Ds will be 18 months when dc2 arrives. His sleep has never been great, but (teething, immunisations etc not included.......) we are getting much better nights. Falls asleep in his cot with me somewhere close by. Wakes once or twice and bf. Co sleep after about 2am or the one or second wake up. Up early. Possulibly doesn't sound great but a big improvement. Plans are to move into own room in the next month and start returning to cot after wake up, stop bf.
Naps. Will really only nap in the pram. I walk him twice a day to nap. Wondering how I will manage this in winter heavily pregnant, post C section with a newborn!
So advice re his naps appreciated, and advice with How to start out with dc2 to attempt a better sleeper. If that's at all possible.......
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Ds doesn't sleep/nap well, dc2 on the way. Advice welcome!
Sparrowlegs248 · 09/10/2016 13:02
Dummy did not work at all with my DS2, nor did swaddling. Nor did a rock-solid routine from day one, nor constant feeding and perfectly-timed naps, or putting down 'sleepy but awake' or not feeding to sleep. He was just as bad a sleeper as DS1, if not slightly worse, even though I knew every 'good sleep habit' trick in the book.
The only thing that really works is to shift your expectations. Some babies just aren't ready to sleep independently until well past a year old, sometimes two, and that's normal. It's really bloody hard, but it's normal. Do whatever gets your DCs the sleep they need so that their awake time is not spent being cranky and fractious because you've spent periods when they should be resting battling to get them into a sleep habit they're not developmentally ready for.
The way I got DS1 sleeping in his own room before DS2 arrived was by spending a lot of time in there with him so that his bedroom became his favourite room in the house, where he felt safe and happy enough to sleep. I slept on his floor with him in there for several weeks (all night) then transitioned that to sitting with him while he fell asleep/sitting with him during night waking until he went back to sleep, and putting more space between us over several weeks. A very, very gradual withdrawal basically. All CIO/CC achieved for us was complete cot and room aversion so I would never advocate it for that reason - yes, it might work, but equally it could have the exact opposite effect. Also, gradual withdrawal isn't cry-free, but at least you know your child is directing their frustrations at you directly, not screaming because they don't know when you're coming back, or at having been left alone.
Naps - DS1 only ever napped on me or in the car until he dropped naps altogether at 2.5yo. No stress. Hang out on the sofa or in bed with both at nap time and sleep yourself, or go for a drive, then park up somewhere with a book or MN. Easy. 
DS2 does nap in his cot (now - he certainly didn't always!) and the novelty of having a child that does this has yet to wear off! 
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