The moment the kids are free to get up from their bed in the middle of the night and roam around their room or the house is a life changing moment.

Not only will they try to come get you in your room but could get into all kinds of trouble around the house attempting to do the things you usually don't let them do when you are around (testing that newfound freedom!).

Our approach to transition a 24month old out of crib was to teach him when it was acceptable to get up (teach to read time, get a color coded clock, whatever you have to do). Once he would wake up but stay quiet in his crib waiting until the acceptable time (630am) then we knew he was mature enough to wake up from a bed and not go bonkers but try to remain calm in or very close to his bed until ok to roam around (i.e. our alarm clock goes off)

So if you are not willing to have two cribs at any costs, teach how to read the time and discipline until there 100% accuracy. And you better do further baby-proofing and installing better locks on outside doors (we still woke up to see our kid having pushed a chair to a door to try to stand on it and open the top bolt!!!).

good luck

I may be in the minority with this comment, but I say splurge for a 2nd crib. If it's an inexpensive one, or you can get one hand me down from a friend, it won't cost that much, and the price will be worth what you gain in SLEEP.
When my 2nd was born, my first had just turned 2. We figured we'd transition her to a big girl bed but then chickened out and bought a 2nd crib to keep her more contained and to not mess with the good thing that we had going! Now she's over 3 and still happy as a clam in her crib, even though the big girl bed is in her room, too.
Many parents switch the oldest to a bed out of necessity, others do it because they think they're "supposed" to at a certain age, others do it for safety b/c the child is vauting themself out. But I vote crib for now. : )

What about using a pack-n-play type thing for the baby until the older sibling is ready to move into a bigger bed. Our son slept in a pack-n-play for the first 6 months of his life cause we had a very small house and we shared a room. I know they are not the cutest, but it may be a good option until you are ready to move to a bigger bed.

If you do buy a second crib now, you can keep your son in it until he's old enough for a single or twin bed, and therefore bypassing the toddler bed altogether...
on the other hand, I don't think he would be too young for a toddler bed at 15 months (if you use the bassinet for the first bit with your new baby). Our son was about 17 months when we put him in a toddler bed and he did great in it. In fact, he loved it! We just super toddler-proofed his room as best as we could and he was too young to figure out how to open his door, so he was essentially "locked in" and couldn't roam about the house. He just called for me when he was up and that was that. It worked great for us.

It's a very personal choice depending on your son and his sleeping habits.

Good luck with the new baby!!!!

my daughter began escaping her crib at about 18 months, well before her sister came along, so I cant help much with that. But we lived in a two story house that had a strange stairwell, and we couldnt install a gate at the top of the stairs. So we decided to put it in front of her door. It kept her from roaming the house at night, but still let her open and close the door on her own. Though keep in mind that kids will destroy a room if given half the chance. We *used* to keep diaper ointment high on a shelf in her room...until one day (no idea how, it was above MY head) she found it and tried to use it like tooth paste.
I say keep him in the crib until he wants to leave it. You'll know when its time.

I agree with these comments- either get a second crib or keep the baby in a pack-n-play, at least until your son is 2. My daughter was 2.5 when we took her out of her crib to make way for baby. At that point, we put her directly into a twin bed with a guardrail. Her bed is a platform, so it is not two high off the ground. I don't see how a toddler bed affords more protection that a twin with a guardrail, so I would definitely suggest skipping a toddler bed when your son is older. But, I honestly don't think a 1.5 year old is old enough to be outside a crib. As another commenter noted, your child will use his newfound freedom outside the crib. I would not want my child roaming around unsupervised, even in his room, at that age.

We moved both kids to twin beds with low profile frames and side rails at 12 months and had no trouble. Neither could open their bedroom doors so wandering the house and baby-proofing wasn't an issue. I'd say that unless you're going to keep the first one in the crib for a LONG time or have a ton of disposable income, don't waste the money on a second crib.

I had my second child when my son was 12 months old. We asked ourselves the same question, and eventually settled on purchasing another crib. Because of the new baby, we didn't feel that it was a good time to add a layer of uncertainty to the bedtime routine. A year later, my 2 year old is still sleeping happily in his crib. We plan to transition him soon. In fact, we are looking at the exact same bed that you mention.

