Crib in the bathtub?

[mrspopo]

With this new baby on the way I'm trying to figure out how to arrange things and give everyone a quiet space for sleep. Then it finally occurred to me - the bath tub! I can't take all the credit for this idea, there's a picture of my little brother in a crib in the tub in the '80s. Is there a safe way to have a crib in the bath tub?

I'd like to have a bassinet or co-sleeper with us in the master bedroom, but after 3-6 months move baby to their own crib in the attached bathroom. Then eventually have both kiddos share a room. We're out of bedrooms, and the master bathroom isn't used much. It also has the added advantage that it's nearly soundproof - the walls used to be exterior before the addition in the '70s. That room is as quiet as it gets! With our loud toddler and even louder pets (including parrots), there is no other quiet area.

We have a couple of other options, but nothing as quiet and private as that. DD1 was a huge sleeper and slept at least 21 hours a day as a newbie. At 17 months she's still 2-3 hours more than the average for her age. So a quiet napping environment is really important to me, and we wouldn't miss use of that bathroom anyways.

What am I missing? Is this realistic/safe? Is there such a thing as a full-size crib for the tub? It's a really small bathroom, and I don't think a crib would fit anywhere else in there without blocking the door.

[AndreaJP]

Is there a window in the bathroom?

[Fairycat]

It's not safe sorry. In case of a fire or any other issue, no one will look for a baby in a bathroom. A bathroom legally can not be called a bedroom ever. You also have safety issues, how are you going to stop them from pulling on the facet? Most likely if you had a crib in a tub you would have them close to the facet no matter how you blocked it. Then you have the fact fecal material goes in the air with flushing, higher chance of mold/mildew in a bathroom, and if they get out of the crib (remember the tub will offer a ledge on the other side, making things easier), there are lots of dangers for a young child to get hurt in a bathroom. Honestly, room share once you get them in the crib, and raise them with the noise. If you get a baby who can't take the noise get a white noise machine. Personally I would never use a bathroom to house a baby, it just isn't safe.

[Wanderlust]

if it fits in the tub securely, I say go for it! Cleanups should be easy peasy in there too

ETA: Oh...I forgot about the faucets- Fairycat made some great points

[Melinda29]

A pack n play would probably fit well in a tub.

You wouldn't be looking at the baby being able to climb out for a long time, maybe a year or more, unless your baby is a monkey (some are!) so I wouldn't worry about that at all. By then, your DD1 might be outgrowing her need for so much dark and quiet and baby would be ready to room share.

One thing to remember is that just because your DD1 is a huge sleeper, doesn't mean the next one will be. My youngest, at 11 months, barely sleeps 9 hours at night snd has one 45-minute nap a day. Her three older siblings all slept 11-13 hours at night and took 2-3 naps a day that were 1-2 hours each. Her sleep patterns are so different!

Close the lid when you flush, then no risk of "fecal matter flying up into the air". Multiple studies have shown there is no more fecal matter on a toothbrush stored on the back of a toilet than a toothbrush stored in a closed closet. It is everywhere.

[MamaNae]

It is my personal belief that kids should be taught to sleep through noise. When my oldest son was a baby I was able to tiptoe all over and keep it funeral quiet when he was sleeping...he's 7 now and will come out his room whining about noise if I walk to the bathroom or run the dryer or the furnace kicks on when he's trying to fall asleep. my dd and 2nd ds could fall asleep at a rock concert going on at a NASCAR race next to an airport

Anyway, if it fits go for it. I have pictures of myself sleeping IN the bathtub when I was little lol...my parents folded up blankets and pillows and turned the faucet as tight as my dad could get it and there I slept. Never had an issue LOL

[Melinda29]

Originally Posted by MamaNae It is my personal belief that kids should be taught to sleep through noise. When my oldest son was a baby I was able to tiptoe all over and keep it funeral quiet when he was sleeping...he's 7 now and will come out his room whining about noise if I walk to the bathroom or run the dryer or the furnace kicks on when he's trying to fall asleep. my dd and 2nd ds could fall asleep at a rock concert going on at a NASCAR race next to an airport Anyway, if it fits go for it. I have pictures of myself sleeping IN the bathtub when I was little lol...my parents folded up blankets and pillows and turned the faucet as tight as my dad could get it and there I slept. Never had an issue LOL

Don't feel bad--we did the same with our 7-yr-old and he sleeps like a rock, as does our 3-yr-old, and we didn't bother keeping it quiet with the others and the 5-yr-old and baby are the lightest sleepers of all. The baby has certainly had the loudest environment to sleep in, but will wake at the turn of a doorknob in another room. And she SCREAMS when she gets woken up mid-nap. We keep a loud white noise machine in there and all retreat to the basement when she naps--and pray no one knocks on the door. Before she was born, I would never have thought I would go to such trouble to keep it quiet for a baby--they need to learn to sleep through the noise :P

I don't think parents can blame themselves for light sleeping kids. IME, it has to do with how they are wired.

[mrspopo]

If we did this we would shut the water off to the bathroom. There is a big window in there, and the crib would be less than 10 feet to the sliding glass door. I dont know if this is what we are going to do but it is nice to hear peoples opinions.

As far as sleeping trough noise, im an extremely light sleeper. Any sound or touch jolts me awake. We tried co-sleeping but that was horrible and nobody got any sleep. I really wanted my baby to sleep through anything but that just didnt happen. Anything wakes her up. I would prefer a baby that sleeps through noise, but i also dont want a cranky tired frustrated baby either. Maybe baby #2 will be different.

We have more thinking to do, but we dont have anywhere else we could use that wouldnt sacrifice important space.

[Mom2Connor]

What kind of tubs do y'all have that fit cribs?? I have never heard of this, and would never dream of putting a child in a bathtub at any age, but I am just sitting here trying to invision a crib in a bathtub.

[mrspopo]

Originally Posted by Mom2Connor What kind of tubs do y'all have that fit cribs?? I have never heard of this, and would never dream of putting a child in a bathtub at any age, but I am just sitting here trying to invision a crib in a bathtub.

I dont know, its part of my "is it even possible" quest. All im doing is picturing my baby album with pictures of my little brother as a toddler in a crib in a regular sized tub. We have a standard sized tub too. i dont know what would even fit if we went that route. I was really hoping to hear from someone that had done this (whether it worked out or not).