move 2yo to bed before or after DC2 arrives...??

[flipflopsonfifthavenue]

Ds is 2yo, and I'm 25 wks pg with DC2.
This last week, DS has got his leg right over the side of his cot, up to his crotch, and has started to swivel his hips over, and stand on tip toe on other foot, in an attempt to climb out of bed. It's only a matter of time before he's up and over - but it could be days... weeks... months..??

This only happens at bedtime, when he's basically refusing to go to sleep. I'm around during it all, and I've been ignoring it, and just going ahead with usual tactics to get him to sleep (currently lying outside his door with feet in view...). I figured if I told him to stop trying to climb out, it would make it a 'thing' and I don't want to draw attention to the fact that I don't want him doing it.

Bedtimes have always been tricky for one reason or the other, although generally they are fine, but only thing that has kept us sane, is the fact that HE CAN'T GET OUT...

The idea that I may have to get him a bed now is terrifying me, as I was hoping not to have to do it for months and months yet.

Question is - do I strike first? - get him a new bed, make it all exciting etc, have a plan, do it on our own terms, before the new baby arrives in November

or wait it out and see what happens....?

I guess ultiamtely it's better to do it in a 'controlled' way before the baby arrives, than as a necessity after he's fallen out and hurt himself, three days after the baby is born and he's already fragile and upset and I may have had a c-section and baby bfing throughout the night...then it'll be MUCH harder to deal with, right??

What experience have others had with the change to bed around this time? Especially if you had a toddler who needs a little extra help/attention at bedtime..?

[BlueChampagne]

We moved DS1 into a proper bed at about 2.2, about 6 weeks before DS2 arrived, so he didn't feel pushed out by the baby. He did get out quite a bit to start with but the novelty wore off.

[toomuchtooold]

Maybe he's too old to adjust to them but what about grobags? My 2 and a bit year old twins are still in them and as their legs are inside, no cot scaling action for them.

[PoppyAmex]

I second the poster up thread; grobags are the way forward here.

DD is 2.4 and could cause havoc in a padded cell so I'm keeping her in the cot for as long as possible

[Toohotforfishandchips]

Both mine are climbers so came out if cot by 20 mths. Both refused a gro bag by this time too. Luckily I inherited a toddler bed. DD went into bed at 19mths and DS came a month later and went in cot at 2 months

[Toohotforfishandchips]

My friends little boy badly broke his arm climbing out of a cot at 18mths. Better to get the transition done and set new rules about getting out of bed etc - you may have to put him back on silently for a lot of times initially

[flipflopsonfifthavenue]

thanks. DS hasn't been in a growbag since he was 1 so that won't work. We already have an Ikea toddler mattress that I bought when I night weaned him and used to lie on next to his cot. I still do some lying by his cot at bedtime, so I think I'll put it down by his cot for the next few weeks. Will help in case he climbs out, will help my poor achey pregnant hips when I have to lie there to get him to sleep, and will buy me some time til I get ready to face The Next Sleeping Challenge....

[LastTango]

DS hasn't been in a growbag since he was 1 so that won't work

Why not?

[flipflopsonfifthavenue]

He refused to go back in one after a hot summer last year so we switched to a blanket/duvet which he invariably kicks off. Mostly he tends to sleep with nothing covering him, seems to prefer it

[ShoeWhore]

why not put him in a bed, make his room safe and (if necessary) put a stairgate on the door so he can't get out?

[Toohotforfishandchips]

I am with shoe whore on this. Why delay until either you are heavily pregnant or with a new born? It is likely there will be some putting back in bed at the start.
All my DCs friends were out of cots by two for a variety of reasons. My DC just got them selves out if gro bags too by that age.