I would keep your son in his crib! Having the freedom to get out makes everything more challenging. We have a crib that converted to a toddler bed and that has worked out well! Don't rush it if you don't have to!

We kept our son in a crib until he was about 2 1/2. The transition to a bed was rocky for him for whatever reason (it scared him!), but we wanted to do it before #2 came along. But I couldn't have IMAGINED transitioning him sooner.

My daughter started climbing out of the crib at 11 months, so at 12 months we removed the rail and added the toddler bed bar. Her transition was SEAMLESS. In fact, it took a huge worry off of our minds because we no longer had to fearfully listen for a "thump" in the middle of the night. And she LOVES climbing into her own bed / laying in bed just like her big brother (they share a room).

We have a one-story apartment so I was never worried about her getting into too much trouble at night wandering around. We leave the door open a tiny crack so she can get out if she wants; she usually ends up in bed with me at 6:30 am, then we all get up at 7:00.

Having done it both ways, I think it all depends on the child.

Oh...and as far as the "leaving the child unsupervised" comments go, that's why we left the door open. Our house is quite child-proofed, and our kids are pretty good, but if she was going anywhere at 12 months, I wanted it to be to my room! And that's where she always came. And on that front...it's way easier to have your scared child come to you in the middle of the night than wander sleepily down the hall to comfort them.

Of course, we're not cry-it-out parents, so maybe that makes a difference, too.

Whatever your decision, I would not recommend the P'kolino Toddler Bed. We've had it for almost a year and my son hits his head on the headboard ALL THE TIME. And judging by the reviews on Amazon, he's not the only one. We've finally tried 3 pillows to cover the headboard which *kinda* works.

We bought a second crib (a SNIGLAR, nice and low to the ground) for my son as soon as we knew #2 was on the way and set it up as a toddler bed. We played in it and napped in it for a month before he spontaneously made the transition at 22 months. He will be in this bed until it no longer fits or there is a third child.
I would but the second crib. 14 months is really young and to get him out with enough time not to feel evicted is too much.

I never got the point of a toddler bed myself, unless you have a very small space. If your child is old enough to move out of the crib then they are old enough to sleep in a big bed, either on a platform with a guardrail, or just a mattress on the floor. A big bed makes a good play space, too, and one that parent and child can cuddle in together. Separate toddler beds seem like a waste of money to me.

Only you know whether you can trust your kid to wander or not. In any case you have some time to think about that; April is a long way away for a little one. And remember you don't always get to just decide where your baby wants to sleep. It's often better to wait and see how things shake out.

I agree with keeping your child in the crib as long as possible.

We did what you are contemplating...when my son was born we got a P'kolino bed for my then-2-year-old daughter. We set it up next to her crib and gave her a choice and she consistently chose to stay in her crib.

So, when it came time to move my son out of the bassinet in our room, we bought a second crib.

I don't regret buying the P'kokino bed, however. My daughter finally moved into it at 2.5 and she loves it because the sides are high and she feels safe. She hasn't bumped her head in it. I also like that it converts to a youth chair.

Don't do it!! See if a friend can give you a loaner crib for a year or two, or purchase a very inexpensive crib, or use the pack-n-play. My older son was 23 months when my younger son was born and stayed in his crib for another 8 or nine months. I borrowed a crib from a friend. At 14 months, not only is your older child still a baby, but he could be in a crib anywhere from another four months to two years.

Keep the kid in his crib. Really. At least until he is 2yo or even 3yo if he lasts that long. Do whatever you would normally do w/ the baby and get a second crib if needed. 14 months is still very much a baby. His, and your, world will be rocked enough with the new baby. Don't mess with the sleeping arrangements too.
I moved my first into a mattress on the floor at 2yo b/c I thought that was the age to do it. Big mistake. It took us probably 6 months to get him consistanly staying in his bed both at bedtime and in the middle of the night. It was a headache and he clearly was not ready for it.

