8 month old unsafe in cot?

[AsMuchUseAsAMarzipanDildo]

Hi, hoping someone can advise...

My very active and very tall 8 month old is currently in a drop-side cot my sister kindly handed down to us. She is really variable with sleep - sometimes she sleeps through till 4am, sometimes she's up 6 times in the night. Most commonly twice.

The problem is that she's standing independently (legs like tree trunks!) even in a gro-bag and is managing to clamber onto all fours to sitting to standing...then predictably losing her balance, hitting her head and crying as a result. I hate it and feel awful every time it happens (twice last night). I just don't think she's safe in her cot.

Firstly, is this normal and am I being overly precious worrying?

Secondly, might a different cot/cot bed/normal bed with guards be better? I'm even wondering about just putting the mattress on the floor but concerned she won't self-soothe back to sleep if she can roam free around her room.

Thank you.

I had ds on double mattress on floor from around one but I was sleeping beside him so yes mattress on floor can work. I don't think single with cotside is good idea we were very warned off those at work due to entrapment and suffocation risk and they not designed for babies. Personally I'd give her a bit longer I think she might just stop doing it.

Is it the grobag that makes her fall?

I'm not sure the cot is the issue, is she getting her feet caught up in the gro-bag? If so can you see how she gets on with something like this, (gro-bag with leg holes), so she can move freely but not get tangled up?

I'm another with DS on double mattress on floor with me- he's never been in a cot, partly because BFing, and partly because he's a restless sleeper and a bull in a china shop, and would be up 5 times a night kissing bumped heads/ stuck legs etc.

Mine's slightly older but just reached this stage a couple of weeks ago. It's basically passed already - she can gently lower herself down now. There were a lot of bruises for about 10 days or so. She can also do it all in the gro bag. I wouldn't worry too much - it'll all be over soon probably! Give her plenty of opportunities during the day to stand up and sit down so she can practice and learn to do it without falling.

Also I will say that mine was mainly sleeping through during this time but if she was injuring herself a lot during the night then I might have been inclined to sleep with her in my bed/the spare bed for a few nights just so she doesn't have too many knocks. But as I say, it should pass quickly if my experience is anything to go by as they learn to gently drop/sit instead of fall.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Storm and AJP She sleeps in a gro-bag partly because I'd heard they stopped babies standing up in bed! Although to be fair she also clambers up and falls over when she has refuses a nap without a gro-bag too. But will definitely try one with feet instead.

Tuppence Useful to hear that yours fairly quickly grew out of it. If it's a passing phase, then I feel much more confident in leaving her in her cot a bit longer.

Starpatch and queennefertiti I'm thinking I'll see how the next few nights go and if it continues then try the mattress on the floor. It's a bugger as we were co-sleeping until recently, but were waking each other up. I was really relieved (and a bit sad to be honest!) when she transitioned to sleeping in her own cot, in her own room, really happily.

Anyway, will see what happens over the next few nights and take it from there. I checked out cot beds today and they weren't any taller. Thank you all.

I too put DD on a double mattress from 8 months. She could almost climb out of her cot! I felt she was much safer on the floor.

Just a warning, DD was walking at 9 months, yours might be too! That's when the fun really begins

Gah! She already stands up unaided in the middle of the room and then stands there until she slowly tilts like timber.

Were you sleeping next to her or was she on the mattress by herself?

My DS did this. He figured it out after a week or so. Super annoying for the first week but they do get a lot better. I'd stick with the cot and give it another week ish

Okay this is reassuring to hear, thank you.

AsMuch. It was a bit if a mixture. Dh used to put her to bed and he would lie beside her until she slept. She'd then wake at about 2ish and we'd bring her into bed with us.