bedtime routine for12wk old with two other dcs?

[steph1512]

Hi i have 2 dds age 2 and 4on sat. I also have a 12wk old ds who cannot settle to sleep alone, i know this is quite normal and he is still youngbut i am starting tofeel i need some kind of evening routine.

At the moment it can consist of crying feeding rocking cuddking etc until he eventually falls asleep at 10ish! I am often convinced he is tried/over tired long before this but i cannot seem to settle him!

Im struggling now as my partners work often means he is out in the evening so i have all 3children to get feed and into bed. I am feeling guilty as my dds story often feel rushed now as my ds is crying in the background!

I am wondering if it is worth trying a few nights of putting him down but staying close or keep seeing to him every couple of minutes to see if he settles???

ps in the day if i hold him upright when heis tired and gently sway he usually falls asleep quite quickly n stirs a bit when i put him down but stay asleep for long periods but unfortuantely doesnt seem to work in the evenings!

i would try puting him down to settle and see if he does with you just popping in and out every 5 mins, i did this with my DD she too couldnt sleep unless i rocked her cuddled her etc etc, eventually for my sanity i tryed just leaving her to settle by herself.
shes now learnt to sleep without any of the above things and its a god send, he probably knows if he crys out you will pick him up and cuddle him, i think after a few nights of trying he will just learn that it isnt getting him anywhere.
i think it is a good idea, otherwise your going to end up with a baby that wont settle unless you hold hima nd help him.
it broke my heart to do it but i was strong!i just put her down, had the tv on silent in the backround just for some sort of company, then when she was crying i would poop in stroke her face and basically just let her know i was still there.
also what i found helped was having a comfort blanket which for a few nights i slept with, this then had my scent so when i left her with it, she still had the sense that iwas there through the smell if you get me?
have you tryed a dummy to try soothe himself to sleep? i refused to use one but my about 12 weeks i gave in and i love that dummy lol.
you must be exhausted!! i am with one!! x

I did this when my dd was about 8 weeks as she had got into a habit of feeding to sleep but not staying asleep, and going to sleep really late, sometimes gone midnight,just like you mention. I realised her evening crankiness was actually tiredness and that i needed to do something to help her (as well as me).

She will now settle herself as long as i stay in the room and give the odd pat/shush, but i am planning to progress to leaving the room for short periods soon. She doesn't really cry anymore, just moans and fusses.
She goes down about 8:45 at the mo, but i also want to gradually make this a bit earlier.

Since i started doing it (following a proper bedtime routine of bath, massage, feed etc) she has been sleeping a good 6+ hours regularly. She's even managed a couple of 8 hr stretches, but my boobs were killing me and i was almost willing her to wake up so she could relieve them!

I have tried a dummy and its hit and miss but more often annoys him..just like my dd2 who sucks her fingers now..she was about 12wk when i gave up on dummy/cuddling etc and did a similar things to what you have both mentioned and i have to admit she has always been fab a going to sleep.

Since then and having ds i have read and being told tihs was far to young to leave her to learn to settle herself so now im torn on what to do.

But like you said glasgowmandy i am exhausted some night and can find the endless hours of trying to settle my ds draining and even if it meant a couple of tought weeks im staarting to feel it would all be worth it if he could settle without all the feeding/cuddling etc. i have also noticed the time it takes is increasing oftenending in feeding him to sleep and then he doesnt always stay asleep either.

Orib is third time round i am unable to offer him a regular decent bedtime routine as i am trying to stick to my dds current one of bath story and bed for 630-7pm and unable to do this with them and my ds therefore i usually try to get the girls tucked up and then start with ds..i suppose by which time he may already be overtired!

i completely het the sore boobs thing until this last week my ds had started sleeping through from when he eventually went off to sleep in the evening..but i was awake around 3willing him to wakr for a quick feed!