My MIL has just taken my howling, overtired baby for a walk. A bad day here

[roseability]

My DD is 15 weeks and just won't sleep properly during the day

I find it hard to solicit sympathy as she is sleeping through the night at the moment. However I am finding it tough during the day as I have a DS aged three also.

I really appreciate that she may not need much sleep during the day, as she sleeps well during the night. However at 15 weeks she needs some sleep. At the moment I am trying to rock/feed her to sleep and putting her in her cot. She wakes up after a short spell, still tired but unable to get back over. Then we have melt down!

I am not prepared to let her cry it out as some people have suggested. She did go through a spell of crying for a few minutes and then cutting out (which I felt very guilty about) but now she won't do that and I can't blame her. This came about because I couldn't go straight to her one day as my DS needed me and by the time I got to her she had gone to sleep!

I am sick of tired melt downs and standing over a cot rocking a screaming baby. I swore I would be more relaxed and enjoy it this time. How can I go with the flow more? I am not bothered about routines but just want her to have some sleep when she needs it so that she isn't grumpy in between times.

It is hard to time when she is tired with a walk in the pram/sling or a drive because of my DS and his needs (playgroup etc)

It was so much easier when she was a newborn as she just slept in a sling the whole time!

[ramblingmum]

Hi Just to say I know how hard it can be dds are 3 y and 5 months. Dd2 is quite a settled baby but I still feel bad when I have to wake her up because we need to go somewhere with dd1, even feeds can end up being delayed . Due to this dd2 has never settled into a routine like dd1 did. Dd1 has jut dropped her nap leaving less time for dd2

I still carry dd2 and try not to rush about too much, no more then one formal activity with a start time each day.Dd1 doesn't need to go to every toddler group.

If dd2 seems tired and I know we will be going out I try to settle her in sling/ pushchair/ carseat so I don't need to disturb her too much.

So sorry no great answers but lots of sympathy

[colditz]

Take her out in the pram at the same time every day. About 3 hours after she wakes up is a good time - feed her, then put her in the pram for a walk. DO this every day and she will learn that the pram means sleep, and hopefully it will get to the point, as it did with ds2, that she will sleep as soon as she's in the pram whether it's moving or not.

[carocaro]

Can you MIL do this as a regular thing?

My 2nd was like this too, it is so hard, but you have done it once and you can do it again.

Like you I too had to let him just bawl sometime when my eldest needed something. He's 2.5 and no worse for wear!

Just because you left het to cry, I would not call that 'crying it out' she just went to sleep on her own.

You can't split yourself in two, you will be exhausted, something had to give now and again, wether it be time with you youngest/eldest/you.

I also found that my youngest just got used to being dragged around, DS1 was at school when DS2 was born so I had no option but to take him out and about. I used to come back from taking DS1 to school and he would then be asleep, I put his pram in the front room and I collapsed on the sofa and we all snoozed together!

You are doing a great job, don't be so hard on yourself, IT WILL GET BETTER. xx

[pispirispis]

Hi,

I know exactly how you feel as my dd was just the same - slept wonderfully at night but just didn't know how to nap during the day. Cue much pacing the corridors with a screaming overtired baby. It was pretty hellish, and she was my pfb, I can't imagine what it must be like with a toddler to entertain as well! You'd think being rocked and cuddled and soothed by your mum would make a baby sleep, but nope!

The only way I finally got my dd to settle (outside a sling that is) was by swaddling her, using a dummy and making sure there was nothing interesting to look at or listen to whatsoever. In fact we ended up blindfolding her with a muslin and that worked a treat! Sounds terrible doesn't it, a swaddled, blindfolded baby with a dummy in her mouth!! It was the only thing that worked though. In a few weeks she was much calmer and used to napping in the carrycot, so I was able to stop the swaddling and blindfolding.

Good luck and remember she'll be bigger and calmer soon!

[roseability]

pispirispis - whatever it takes! I really feel my DD is just so sociable and alert, she doesn't want to miss anything. Blocking out any stimulation might work for her as well.

Riven - I have a wonderful MIL and having read some of the MIL threads on here I know I am very lucky!