So, did anybody NOT use a bed rail?

[Hallie_D]

We have successfully transitioned Elijah to a twin bed--hooray! But we never did buy a bed rail. I'm embarrassed to say that we've been using a pillow chair. Luckily for us he likes to sleep sideways on the bed, with his head next to the wall and his feet on the open side (resting on one of the arms of the pillow chair!). This is probably because when he slept with us he enjoyed putting his feet up on me.

Let me add that his bed is very low to the ground, and his room is carpeted.

Did anyone else not use a bedrail? Are we completely delinquent parents? If so, please do not report me to the authorities--I promise to buy one online today!

Thanks,

[Lynnie]

my 23 month old started sleeping in his little race car toddler bed, which is also VERY low to the ground, about 3 months ago, and we never used a rail either, and he was a real flopper in his crib. at first i would shove a hard flat sofa cushion between the mattress and the side of the bed, but after a bit, stopped doing even that. he never had a problem.

with a twin bed, i would think your son would have even more room, and wouldn't fall... but i don't know... i will let other parents answer that one (and will then discover whether i am delinquent or not also !)

[khakismom]

Hallie, congrats--that is awesome, and such a big step for Elijah! :)

I really don't think it's a must-have that you HAVE to have a bed rail. We used one for a very short time, and probably could've gotten away with not having one. I would say, see how he does. If he tumbles off, then get one. If not, he's doing great and I wouldn't sweat it! :)

[redhookmom]

We do use a bed rail. I think my DS has become dependent on it. If I take it off he falls out of bed that night. (Oddly he does not wake up.)

[Hallie_D]

Thanks! It went very smoothly, possibly because he liked the airplane quilt we splurged on from Pottery Barn. Also, his best buddy has a big boy bed, so he had to sleep in it "just like Henry!"

OK, I like your theory--only get it if he falls out!

Thanks everyone for the good advice!

[brubeck]

We have never used a bed rail. The top of the mattress is 18 inches above the (carpeted) floor. Amy has only fallen out once, and that was months after she transitioned to the big kid bed. She let out a startled cry and crawled right back into bed and fell asleep. Now she sleeps right at the edge of the bed near the floor and hasn't fallen out in about a year.

[jenfed1]

I think it depends on the bed. My DD is in a twin size bed that is very high from the ground. We actually were having problems finding a big enough bed rail, because she was rolling out in the space where the bedrail ends. We wound up getting a Snug Tuck Pillow that runs the whole length of the bed (www.snugtuckpillow.com) and she's been fine. I think we are going to need a rail/pillow for a long time since she is very dependent on it. She leans up against it most of the time.

Her bed is too high to take the chance of her falling out again. She fell out twice before we got her pilllow and luckily didn't hurt herself.

If you are using a toddler bed, I think it's fine to skip the rail because they are so close to the floor, they really can't hurt themselves if they fall out.

[luvbeinmama]

DS was in a toddler bed for a year and never fell out of that. Now he is in a full size and likes to sleep on the outside edge. That made us nervous enough to put padding on the ground for him, but he has never fallen out. The padding has since been removed. We never put a bed rail up for him.

[sugarsnappea]

We don't use a bed rail. DD bed is low enough to the ground that I don't worry. We never had a falling out issue either. :)

[loewymartin]

I can't help, as the double bed is sitting on the boxspring (no frame) on the floor, and Alia is still in the crib :-)

Could someone please tell me how to start this? Her current room is completely set up with all her stuff in it, with the crib. Her new room has the double bed as I mentioned above, but I haven't moved any of her stuff in yet. (We had all of this planned as we were pregnant and due in August. Now that we miscarried and have a "reprieve" on time I'm less inclined to force the issue!)

Should I just move all her stuff over and plunk her in her bed Saturday? I'm going to be traveling most of April, so was thinking I would wait until May when I'm back...I'm so nervous about this whole process! So unsure about the right way to do this so she doesn't hate the bed. She likes her crib, sleeps amazingly well (which is something I don't want to jeapordize) etc.

Michelle - Mom to Alia born 5/16/02

[raynjen]

First, let me say I am VERY sorry to hear of your miscarriage...

From what I've gathered so far most people transition for a reason (baby's due, toddler is a climber, or toddler has literally outgrown the bed). In our case our crib was damaged when we moved and we HAD to convert it to the toddler setting (gate kept falling down). Soooo, don't feel like this is an age issue - you don't have to move her.

If you feel that this is something she needs to do, then I would suggest a gradual process. First off, does she need to change rooms? If she is happy in her room now can you just make the transition there?

If she does need to change rooms perhaps you could transition her stuff slowly to the new room (maybe move the changing station, then the clothes, then the toys, etc.) over a week. Then move the crib. When she seems used to that THEN start using the double bed - maybe for naps first then later for at night.

Truthfully, if I didn't HAVE to move my DD she would still be using a crib. It will be a LONG time before she needs to get out by herself (like for pottying at night) and why mess with what works?

Hope that helps...

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to Noelle (2 1/3)

[Hallie_D]

Oh Michelle, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. If you still want to move Alia to the new bedroom, rather than keeping her in the nursery, you might set up the room with the bed and move any "big girl" toys and books into the new bedroom. That way she can explore the new room and get used to the bed, and she'll associate the room with good things--but she will still have familiar things in her current room. I was very worried about Elijah's transition, since he had previously slept with us (not in a crib), but for us the trick was the little details he fell in love with--for instance, we picked out a quilt with airplanes and painted stars on the wall next to his bed, and he has been so excited since the first day he saw them that he has insisted on sleeping in his own bed.

It also really helped us that his best buddy, Henry, already had a big boy bed. We were at Henry's house for a play date a few weeks before our move (and Elijah's transition) and Elijah got to see Henry's big boy bed. When he first saw his bed (before we got the quilt and painted the stars) he said "Henry!" and so we were able to talk about how Henry sleeps in a big boy bed, and now Elijah has a big boy bed too! Between Henry, the airplanes and the stars, there was literally no transition for us--one night he was in our bed, the next night he was in the twin bed in his own room. If Alia has a friend who has a big girl bed, you might try this strategy, too.

I hope this is helpful!

BTW, we still haven't gotten a bed rail... :-)

[egoldber]

Michelle, like you, we bought a new bed for Sarah when we got pregnant last summer. After I miscarried, we had the stinking toddler bed, so I decided to go ahead and transition her. Honestly, I am VERY glad we did. Its so much easier on me to have her be able to get in and out of the bed by herself and she now sleeps just as well as she ever did in the crib.

If I had to do it again, I would wait until a period of time when we planned to be home for a LONG time with no travel. We had her in the bed, then traveled, and then she refused to go back to it. We kind of went back and forth between the two beds for about 2 months (more travel involved....). If we had waited to do the transition until no travel was involved for at least a month or two, I think it would have gone much more smoothly.

HTH,