Keep him in his crib! We have a 16 month old (who, granted, is a climber) and I just can't imagine him having the freedom of a big-boy-bed. He doesn't have the internal reasoning to handle the rule of staying in it at bedtime and naptime would be way worse.
We moved our older son to a bed when he was 21 months and it was a flawless transition, but he was one of those super-obedient kids who didn't figure out he could get out of bed by himself for a good 6 months or so.
If your son is fine in his crib, leave him there. When little sibling comes, he will want a comforting, cozy nest that is familiar and secure-feeling. Change as little as possible right now for him.

OMG buy another crib! And forget the toddler bed altogether. When the time comes, just get a twin bed.

Even though the new baby will come when he is 14 months, I would want him fullytransitioned to the new bed two months prior to the new baby's arrival so he doesn't associate the new baby with him losing his crib. Transitioning to a bed and adjusting to a new sibling would be too much at one time. So, considering that, I would buy an additional crib, but I would be sure to get a convertible crib that you can turn into a toddler bed and later into a full size headboard/footboard.

For what it's worth to other people who are in the same situation but have a slightly older first child...we transitioned our 18 month old from his crib to a twin mattress on the floor with no problems at all. We had the mattress on the floor in his room for several months before we ever asked him to sleep in it. We played on it and read books in it. When he did start sleeping on the mattress, we kept the crib in his room so he could start the night on the mattress and if he woke up at night, we'd put him in the crib. Eventually, he stopped waking up during the night and we didn't need the crib anymore. The transition worked perfectly. Oh and we used a baby gate at his door so he couldn't leave the room and he would call out to us. He now knows to stay in his room and call for us when he needs us. We will eventually transition him again, slowly, from a floor mattress to a platform bed.

Keep him in the crib. Seriously. Let me repeat. He will be very young to leave a crib and sometimes you need a safe place for another child to be when you have a new infant. Just buy another new Gulliver. You can convert the newer Gullivers to a toddler bed when you are ready and use the older, non converting model for the infant. Thus you get your new crib and toddler bed in one purchase. We did the same thing and it worked well. Our LO really liked the fact that the new baby had the same bed, and later, that his bed toddler bed was like, but not, the babies.

If you are going to buy a second piece of furniture anyway, and aren't sure whether it should be crib or toddler bed (the above advice to keep him in a crib makes sense, and some kids like to stay in the crib longer than you might think is needed), I would recommend getting a crib that converts to a toddler bed, so you have maximum flexibility. My crib had the toddler bed conversion rail included (it's the Babymod Parklane from Walmart, not that expensive as far as cribs go and I've been happy with it). I agree with the above posts that any transitioning to a new bed should happen before the baby comes, to reduce the anxiety.

Crib! Otherwise, forget getting them both to nap at the same time. You'll spend the baby's whole nap time trying to get the toddler to stay in bed. The toddler will finally fall asleep and then the baby will wake up. Also, JudiAU is spot on that you need a safe place for toddler when you have your hands full with baby.

My daughter was 16 mos. old when our son was born, and not yet trying to climb out. So we left her in the crib and put him in a bassinet and then a pack 'n play to sleep. She transitioned out of the crib to a normal twin bed at 23 mos. But due to two moves within 6 months and the inability to take the crib with us for the first move (we put it in storage), and now expecting baby #3, we've kept our son in a pack 'n play this whole time. So he's now 21 mos. and has only ever slept in a pack 'n play!

It has worked out just fine, and even though I could have put him in the crib six months ago, I also knew that a new baby was coming along. So I thought it would make more sense to just leave him in his pack 'n play till he's ready to go to a big bed and start the next baby off in the crib.

All that said, my vote is to not rock the bedtime routine by moving your firstborn out, especially since he's not trying to get out. I'd just put the new baby in a pack 'n play for the next few months till it is time to move firstborn.

My 21 month-old son just climbed out of his pack 'n play last week, but of course they're still made of rubber at that age so he's fine. (And the fall is lower than it would be if he were to climb of a crib.) Still, I think it hurt enough that he won't try that again, and, whereas my daughter did just fine staying in her bed at night, I dread the day he's not barred in!

Good luck!

