Please help... can't seem to get DC2 in bed!

[AmeliaJaneAgain]

I'd love to hear your hints and tips/routines for managing bedtime when DC2 comes along.

We've never had trouble getting DS1 (2.4) in bed, he has dinner around 6.15 ish, a bath, a couple of stories and into bed - 7.30-8 ish... it worked well for us, we had evenings to ourselves and DS was well rested.

However, DD has come along, (six weeks) and I'm struggling to get her in bed. I can't put DD down first because I'm doing dinner etc, but DS1 is a really light sleeper so we can't put them down at the same time, or DD just after because DS wakes up and won't then settle easily as he seems to be distressed by DD crying.

We've resorted to keeping DD up with us downstairs but I'm worried it will be hard to break this habit later on and we won't get our evenings back.

I'd really appreciate any insights you have, I feel ridiculous for finding this so hard, and am sure parents of more than 2 kids must be laughing into their laptop! So alternatively do feel free to tell me I'm blowing this out of all proportion (which I'll attribute to sleep deprivation) and that in a few weeks everything will fall into place.

TIA

gawd no keep the baby downstairs with you in the evenings

Plenty of time for you to set a bedtime routine when she is older

I think you're being ambitious trying to get your DD into a routine at 6 weeks. It will sort itself out - I think it's more important that your DS gets to stick to his tried and tested routine at this stage.

And don't go feeling ridiculous either - that second child is a hell of a shock to the system .

Thanks both, I feared that might be the answer. Oh well, at least she's nearby when she starts wailing...

Can you put baby in your room till she is a bit older and use a monitor.Otherwise keeping her downstairs may well help her sleep through domestic noises later.

I don't have the answer I'm afraid, but I'm in the same position, not knowing how to get dc2 to bed. thankfully DS is a good sleeper, but I feel it's unfair to put DD down to sleep, where she screams loudly, while DS is trying to get to sleep. But currently I dont see an alternative and just hope she stops the screaming.

Friends have suggested that they are bathed together, and then you feed the baby while your other half does stories for the older one - all well and good but you can't do this till the baby can sit up in the bath!

Good luck. Hope we both find answers.

sorrry to sound mean here but your family is now double the size!! you can't expect your life to remain the same !!

Flexibility is what it's all about.