Most mornings, I let my kids wake me up instead of setting an alarm. Recently, I heard my daughter stirring in her crib, so I headed to her room. To my surprise, she was already halfway over the side, one leg dangling while she strained to climb out. It hit me then—we needed to get our son a new bed this weekend so he could pass down his toddler bed to her. She clearly wasn’t going to wait much longer.
Reflecting on that moment, it became obvious that she was done being confined. That afternoon, I placed her in her crib for a nap. I expected to hear her chatting away when she woke up, but instead, I was jolted by her frantic cries an hour later. I rushed in to find her struggling, one leg caught between the crib slats and the other precariously perched over the edge. It seemed she had lost her balance and gotten stuck.
I attempted to free her, pushing her leg back through the slats, but her baby chub made it nearly impossible. I tried various angles and gentle tugs, but nothing worked—she was firmly lodged and crying. I called out for my son to bring me my phone. He dashed in, looking concerned—just kidding, he told her to be quiet so he could think. Ah, the empathy of a four-year-old!
I explained to him that his sister needed help and asked for items to keep her calm. He returned with a miniature chair from his play table, which I placed in the crib to give her some relief. Unfortunately, my call to my husband went straight to voicemail. In that moment of panic, I struggled to think clearly.
Finally, I remembered my in-laws lived nearby. I called my father-in-law, frantically asking him to come over with an Allen wrench to disassemble the crib. My daughter continued to wail while I asked my son to fetch my laptop for distraction and some snacks. He returned with pretzels and a jar of applesauce, providing a moment of comic relief amidst the chaos.
When my in-laws arrived, it became evident that the Allen wrench wouldn’t suffice. The crib was not designed for easy disassembly, and we would need to cut her free. In a moment of desperation, I ran next door to borrow a small saw from my neighbor, who was more than happy to help.
As my neighbor plugged in her saw, I held my daughter’s hands, trying to soothe her. Once the saw buzzed to life, she went silent, trembling. Thankfully, once we cut the slat, we were able to extract her leg, and I could feel the blood rushing back into it as I lifted her out.
We had been fortunate with our son; he never attempted to escape his crib. When I was pregnant with his sister, we moved him to a bed to avoid jealousy, and if she hadn’t been born, he might still be sleeping in that crib. I now realize we should have transitioned our daughter before she attempted to climb out, and we were lucky she wasn’t hurt in the process.
Moving forward, I’ve devised a plan for emergencies. I now have my neighbors’ contact information saved for easy access. We are also installing a landline for serious situations. Plus, my daughter is now happily sleeping on a mattress on the floor.
For additional insights on parenting and home insemination, check out other blog posts like this one on intracervical insemination. For more information on fertility, visit Make a Mom. And for excellent resources on pregnancy, see NHS’s guide on IUI.
Summary:
This article recounts a humorous yet alarming experience of a mother who realized her daughter needed to transition from her crib before attempting to escape. After a series of frantic moments where the child became stuck, the family learned the importance of timely transitions and had a new plan for emergencies.