I don't see the point in a toddler bed, either. It's just a smaller bed that's only useful for a year or two maybe. I personally would stick with a crib until he can crawl out of it. Then get him a twin bed with timeless style. We got my son the KURA bed from IKEA and love it. When he first got it we put it low. Now he wants it high because underneath is his "cave." And we painted the panels with chalkboard paint before assembly so it's pretty much the coolest bed on the block.

2nd crib worked for us too. Very worth it. You don't need any added sleep disturbance or worries and you dont want to give a 14 month old that much freedom, its dangerous.

my son just turned two when the second was born. he stayed in his crib until he was 2 1/2. we were able to get a second crib for free from a friend. his crib transitioned to a toddler bed and then to a full size bed. we are planning on getting my FIL twin beds from his childhood for our son. we will giv our daughter our sons toddler bed (back to a crib). we painted the girls crib white and she bites the edge and chips the paint off :/ do what works best for you. if you son can understand he is not allowed out of bed durring the middle of the night go for it. we only wanted to be awoken by the baby and not our little toddler who wouldnt understand the laws of sleep! congrats and good luck.

our kids are 2 years apart. At 29 months my daughter still happily sleeps in a crib. We ended up purchasing an inexpensive Jenny Lind from Babies r us for around $120. Last thing I wanted to deal with was a toddler and newborn up at all hours of the night!

We transitioned our son out of his crib long before we though we would (he was just over 2 years old) because we knew we'd be traveling in the summer, and we were so very glad. Not only did it work out well being able to put him wherever we needed to while we traveled, but I found out just how providential that decision was when I had an unexpected Cesarean. I wouldn't have wanted to lift my big toddler in and out of a crib.

That being said, our now 8-month old only recently moved into the crib because we moved to a new house. (His brother had used it in its toddler bed conversion form for a while.) If we hadn't moved, he would have been just fine in the Pack n Play. We have friends who have four daughters, and the youngest slept in a Pack n Play until she moved to a twin bed. If you put a comfy blanket under the sheet, the mattress becomes slightly more forgiving, and it works great.

Perhaps use a "transition" crib? I have one, Sniglar, from ikea that you can take off one of the sides when they're ready. I'm guessing yours might not do that? But you could by another crib, have both kiddies in a crib until your oldest needs to move up (if he needs it) and then you can go straight to a twin once he's outgrown the crib/toddle bed.

I also think a crib that converts to a toddler bed, or a pack and play may be your best bet. The majority of toddlers aren't ready for a bed until around two. The less that changes for your first born the better, the new baby won't care but your older baby will. We're expecting our third and do not plan to buy another crib, but my 2nd will be 19 months when the baby comes and our babies co sleep with us for 6 months usually. We also have a pack and play for backup. I also recommend the Sniglar. Good luck!

I agree with those who have said get a second crib! The sleep you will gain is well worth the cost of an inexpensive crib. We didn't buy a second crib because our son was 2 when his brother was born. We didn't sleep much for a year. I am not exaggerating. We were always up with one or the other, but our boys have never been great sleepers, especially the older one. Now that they're both sleeping better I often wonder how I survived that year.

My children are 20 months apart and we transitioned our daughter out of her crib at about 16 months. She wasn't escaping but we got her new room ready complete with a full size bed and she was so excited about it she went in it and STAYED there. We had a rail from One Step Ahead on the bed and when she woke up she'd say, "I'm up" and we'd come in and she stayed in at night as well. I agree with the comments about not getting a toddler bed, they are uncomfortable, the mattresses are hard. Our daughter was so much happier in the bed and it's easier to read books as well. We have a padded headrest which is SO nice for that. She just slept on the sheet and cuddled with her blankie like always and we kept the quilt at the bottom of the bed which would keep her from scrunching down and falling off at the bottom. It just depends on your child and how much they listen and are comforted by their room. Ours felt safer in her room than wandering out and the rest of the house was child proof anyway, and our room was right next door. Another option would be to get an inexpensive bassinet to keep the baby in for the first 4 months or so till the second is ready to move. Good luck!

Reading this discussion was quite useful to me---thank you! Our 2-1/2-year-old has never attempted to get out of his crib, and we don't want to mess with a good thing when our baby arrives this summer. Looks like we'll just keep him in the crib and use the pack n play (our Chicco playard has a very nice bassinet attachment anyway). I wasn't the original poster, but thanks for the input, everyone!

