AIBU I'm too scared to put my baby in her cot

[Coolbreezee]

DD is nearly 8 months. We currently co-sleep, but as she becomes increasingly mobile I would like to transition her into her cot.
She is at that really awkward accident-waiting-to-happen stage. Her latest party trick is pulling herself to stand (holding on to the side) balancing on one leg and then going no-handed until she falls backwards. She's been doing this in her playpen. When I put her in her cot she was straight up. I know if I turn away she is going to fall and hit her head against the hard wood.
I'm currently sat with an overtired baby on the bed not sure what to do. She is currently in wiggly hyperactive overtired mode. Weve done bath time, several stories, calming music, lights down. Please, give me your top tips 🙏

Also unless she falls back dead straight like a rake, she’s just going to sit down.

You need to let go of this. She'll be running around and whacking herself left, right and centre for at least the next decade. She's moving past the tiny baby stage and starting to learn from the school of hard knocks. It's just life.

My son used to purposefully bang his head against the side of the cot - it never hurt him. Relax and let her be - she will fall but it won’t be a big deal. Baby’s are designed to be able to survive all the falling they do as long as it’s from their own height (ie not off a sofa or chair onto a hard floor).

Would a travel cot help but with a proper cot mattress as the thin ones are rubbish. Least it'll be fabric sides so nothing to hurt themselves on

Today (I'm not proud of this) I saw her grab a hand towel trying to pull herself up, I wasn't quick enough, so when the towel slipped through the hoop she face planted the wall and got a nice little bruise on her head. I am realising that bumps and tumbles happen but I am nervous because I feel like she's in that in-between baby and toddler stage when she could still get properly hurt.

I completely agree with you. My DD had 2 nasty bumps so I had enough and put her in her travel cot to sleep for about 6 months. Nice mattress and just as comfy but it’s netting all around so she couldn’t hurt herself. Will be doing the same with the next!

Edited to add - she was always in a sleeping bag. It just stopped her climbing out, but didn’t stop her standing and bumping her head unfortunately

If the side comes off your cot and it's the right height you could bolt it to the side of your bed then less to fall against

@Whatsitreallylike I wish I had got a travel cot! That would have solved the problem. I just don't have the space now unfortunately

Some of these comments for goodness sake

"You can't coddle them for ever"

"you shouldn't have left it this long to put her in a cot"

It's unreal that we're talking about an 8 month old baby

Sorry op no helpful advice as I never put my daughter in a cot

If you take down the cot and store it somewhere then put the travel cot where the cot was. I've only put two babies out of four in cots. Co slept with the others

She not even 8 months yet!

When they get older for sure I understand they need to fall to learn. But that just doesn't work with a baby. No concept of danger. Will do the same thing immediately after hurting herself.

I sat in the cot when my baby was going through this stage. It meant I was close enough to catch them if it looked to be a particular bumpy fall, it also made it easier to lay them back down. It was just a stage and lasted a couple of weeks max.

I'm having a little laugh to myself picturing this, clever baby !

Both of mine walked at 7 months. Honestly, they were both in cots and standing up before that so just learnt that falling might hurt them. Obviously no parent puts their child deliberately in danger, a cot us probably the safest place for a baby.

Won’t she just sit when she falls? They usually just sit down rather than fall back. She will be ok. It’s ok to worry and it’s ok to put her in and leave her. It’s also ok to put her in bed with you.

We used a travel cot instead of an actual cot for two years (with an ikea mattress in the bottom, they aren’t very comfy without a mattress). It worked pretty well.

She's not tired. Put her in a sling and get on with your evening. She'll soon tire if she's tired. If no sling, bring her downstairs in the pen and let her play whilst you enjoy what ever.

9 month development leap means they are a different child with different sleep needs. Let her lead and she'll tell you when she's tired.

This might be 1am but you can get up with toys and enjoy her for a half an hour before sleeping into the day.

When people go through development stages the last thing they need is to be alone in a cold bed wondering why mum is in a different sleep space.

Put the mattress on the floor and baby proff the bedroom (bold furniture to wall).

Lol.
Ds was climbing out of any cot at 7 months in his sleeping bag.

Op, just put them in the cot. The sides of the cot aren't that bad and they'll be happier in it.

I'm not sure how you can say she is not tired! She slept terribly last night due to a cold. Only had two short naps during the day. She was rubbing her eyes then going back to hyperactive play mode. She fell asleep within 30 minutes of taking her into bed and has been asleep since (nearly 7 hours without even stirring). I would say she was overtired.

I think some babies are built to be little escape artists. Out of curiosity, did your son grow up to be an adventurous, daring type?

I will be happier when she knows how to get town from standing. At the moment she stretches out her arms to the side, arches her back and flings herself backwards, (she actually gives it some momentum) and finds it hilarious. In the end she came in with me and has been asleep 7hours so far.

More fool them. It's the way babies are meant to sleep. And children. Until they want to sleep alone or with their siblings.

Do whatever feels right for you. And for your baby. This parenting thing can be hard can’t it?

Cots are not an absolute essential. What we are currently doing with our 10mo is cosleeping on a double mattress on the floor, and she has the side against the wall, following all the safe sleep advice eg breast level, no blankets or duvet etc We did have a next-to-me but she has now outgrown it and I feared she would climb out or tip out head first, so I wouldn’t buy one of those if I were you as it won’t last you much longer.
I put her to sleep at 7, stick the baby monitor on and close all upstairs doors and the baby gate. She wakes sometimes while we’re downstairs, although this is getting rarer now. When she does, she often crawls off the mattress and makes her way to the baby gate, but there’s no way she can harm herself and I’m there to resettle her very quickly.
If your DD moves to her own room you could consider the same but with her own mattress on the floor, as long as the room is baby safe. That’s what we might do this time around, after using a cot with my son but having to climb into it sometimes (not good for my joints 😬)
Eventually that first stretch of undisturbed sleep should get longer and longer, until she only wakes once or not at all, and you can choose how you deal with that. But crucially, you will start to get an evening, and she will be safe.