BF 10 month old, bad sleep habits. Help!!

[Huffs123]

Hi, would love some advice please I'm at the end of my tether.

To set the scene - I have a 10 mo and a 2.3 year old. 2.3 year old sleeps like a dream and has now dropped his nap. He is with me all day, we have little family help.

10 mo is breast fed, and has silent reflux (now controlled) and so most of our sleep associations have arisen from trying to settle him from screaming in pain. He's never been able to self settle and sleeps with me in bed (I want to stop this).

He's never been a great napper and currently I'm lucky if I get 2x 30 mins out of him. Yesterday he napped for 30 mins at 2.30pm!!

So, he will only nap in the car, in his rocking chair (which is getting far too small) or in the push chair. Like I said above, I have a two year old who needs constant supervision so I can't leave him for more than 5 minutes. I have been able to leave him playing in his room for half an hour while I try to get the baby to sleep on the boob in bed but that doesn't always work out (can't get him to sleep).

I do sometimes take them both in the car so the baby can nap but it's taking increasingly longer periods for him to get to sleep and I feel sorry for my toddler being stuck in the car for an hour.

I feel like I want to give up breastfeeding too because he is constantly pawing at me all day long. I am exhausted.

I don't know what to do!

[Sparrowlegs248]

I feel for you. Ds is 9months and until recently not good at napping. I have had to put real effort into naps, which would have been impossible with a toddler. But it has paid off! Thank God. He used to sleep in the car reliably but now I have to drive for more than 30 minutes so no longer practice. We Co sleep and he wants to be on the boob all night. I can barely move some nights without him waking and latching on. But only feeds at naptime during the day as is eating really well.

Sorry no advice but lots of sympathy.

[SnuffleGruntSnorter]

Joining the club! I can't help you but I know how hard it can be

[Huffs123]

Aw thanks for the moral support! I thought no one was going to reply! It's a crap situation. Yesterday DH was home so I was attentive to his cues and he managed 2-3-4 like a dream, then today he only managed a nap in the car at 1pm despite my In-laws having DS1 and me taking him on a long walk, and being in the car for a nap in the morning. It really stresses me out and I get snappy with DS1 as I can't give him the attention he needs. Boo.

It's good you are on track with the naps now Nottalotta I hear you about night time feeding. I need to try to get him into the cot but just can't face it.

Are you in the same boat snuffle?

[Sparrowlegs248]

Have you tried him.on his front at all? We really turned a corner when ds started putting himself on his front. Now I put him down on his front it's much more likely that he'll stay asleep, or go straight back to sleep if he wakes. Unlike last night when I tried to get him back in his cot after his 11pm wake/feed. I ended up giving up and I was awake for two bloody hours.

[Huffs123]

He does usually sleep on his front at night, and he's in bed with me so when he wakes it's just a quick feed and off he rolls back to sleep. Usually! He does like the odd party in the middle of the night as well sometimes. His sleep has definitely improved since he started sleeping on his front.

I'm wondering if maybe he's getting ready to drop his morning nap. It would certainly be easier for me if he moved to one big nap a day!

Hoping you have a better night tonight notta!

[Sparrowlegs248]

Re the cot - where do you put him at bedtime? I feed ds to sleep, wait about ten minutes then put him in his cot. On his front. That's usually 7-7.30. He wakes anytime between 9.30 and 12. I will either bring him to bed with me from then on, or (on the earlier wake ups) feed and put him back again. Did that last night and he slept til 2.30!! After waking at 9.40.