To split the difference, just get another crib, but maybe the kind that is convertible to a toddler or twin bed in the future so that you don't have to make ANOTHER purchase down the road. Or, just keep your daughter in the bassinet for a while and then make the decision when she out grows that. My son was in his bassinet for a while.

Wow thanks everyone for the great responses! We have a twin bed that we were planning on putting on the floor for my son when he was ready to transistion but with the second one coming sooner than expected, we were wondering if a toddler bed would be easier for him. But now I am thinking that a second crib might be a better solution. Thanks for the thoughts everyone!

Well my son just got a big boy bed a week before Christmas. He was 2 1/2, but he still hadn't managed to climb out of his crib. It was on daddy's insistance. Now nap times are a huge production. And bedtimes he's up until past 10 sometimes.

But age doesn't make a difference. My mum had to transfer my sister at 14 months without any problems of her falling out of bed. She needed the crib for my yongest sister.

The only thing is if you do decide to get the toddler bed, make sure to transition before the baby comes. If not your daughter might want her crib and be jealous and try to climb into it. Not a good idea.

I agree with airexurb on letting your son stay in the crib until he's ready. Ours just transitioned out at 20 months and he destroyed his room the first two weeks (FYI vaseline is very hard to get out of children's hair and carpets). Now he loves it and actually sleeps better, and he calls for us in the morning before coming out of his room. If it's too early we yell - no, it's night-night time still! We used a moses basket when he was little, maybe even for the first 2-3 months. Your son might be ready to move on by then. Also, the Gulliver crib converts to a toddler bed - you could just use that for his first bed and go ahead and buy the new crib.

As a parents of a (very well behaved and good sleeping) 19 month old daughter - DEFINITELY BUY A SECOND CRIB! I cannot imagine moving her now, much less 4 months ago.

Your sanity is well worth the extra $100 for another crib. If money is an issue, then check craigslist. We got a lightly used, Italian-made, high-quality crib with mattress for $75 after diligent searching.

We moved our son into a toddler bed at 18 months, 3 months before our second baby was due. The first week was miserable. After that, it's been fine. If nothing else I feel like it helped me to not have two kids in cribs. I heard a lot of DON'T DO IT! advice, and I think you will too, but it really just matters what your kid can handle and what you can handle. Once we made it past the first week, our son has slept great in his bed.

My daughter was about 16 months when she moved to a twin bed. She did fine. There were a few mornings I found her asleep in a pile of toys on the floor, but for the most part she stayed in bed all night. I think it depends on the kid. You could always try a toddler bed first....it's not like you won't use it eventually...

i am dealing with the same thing... my son will be 19 months when his sister comes along. we contemplated putting him into a bed so we wouldn't have to buy a second crib... but seeing how the gulliver is only $99 we figured we wouldn't rush it. i want him to be as comfy as possible during the transition and he loves his crib. when the time comes we will take off the side and it will be a toddler bed until the kids are bunk bed ready. i think it depends on your kid's disposition... you will know what is right.

My son is 13 months and not trying to climb out of the crib but definitely needs to be contained!! And that whole feeling-displaced-by-the-baby thing, and the possibility of regressing in light of the big event...for the love of sandwiches, buy, beg, or steal a second crib!!! (Oh, and use your twin bed on the floor for night nursing...(

Pkolino bed has super sharp, square edges. My daughter was almost 2.5 when she split her forehead open on the side rail. Took four stitches and Pkolino never responded to my comments about blunting the design.

We are expecting our second 2/21 and we knew when I got pregnant that we wanted to transition our son into a toddler bed before his baby sister was born so as not to create jealousy surrounding the crib. At 20 months, even though he was not climbing out of his crib we transitioned him to his toddler bed (by million dollar baby, great bed!) and honestly it was so easy (and I realize we may be in the minority here), he stayed in his bed until we came in to get him and talked to himself and his toys once he was awake. He is now 25 months and shows no attachement to the crib and when he gets up in the morning he knows to come straight to our room. 14 months is quite a bit younger than 20 months but if you have time it may be worth the experiment, as you will have to buy a toddler bed eventually anyway.