12 month old can throw self out of cot

[VerityClinch]

Two days before her first birthday, my DD has figured out how to throw herself out of her cot. She's not walking yet, has just started crawling up very shallow steps - I had no idea she could climb until I heard the dull thud and crying this morning.

Her cot mattress is already on the lowest level, and she is tall for her age, off the top of the height charts, all the length is in her legs, which might be how she managed to tip herself over the top (if, indeed, that's what she did - I didn't see).

There's no other furniture around the cot, so she didn't climb onto a low table and then off onto the floor or anything like that.

My question is, WHAT TO DO? She was in her sleeping bag, so that's not the answer. She's not walking yet, so I don't think we can transition her to a bed - she's still a baby, not a toddler - as if she got out she wouldn't be able to get back in.

God, my nerves are in shreds... advice please!!

I'm watching thisas DS is only 9 months but I can see he's tall already. Had to put mattress on lowest level. He's also a stair climber but no walking yet.

We had this with ds1. He was about 16 months when he started throwing himself out of his cot. We put pillows down around the cot and got a baby gate for his door(his room was next to the stairs.

While we were waiting to get a low bed to move him to, we had a small pouffe that we put by his cot and put the side down so he could get out without throwing himself over it.

I think, in the end, if your dc is getting out all the time you'll have to move her to a bed.

It 's terrible to have to go throught all of this so much earlier that expected. Mine was also really early opening the baby gate. Good luck!

Both my older DCs went into a bed before 12 months!! Can you just take the side off the cot?