on we've not done that.

[orangefive]

Just have to lean right in. I think first couple of times he sort of rolled off my arms but remained asleep. No particular technique. (sorry not much help).

[Hoodedmoron]

My sister put my nearly 2y/o DS down for a nap a few weeks ago and she couldn't believe how far down it was, her DS is still on the top setting as he's only 16weeks. You get used to it but as the pp said it's just a case a leaning right in, and I'm only 5ft 1 and 39 weeks pregnant at the mo so it's a bit of a struggle!

[iwouldgoouttonight]

I don't know the answer but I had the same problem. Ended up with a bad back because of it. And I'm 5'8" so I don't know how smaller people do it. I guess sides that can be lowered is the answer but our cot didn't do that either. Definite design fault there, especially as it's when the babies are getting much heavier.

[catellington]

This is why we gave up with cots. Someone should invent one with a winch system.

[LillyBugg]

Also have the stuva and have the same problem. Sometimes I have to do some shushing and back rubbing and patting to settle DS and it now kills my back because he is so low. I can get my arm through the bars but I often get my elbow stuck

[floatyflo]

We had a cot where one side could be lowered when putting Dd in and out.

[houseofstark]

I have an IKEA toddler step next to mine! It gives me enough leverage that by standing on it with just one foot, I can reach into the cot. ????

[RugMugTug]

You need one of those magical self settling babies that you plop in say night night and it lays down and goes to sleep and next wakes up in the morning. They are a collectors item I believe.

[TopCivilServant]

Ha! Currently shushing an 8 month old in one of these and wondering if he's too small for the toddler bed!

[WorldsBiggestGrotbag]

Ours only has one level which is the bottom possible one and I've never had any problems, and I do have back issues! Maybe I'm just used to it. I don't put her in asleep though, she goes in awake and settles herself.

[youarekiddingme]

Winch system I think dragons den is calling you!

Mine had a lowering side too - otherwise I think I'd have struggled. It's probably easier to get her out though? Will she stand up to be lifted?

[basilflower]

We wondered the very same thing, did it for a while, back ached. Don't have a magic self settling baby so gave up on the cot and co slept instead. Cot now being used for storage!

[ThisIsClemFandango]

Ours is ikea and the sides don't drop. I thought it was hard at first but you do get used to it. When I pick DS up out of the cot I would pull him up so he was standing then pick him up as I would do off the floor. He stands on his own now so I don't need to lift him far. Putting him down I sit him down in the cot the lay him backwards and zip up his sleeping bag. then go back in 50 times to lay him back down again
Not sure what else to advise!

[soundsystem]

haha yes i need to get a self-settling baby or a winch system! I'm glad it's not just me.

MrsAukerman I'm putting her in.. sleepy but awake. But I need to put her in lying down for her to self-settle, if I put her in sitting up (easier on my back) no way woud she lie down on her own accord. She'd sit there quite happily singing for a bit, then she'd try to escape and get frustrated when she couldn't. Then I'd have to pat and shush and I don't fancy getting my elbow stuck like Lillibug!

houseofstark we have an Ikea trip planned - I'm going to get a toddler step and give it a go. Although I have visions of myself tipping over and falling in, then we'll both be stuck!

youarekiddingme good point, getting her out will be easier (haven't attempted that yet, but she'll sit - if not stand - up so I can get her.

[SweetCharityBeginsAtHome]

I thought all cots had drop sides. I'm genuinely shocked that some don't, because yeah - how would you get a toddler out without knackering your back once you've lowered the base?

[houseofstark]

Soundsystem, I'm also scared of falling in hence I only put one foot on the step!!

I should mention that I'm v short and my cot is on the highest setting. By the time we need to lower it we'll have to upgrade to a self settling baby!!

[WorldsBiggestGrotbag]

Mine doesn't have drop sides or a base which can be anything other than at the bottom! DD is 21 months now and I don't have any problems getting her in and out, I put her in standing up and she stands up for me to lift her out.

[youarekiddingme]

How do you get a toddler out?

DS solved that one himself. You wait until there's a hurricane and a power cut and then climb the sides falling flat on your face to the marble floor creating a blood bath. He slept in a bed from that night onwards. He was 15 months old

He was a bugger for climbing things designed to keep in in and safe though. Once in a bed he discovered you could make stairs out of toy boxes, largest on bottom etc and climb over the stair gate. I slept with one ear open for a good number of years

[cookielove]

I have had years of practice (nursery nurse) but even I was shocked and slightly dropped DS when putting him into bed for the first time when it was on its lowest setting! I upgraded to a self settling baby so I don't have that issue anymore, he also sits up or stands when we get him in the morning so again no issues

[twirlypoo]

I'm 5ft 1 and a half and stupidly bought a cot which didn't have a lowered side. I used to use the weight of ds as a counter balance and take both feet off the floor, using my stomach as a sort of pivot point. I used to end up bruised, so it was quite lucky ds refused to sleep anywhere but my bed for most of his younger years (and now to be fair!)