how do you put 2 babies to sleep by yourself??

[ChocolateC]

Sorry this sounds like a dumb question! I'm looking for advice. How do you manage to put both kids (or 3, or 4!) to sleep at once, or do you wait until one is asleep and then put the other down? what do you do with the other one?

I really want a second but DH keeps saying it'll be so, so much work, and how will it go with sleep and naps? Our DD has never been an easy sleeper. It takes a lot of work to get her down for her nap and in the evening. She just WILL NOT go to sleep unless we take a LONG time sitting/lying with her. I just can't imagine what would happen with another baby crying in my arms wanting to sleep!

I'm seriously considering doing controlled crying for her nap today because yesterday it took an hour to get her napping and we cannot keep doing that. DH's main argument against another baby is the amount of work so I have to figure out some new techniques here!

 

[SarahBear]

At night, we split the load. I have this month off from work, but my husband will need to do naps on his own next month. He plans to focus on the baby first and get our older one down after that. The older one can play by herself or be distracted with a show.

 

[kayleigh1985]

With great difficulty It's not too bad when hubby's here but he works shifts so 4 times a week it's left to me to do. DD is 4 so I usually take baby out of bath and sort him first and DD will either stay in the bath for a bit longer or get out and play in her room till I'm ready to put her to bed. I couldn't imagine doing it with two little ones as obviously they wouldn't be quite as self sufficient!

 

[Cattia]

I put my oldest two down at the same time as they have shared a room since they were quite young. I then put my youngest on our bed until she falls asleep then transfer her into the Moses basket. When she moves into a cot she will self settle there. We have always had a pretty tight bedtime routine because we had two so close in age so it was pretty business like!

 

[CaptainMummy]

I am a single mum, and put all 3 to bed myself 99% of the time. I take them all upstairs at 5.45/6pm and they take turns in the shower (youngest first) whilst the other two play in the bedroom. Once they are all showered and have jammies (takes about 30/40mins in total) we go downstairs and I give the big two a bowl of cereal and make the baby her bottle (which she barely touches, ever) I put the baby and the 22mth old into bed around 7pm (or earlier, if they are tired. Today dd2 went at 6.30 because she had no nap) and am lucky that I can just put both of them in their cots (seperate rooms) and go back downstairs and spend some time with dd1, who goes to bed between 7.30/8pm.
It is hectic, and non stop, but totally doable!

As for naps, dd2 again just gets put in her cot. Dd3 naps in the buggy

 

[pinkpolkadot]

Our 3 year old likes us to lie with her for 10 min while she goes to sleep so I give the baby her milk downstairs and she falls asleep on me while DH takes DD up and then once she is asleep I put the baby down.

It's harder when one of us is out but in that case I get the baby down first then take DD up and lie with her but it sometimes goes belly up if the baby wakes again.

It is really hard work with 2 but once you get into the groove things get easier!

 

[Beanonorder]

I put the older one to bed first. Often baby is napping so it's easy. If he's not then either he sits in his bouncer chair in the room with us or I feed him while we're sitting there. Sometimes dd gets jealous and wants to sit on my lap instead of going to sleep. But most nights it's not an issue.

 

[apple_20]

Now my youngest self soothes (8 months) we do the bedtime routine together (milk story teeth) then lie them down and walk away. Only just started this as they share a room before this we used to take one child each abd if I was alone is work on getting the eldest down and then baby after. Sometimes that meant baby cried a bit or had to be carried around the house but you muddle through!

 

[LoraLoo]

We stagger bedtimes so thAt They don't mess around and disturb each other. Also means as each one goes to get we get to spend a bit more time with the older ones. So
Baby goes at 6pm
3 yr old 7pm
6 yr old 8pm
10 yr old 9pm
14 yr old 9.30/10pm

They're only a rough guide it depends what we've been during in day etc but it works for us

 

[sezzolou]

I've found it easier than expected. There's 18 months between my 2. Ds1 has always been a rubbish sleeper but improved just before ds2 was born. Ds2 has self settled from very early on and still does now at 6 months so naps and bedtime are easy for him. I do bedtime routine downstairs with music on for wind down. ds2 has his bottle downstairs then I put him in his cot with ewan the dream sheep around 7pm and he plays with his sheep until he falls to sleep. Ds1 goes to bed around 7.30 and also now finally self settles. Bath times I only do when hubby is home to help or if grandparents pop round. Ds1 naps are more difficult so we usually go out in the morning so we are heading home at nap time so he falls to sleep while in the car then I transfer him to cot or sofa. This way I can also usually get them to take a long nap at the same time ☺️

 

[ChocolateC]

sezzolou, I am really hoping that my DD also improves before the second LO comes around (if it happens)! This gives me hope.

