Expecting DC2 - any tips for moving DS out of the cot?

[kaymondo]

Hi all - I'm currently 28 weeks pg with DC2 and have DS who is currently 23 months. We're currently decorating the spare room as a 'big boy' bedroom for DS so that we can move him out of the nursery into his own room, and a proper bed, before the new baby arrives in sept.
The new baby will be in with us initially but I want DS to move into his new room well before the baby moves into the nursery so he doesn't feel like he's being chucked out of his cot to make room for the baby!
So, any tips for making the transition from cot to bed as painless as possible? I've already taken DS out of his sleeping bags so he's used to a quilt and pillow, but not sure whether to take the side off his cot (as its a cot bed) as a transitional stage before putting him into a bed. How on earth do I get him to stay in there all night???
Any tips from mums of 2 or more greatly appreciated!
Thanks x

We didn't move ds1 to a bed until a while after ds2 was born (they're exactly 2 years apart). We put the bed into his room and said he could try it whenever he wanted and he did after about 2 nights and never looked back. We had a Moses basket for ds2 which he never used as he co-slept.

Incidentally, if he has a cot bed, any reason why you're not letting him use it as a bed? A basic replacement cot would be cheaper than a junior bed, wouldn't it?

We did think about just replacing the cot and keeping DS in the cot bed, but felt a bit like it was false economy as will still have to get him a bed at some stage, so may as well get it now, given that we haven't had to spend a fortune on stuff for DC2 as have all of DS's stuff still. Nice to know that giving them the choice to move into a bed works - that was kind of my hope, that we wouldn't have to force him to move but that he'd want to.

I just moved my daughter into a bed at 18 months. Made no fuss about it, just did it. Night times were fine, naps hard for two days. She rarely climbed out of bed and instead just accepted it as her place to sleep. She really surprised us. Now I'm expecting another and very glad it's all out of the way already.

My DD is 25mo and we took the side off her cot bed when she started trying to climb up the side to get into bed! She fell out twice the first night, once the next & that was it... she loves being able to get out & come to us for a cuddle in the night.

We've literally moved house this week, so we're planning to get her settled in the new house in her cot bed, then will buy a single bed in a month or so, as DC#2 not due until Nov. Hopefully it'll be a big enough time gap for DD to have forgotten about her cot bed. I'm hoping the nice new decor & bedding will smooth the path too!!

Have read that it helps if you have time to take the cot apart & not put baby straight into the cot iyswim.

We're in the "in between" stage. Sometimes DS (21mo) happy to sleep in his bed. Sometimes he still really wants to be in his cot. I'm going with his whims for now, and hoping the "bed" proportion will creep up. He doesnt get out of the bed though. If he wakes up, he just yells for us. He's never fallen out- we've got a Mammut Ikea toddler bed with the wall down one side and a bed guard down the other.

DC2 due early August, so figure will only become an issue end of September as he/she can sleep in the bassinet next to my bed for the first couple of months.

Just do it! Buy the bed, make a big deal about his new big boy bed coming, he'll get all excited and want to sleep in it.
We moved dd when she was about 25 or 26 months, and she was so excited. I put a big cushion on the floor so she didn't hurt herself when she fell out but I didn't use a bed guard. She only fell out 3 or 4 times. Its a toddler bed and I use a full size single duvet but width wise with the excess down the side of the bed next to the wall. and I tuck it in on the outside under the mattress so it's harder for her to fall out. We had broken nights for 2 or 3 weeks as she got used to it but now she's fine and usually sleeps through.
What really really helped was that it had never occurred to her to climb out of her cot and she has also never thought of climbing out of bed! She just sits up and shouts for us to come. So we don't have the problem of her climbing out for midnight visits to mummy and daddy's bed! I tell all visitors strictly not to mention to her that she could get out on her own as I'm hoping it won't occur to her for a while yet. She's 2.6yr now.
When you buy a bed get a sprung mattress as we started with a foam one and it was rubbish. We had to buy a second more expensive one.

Tra la la- DS chose the bed tonight!!

Maybe I shd just take the cot down. Problem is that I'm so knackered from work now (32 wks pregnant) that by the time I get home, play with DS, do bathtime etc I just want him to go to sleep so I can chill for a few hours.