How long can a baby sleep in a crib for?

[LaCerbiatta]

I know cribs aren't very popular, but we can't fit a cot in our room and would like to keep baby there with is for the first 6 months. Can they stay in a crib for that long?

TIA

Both mine were in a crib and I loved it! I'd say 5-6 months is realistic. Both my girls were average size. It's really more important at what age they start to roll and start up. You will definitely get at least 4 months use from it. My girls slept in ours in our room until they were about 5 months.

Much better value than moses basket IMO.

My DS was a larger baby and slept in his crib with us in our room for the first 6 months x

It's not that they are unpopular, just that they are unnecessary. However if you can't fit a cot in your room I would go for it.

You can get nice rocking cribs as well.

I recommend trying it if your room is just too small, but just to warn you my little guy was nearly 9lbs and very long. He wouldn't sleep at night in the carry cot from 2 weeks old or during the day from 5 weeks! However, I think a carry cot is a bit smaller than a crib - it was one of those ones which clip onto the pushchair frame and he didn't like it because his arms kept hitting the sides so he couldn't get to sleep. My sisters little boy stayed in it for about 4 months though, so maybe he was just fussy! I definitely recommend the rocking ones though, we bought one of those frames to put the carry cot on and he loved being rocked.

I have just bought a crib for dc2 due in a few weeks. For dd we had a moses basket and she was in it for 6 weeks!!

I did some research this time and bought the biggest crib I could afford - Saplings glider crib. Its massive compared to the moses basket we had but still small enough to fit in our room.

Im hoping dc2 will stay in it until 6 months

i meant to add, I've since lent mine to two friends whose babies have slept in it until 6 months for exact same reason as some of the above, that they had outgrown moses basket and their parents didn't have room for cot in their room.

We love our crib and DS2 will be in it again until 6 months or he can sit up. Then he will join his brother in his room (when hopefully DS1 will feel up to vacating the cot and save us buying another one!).

Our crib is older than me and we lost count but at least 14 babies have slept in it including me and DS (with new matresses obviously) - so keep yours when you are done as its a lovely heirloom thing and much easier to store than the cot!

Thanks everyone! We are plannning on buying this one. It looks quite big - definitely a lot bigger than a moses basket or a carry cot, and a good price too.

One more question for those of you who've used one: did you buy sheets specially for it - I was thinking of using cot size ones. Would that be ok?

Hi, we bought a gliding crib similar to that but it was from M&P, you will need crib sized sheets, if you buy cot-bed sized one's your bubba will be swamped in fabric.

Our DS didn't get on with the gliding crib because when he was sleeping soundly if he moved just slightly the crib would swing and the motion then woke him up. It does work for some people but just a wanted to let you know.

good luck x

Ours is similar - both DC fitted up to around 5 months, we used crib fitted sheets, but no other sheets - used swaddle blanket for first 6 weeks then a grobag. Couldn't see point in moses basket... crib fits in our room but cot wouldn't.

Thats a nice one and quite big as well.

I have got crib fitted sheets that way you know they wont be able to wriggle under them.

We will use a sleeping bag instead of blankets - We did with dd and it was great (and cheaper in the long run)

Friend of mine has a crib but they all had to move into the sofa bed/cot in the spare room (which is bigger. Don't ask why it's the spare room, I have not a clue) when her DS was only about 3.5 months as he was wriggling so much that he was banging the sides of the crib and waking himself up. Just to warn!