I've also heard that younger kids are often easier to put down because they've had their whole lives with an older sibling so they settle into the routine.

Sounds like most kids are better sleepers than mine! DD expects a lot from us and has never been good at self-settling. But then, she's slept through the night for a long time, so at least our nights are peaceful.

 

[stripeycat5]

I tend to take both of them upstairs between 6-6.30pm and bath them both. DD is a bit of a whinge anyway so may have started crying by this point 😕 but I carry on regardless! I then take DS through to his room and put him in bed. I then feed the little one until she is asleep or nearly asleep and put her to bed. Sometimes she needs a lot of rocking to got to sleep so it's easier to get the boy to bed first otherwise it would be really late for him. It is more work with two but you already have a child so most of the work with routines is done. It is just adjusting to that extra little person 😊

 

[catty]

its fairly easy here. TBH I dont do bedtime evernight as I work 5-8pm but when im on holiday or my day off I do it and OH gets a break.

5.30 - 6pm dinnertime
7pm both are put in their cots with a bottle of milk. they then both fall asleep 15 mins ish later and we take away bottle. lately they chat to each other for a few mins then I go in and say head down night night and they both do it (surprisingly)
of course I have the odd night that they play up but id say 95% of the time that happens, they then wake up in the morning around 6.30 and yabber away to each other until I go and grt them out their cots at 7.
they are 12 months and just turned 2 x

 

[Rachel89]

You know, until I saw this thread I did not even think of this lol. You would've think I would've since we've been planning everything for TTC for over a year and me being 3 months pregnant.

I read your title out loud to hubby and his face turned very quickly lol! I don't think it will be all that challenging with a newborn, but will be more when they're older. I think we will put baby to bed first and then our DS. I'm sure that we will all get our routine's down, even if it won't be easy and we might have to do some of the hard work by ourselves.

My mom used to put us both to sleep at the same time.

 

[minties]

Baby first, older one second. I don't think I ever found that part hard to be honest. They never wanted to go to sleep at the same time when they were little anyway. These days they both go to their rooms at the same time, I tuck one in and then go to the other, doesn't matter which one.

 

[became]

So glad you wrote this thread! It's something I've been thinking about since finding out I'm pregnant! X

 

[ChocolateC]

So glad you wrote this thread! It's something I've been thinking about since finding out I'm pregnant! X

and Rachel89:

I wish I could convince my DH to have another WITHOUT thinking about it, haha, but this is one of his major points against two so I need arguments!

What I am hearing is that it can be challenging at a certain age, not newborn (they're not old enough to really assert themselves) but the older-baby/young-toddler stage. And then it gets better.

Tbh I think we've spoiled DD with all our bedtime attention. She could use a lesson in sharing attention and in going to bed on her own. I love the idea of a toddler babbling to the younger baby! Hope I get to see this myself!!

 

[Gym knickers]

When dh is away I take them both up at 6.30pm and they bath together. Then I take the baby out and dress her whilst chatting to dd as she plays in the bath. Then baby plays on dd's floor whilst I do her pjs and teeth.
Dd watches something on the iPad in bed whilst I breastfeed the baby in her room and put her down then I go in to dd and read her a story then turn the big light off and she looks at books until she falls asleep. If dh is here we bath them together then I take LO and he takes dd and we put them down separately.

 

[apple_20]

We were so worried about putting them into the same room but our toddler chatting away actually helped our baby to settle. And our toddler can fall asleep even if she's crying.

It's not all great though as I'm still up every 2 hours with the baby! I wouldn't mention this to your reluctant partners !

 

[ChocolateC]

It's not all great though as I'm still up every 2 hours with the baby! I wouldn't mention this to your reluctant partners !

Haha, I won't! That's frustrating. Our house (which we got while I was pregnant so we chose carefully) has a guest room and I'd really like DH and me to be in separate rooms while the new baby is waking up all the time so he can work the next day feeling rested. Just for a little while. I tell him we can still visit each other in the dead of night...