To expect my 9 month old to sleep!?!

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Just that really, my pfb 9 month old has always been a crap sleeper but finally started sleeping through at 5 months.

It was bliss, the bags faded and I finally started to function normally again. Fast forward 3 months and separation anxiety seems to have kicked and now pfb won't setttle in cot, naps twice a day for 30mins and spends most of the night in our bed- flailing limbs around and me Lying there panicking the duvet or pillow might go over his head

I'm just so so so tired all the time which makes me a snappy and miserable cow. Due back to work in 6 weeks and f knows how I will cope.

Is this normal, do I just ride it out? All my other friends' babies sleep which makes me feel an even crapper mum ??

Oh and I'm pregnant with number 2 (due in July!) so hoping she sleeps through before then . I figured I might as well get all the sleepless nights out of the way. I think it would be harder to go back to sleeping normally then have to start again.

Congrats GotToBe!!

Have to say part of me is tempted to have another one sooner rather than later so that I can maybe have a full nights sleep in 3 years instead of 5

Thanks everyone for sharing experiences and giving advice. Am Downing coffee and taking it all onboard

Nature hasn't sorted this one out has she.

I wonder if for centuries it was men doing the night shifts with these little terrors there would be some sort of safe sleep pill already invented for babies.

Sleep training didn't work for DS1.
So we maximised sleep for the grown ups as much as possible - I went to bed as soon as DS1 was asleep, and DH went in for any wakes before about midnight, then he came to bed, and I delt with wakings from then onwards. I also did lots of weekend napping.
The best thing was making up a "bed" from all the random duvets and blankets in the house, and dozing on his floor, hand through the bars of the cot til he dropped back off. That was better than having a baby starfished in our bed.

DS2 slept! In fact newborn DS2 slept better than his 2 yr old brother. We initially said that no more babies til DS1 slept through. But in reality, being back on Maternity with limited sleep was better than trying to function at work!

Good luck, and

He will eventually sleep, honestly. You'll start seeing him grow up, get all nostalgic, forget entirely how shit having a newborn is and..boom...number 2 is on their way. It'll happen, mark my words.

For now just do what works. Don't feel you have to sleep train if you don't want to - my DD was a horrific sleeper but for me sleep training was just too stressful and I couldn't face it. She eventually slept fine by about 18 months (yawwwwwn) and it was bloody hard but I'm glad I just went with what worked for me.

You and your DH have to support each other. Give each other a chance to catch up on sleep, share getting up, give each other lie-ins, whatever works to keep you ticking over.