Another sleep issue - please help!!

[little_lady]

I'm getting myself a bit panicky about this now, seeing as baby is due in under 4 weeks.

Isabelle self-settled and slept through for a month in January after we did CC which worked really well with minimal crying. We then went to my mum's for two weeks while we did some decorating at our house and since we've come back bedtime has become a pain in the butt again, taking hours of laying next to her in the dark before she drops off. I can handle the night wakings but it's the hassle in the evenings that is getting to me, I keep panicking about how I'm going to manage with a new baby as well. My husband does help but he has a lot of work to do in the evenings and I don't feel like I can put too much on him long term.

I've tried CC again but she works herself up into such a state that she almost makes herself sick, she has tantrums that I'm sure all the neighbours can hear, and it's too traumatic for all concerned.

Would you carry on with a strict bedtime routine, or do you think she needs security and if so should I try and co-sleep again? She loves co-sleeping, but I don't as I have SPD and find it agony in the night even without a toddler kicking me in the head.

Just don't know what to try really I know it's not the end of the world and I guess I should just get on with it, but I really don't know how I'm going to get two babies to sleep of an evening if both take ages.

Advice please!!!

 

[Sherley]

Aw, you poor thing. We go through times when bedtime becomes a battle too. I try and stick to normal routine, ie say night night and walk out, then go back in if he doesn't settle, but it sounds like that's what you've tried. Could she be feeling unsettled about the new baby imminently arriving? Could you try a graded approach, sitting near her but not next to her, then the next night a bit further, then doorway, hallway, etc? Sounds like she is needing lots of reassurance. Personally I wouldn't go back to cosleeping when you have a new baby on the way, I'd stick with her being in her own cot. But that's just what I'd do. All things must pass.....they have these funny phases and it will get better! Good luck x

 

[little_lady]

Thanks! Yeah we have tried leaving her in her room but it doesn't work, which is strange because it used to. I wonder how much she can understand about the new baby.

Actually seeing it as just a phase is really helpful, I was getting myself worked up imagining a long.term thing but I suppose she will settle down again eventually...

 

[Mrs G]

Hi
I spent many an evening sitting by dd's bed waiting for her to drop off so I feel your pain! I used to say to dd I was 'just going to get some washing/get changed/ do some ironing etc etc and stay upstairs noisily doing my job where she could hear me for a while. Then I said I was doing downstairs jobs but again made sure she could hear i was still around. I found it less brutal than cc (dd also used to make herself sick!) but meant I wasn't tied to her room.
Good luck xx

 

[little_lady]

Thank you - may try this one!

 

[Mrs G]

It def worked for us, I even got to the point where I could say, "Mummy's just going to have a bath and wash her hair, you can hear me, so everythings ok"!
Good luck, there is nothing worse than no sleep!
x