Floor Beds
What I Wish I Knew Before I had my First Baby
When I was pregnant with my first child and preparing her bedroom, I really did not want to use a crib. I planned to have my little one go from a Moses basket to a floor bed, but I wasn’t sure exactly what that would look like. While it did work out in the end, and I’m happy with my choice, there are a few things I wish I knew from the begining.
The baby will roll off- and it will be ok.
I knew intellectually that my baby would roll off a bed with no sides or bars, but when it happened, I was caught off-guard. A barrage of nervous hormonal new mom questions flooded my mind. Should I put her back on the bed or leave her on the floor? What if she cries? What if she doesn’t cry? Will she get hurt? Will she be upset? Will it ruin her sleep?
I honestly don’t remember what I did the first time. I think at first I probably googled and drove myself crazy. Eventually, I came up with a plan: I moved the rug so she would have a softer landing if she rolled off, and I placed rolled up towels under the sheets around the short edges of the mattress, so she would be more likely to roll off the long side where there was more rug.
What happened next? Sometimes when she rolled off she stayed asleep; other times she cried for a minute and then fell back asleep. I would let her rest wherever she landed and put her back on the bed when she woke up to nurse later in the night. And after a few weeks, she stopped rolling off the mattress altogether.
Learning to open doors will be a big change.
With a floor bed from infancy there is no tricky transition from a crib to a “big kid” bed- just pop the mattress in a frame when the child is tall enough to climb up and down on their own. However- maintaining good sleep habits can become a struggle when your little one learns how to open doors.
With my first child, I was not expecting this and it was definitely a tricky transition. Learning to open doors went hand in hand with refusing to nap. My husband and I spend numerous stressful hours trying to get her to get her to nap without a plan in place. It was a rough time until we finally got it together and changed her sleep schedule.
When my second child reached this milestone, it also took me by surprise, but I was more prepared and quickly formulated a plan. The day after he learned to open the door, we installed a baby gate. This simple addition helped him rest and removed the power struggle aspect of the situation, making it much easier for everyone involved.
I love the floor bed so much!
I had no idea how much I would come to love the floor bed when I first started. When my babies were little, I could lay with them and nurse at bedtime or in the middle of the night, then just quietly roll away once they were settled. I never had to purchase a crib or crib bedding. As they got older, they had the freedom to read or move around until they were ready to sleep- or if they woke up too early! Transitioning to a bed frame was super easy when the kids when they got tall enough- no big change. It also fostered their toilet independence, allowing them to get out of bed and use the potty when they need to go.
I could go on and on! I truly believe that a floor bed is a safe and viable option for babies, making a crib unnecessary. Every family should have access to quality information about floor beds, and I am passionate about providing education on this topic. While a floor bed may not be right for every family, it is an option worth considering. I would love to hear your questions and comments! Feel free to reach out to chat here or email me at katie@parentingdoula.com. Additionally, I will be speaking about floor beds with Guide and Grow at the end of August- find more information about the event here.
