“What should I do if my baby won’t lie down in the crib?”
I am often asked this question. Sometimes a baby won’t lie down, but sometimes they can’t. At around 8 months, a baby reaches the exciting milestone of standing. How wonderful! Except not so exciting for mom and dad at 3:00 a.m. when she is showing off her new trick and she’s stuck because she doesn’t know how to get back down! You can simply lie your baby back down, but I would predict that within minutes, you will be back in her room, putting her back down again. Another option is to teach her during the day how to get from a standing position into a sitting position. Once your baby masters this, she will have no problem lying down from a sitting position.
Then there is the baby who simply refuses to lie down. Forcefully putting her down and holding her there, will just make her more upset. Whatever you decide to do, it has to be in a gentle way. You can start by hugging your baby or rubbing her back, gently trying to coax her to lie down. Do not pick her up, even if she is pleading with you to do so. Stand close by and keep soothing her until she lies back down. This will take a lot of patience on your part, but keep at it. Eventually, she will lie down.
Note: Please be aware that once your baby is able to stand in the crib, it is time to put the mattress on the lowest setting. You may also want to consider removing the bumper pads, which babies often will use as a step to climb out!