Hi all, first time post after a lot of lurking because I'm really really struggling! I also posted to sleep where I have had advice but from my lurking, I know that aibu tends to give a robust response and maybe that's what I need...
My Ebf Ds is 6.5m old. He's never been a good night sleeper in that I can count on one hand the amount of nights he's slept for more than two hours at a time. He hated his Moses basket when he was born so we moved to co sleeping and using a sleepyhead till he was 6 months. We then moved him to his own room as he can roll and I was worried he'd roll off the bed and also that we were disturbing each other a lot as night.
He's an ok napper though it's taken a long time to move him to napping it in me when we are at home and he often gets upset about his cot for naps too, though for a shorter period.
Now he's in his own room, he's started to be able to go down drowsy but awake at bedtime which is good but once he wakes for a feed he becomes incredibly upset at being put back in his cot. He writhes and screams everytime he's put down, either awake or asleep. He's not a crying baby so it's very out of character (I check he doesn't need winding and it doesn't seem like it's a pain response as he'd go to sleep very happily on me).
Last night after his feed I managed to get him to sleep after an hour of calming but after the second feed he wouldn't calm at all, tried both staying with him shushing and holding him in his cot and also gave him a few min in his own just to see if he'd calm that way. A few times he setteled and calmed but then just as he seemed like he was drifting off he'd jerk and start crying and screaming. Settled as soon as he was held by me and so he ended up sleeping on me...again.
I could really use some advice. I'm exhausted after 6 months of very little sleep and am becoming frustrated and upset at nap and nighttimes with him which I don't want. He's an incredibly active baby which means he's needs a lot of my energy during the day which is hard to do when I'm exhausted and grumpy.
He's got a cloth that smells of me and we've been playing peekaboo to help him get used to me disappearing during the day but is there anything else to do?is it worth continuing with using the cot or should I just give up? I hate seeing him so distressed at being put in there but I'm losing hope of this improving, it feels like I'm going to be doing this forever. I'm scared I'm going to damage him by his getting upset each time and I'm annoyed with myself for not knowing how to help him.
Thanks and apologise for cheekiness of posting to aibu about sleep.