Does anyone else have a "crib only" child? UPDATE at bottom

My DD is just the best baby ever. She only cries when she is tired and is happy 99.9% of the time. So I really have nothing to complain about. HOWEVER.... she will NOT sleep anywhere but her crib. I know I should be grateful for that, and I am, but it makes outings a complete nightmare.

For example, last Friday we had my sister's fellowship graduation from LIJ-Schnieders in Great Neck (we live in NJ). So DD missed her morning nap because we had to be there by 10:30. She napped for only 10 minutes or so in the car (she does not sleep in the carseat at all). So, I ended up missing the entire graduation because DD was totally inconsolable. I mean, she was in hysterics and nothing I did could calm her down, to the point where she cried so much she had hives all over her face. I put her back in the stroller (I only took the snap and go because she hates the regular stroller), and tried to walk her to sleep in the there, but she wasn't having it. She FINALLY fell asleep around 2ish, in the car seat when we were at the restaurant, but woke up at 2:30. Needless to say, the trip home to NJ was a NIGHTMARE. She screamed the entire length of the Cross Bronx. I cried along with her in the back seat because there was nothing I could do for her to comfort her. She wouldn't take the bottle I offered her in hopes it would calm her.

We are spending this weekend on LI and she will have to sleep in the PNP, I'm worried she will not sleep and be a miserable baby all weekend. I feel so badly because everytime we see my family when we go to LI this is how she is and it's SO out of charactor for her to be so cranky.

So for other "crib baby" mommies, how do you handle these situations? I mean, I can't stay prisoner in my house can I?

Message edited 6/28/2009 2:48:53 PM.

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

Wow no advice tons of

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

Yes, it is either the crib, or my arms, or sometimes the car. He thinks his PNP is for playing only, and if he is around a lot of people, he is so nosy, he refuses to go to sleep. He wants to see what is going on.

It's frustrating, but we just let him be a little cranky and hopefully if he's really tired, he'll fall asleep. I think eventually your DD will learn that she has to sleep in other place, it just might take time.

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

yes dd is a crib only sleeper but i have to say i have one option when we are at functions and she eithe rmissed her nap or is coming on naptime:

i take her in my arms, laying her sideways facing my chest (like you would an inconsolable newborn eventhough shes 10mos old lol) binkie in her mouth, rubbing her hair and making a shhhhhh noise loud in her ear.....she is used to this routine though bc i did it since th first day in the hospital and she is a white noise machine baby so it works.....she usually falls asleep in my arms which can be a burden bc i cant get up etc but i usually do this for 45mins or so (sometiesm longe if i can) just to give her a little rest to get her through

if i try to put her in her stroller when she has fallen asleep in my arms it usually doesnt work and im starting all over again

but i told my dh who thought quote "this was ridiculous and we need to train her to nap in other places" that im sorry this is the baby we have and she is a VERY good girl sleeps 10-11hr nights and takes 3naps a day and im NOT messing with that.....this is what it means to have kids ....and sometimes going to functions means going late or leaving early or spending a big amount of time making her feel comfortable in a new place with new ppl....he has gotten better with it since i told him this

you have to find "your way" what works and it DOES NOT have to be that you stay home.....go to the functions that you have to but like i said to dh maybe u have to go late or leave early etc

good luck

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

Maybe its the smell of the PNP and not the crib - or maybe the crib is softer. Maybe you can get a PNP mattress (not even sure if they have them)
I'd take the sheet off her crib and put it in the PNP. Does she have any toys/animals in the crib? or a mobile?
When she goes to sleep - what is the routine? Maybe try to get her to sleep in the PNP before you go? Put the PNP next to her crib and let her sleep there for a night, then move it futher away from the crib?

I'm just grasping at straws here- no idea if these will work. But unless someone else has an idea, its all you have.

Good luck!!!

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

I can't help, because DD would sleep in the car when she was younger (not so much now). However, I empathize with you, because she would not nap or sleep anywhere except her crib, so when we did go to LI for the day, I would make sure to time it so she could at least nap in the car, because she would NEVER nap in a stroller...EVER!

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

My son was a crib sleeper as well. Although he would fall asleep in the car seat, but never for more than 45 minutes. He's also not one to just fall asleep anywhere when he's tired. He fights it.

I was nervous when we went to FL in march because we had to use the PNP. I brought everything i could to make it seem as much like his crib as i could. I brought his sound machine, monitor, some crib stuffed animals/toys, pacifier and even the little waterproof pad we have in the crib.

Luckily he did fine with the PNP, thank god.

I would just try to replicate the crib as much as you can so that she still has some familiar surroundings that she's used to. Good luck.

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

Posted by JenandMikey

yes dd is a crib only sleeper but i have to say i have one option when we are at functions and she eithe rmissed her nap or is coming on naptime:

i take her in my arms, laying her sideways facing my chest (like you would an inconsolable newborn eventhough shes 10mos old lol) binkie in her mouth, rubbing her hair and making a shhhhhh noise loud in her ear.....she is used to this routine though bc i did it since th first day in the hospital and she is a white noise machine baby so it works.....she usually falls asleep in my arms which can be a burden bc i cant get up etc but i usually do this for 45mins or so (sometiesm longe if i can) just to give her a little rest to get her through


good luck

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

ahh - Daycare --- how does she sleep there?

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

DS was like that, though not as bad as you're describing. I found that it wasn't so much where he slept (crib, pack n play, carseat) it was more the environment. He couldn't fall asleep out and about. As long as I took him into a quiet, dark room and did our normal nightime routine, he would sleep ok.

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

Yes! SO frustrating. He is basically perfect, except for this one thing! He will only sleep in his crib (a good 10 hrs at night & at last 1 1/2 hrs. for nap during the day). He'll fall asleep in the car too, but rarely transfers well.

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

ME!!!!!!!!!!!
Peyton sleeps awesome, 12 hours a night and 2, 2hour naps a day. BUT only in her crib. NEVER in the car and NEVER in the stroller. She will sleep in the pack and play at my moms but that is it.
I will NEVER complain though because Jordan never slept through the night until she was like 4 or 5.But slept in the car and stroller etc...
I will take this over that anyday!

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

DS is also a crib only child but i have found that he sleeps fine in his PNP as long as he has his loveys.

it is torture to get him to sleep in his stroller but he will often sleep in the car.

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

Michelle-- we are out on LI now, and Sasha was in the PNP for the first time ever on Wed night-- and for naps as well. She is not as good as at home-- where she is always in the crib-- but, it's dealable. Sasha is not the best napper, but she is pretty good about going down at night.

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

My DS is almost 22 months and will only sleep in the crib or the car - if, the car is moving. He would sleep in his stroller as an infant but that ended at about 8-9 months. I absolutely hate it. As a result - he if he needs to miss a nap he does - or, if i can help it, i tailor our whole day around his nap/sleep schedule. I get A LOT of comments about it from other people and eye rolling at family parties when I say we are leaving for DS to nap. I hate it.

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child?

Well, she did it!!! I'm SO happy and proud! She took a nice LONG nap in the PNP when we got to my father's house on Friday and then slep through the night. I on the other hand didn't sleep as I was anticipating her waking up, or one of us (DH or I) waking her up with our coughing and throat clearing during the night (we stayed in the same room as her). I was SO worried about having a miserable child on my hands all weekend, but she slept great. She didn't sleep in the car for the 2 hour ride to my father, but she also didn't have any meltdowns which was progress.

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child? UPDATE at bottom

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child? UPDATE at bottom

Re: Does anyone else have a "crib only" child? UPDATE at bottom

YAY!! So happy Samantha was so good for you guys!!