Hey all, I need some advice & I really can't be bothered to start a new thread that people may or may not respond to!!!! Seeing as 99% on here are second / third time Mummies...help!!
DD is coming up for 20 months & the last three nights she's screamed the place down when we attempt to put her to bed. She is teething but all of sudden she keeps saying bed & pointing to our room. When I mean scream, I mean scream to the point of making herself sick - which she's never ever done before.
Bit of background: She's slept in her room from day one & has always been as good as gold (where does that expression come from?!) when going to bed. We have not encouraged her to come into our bed as the only 3 times we've tried it was a disaster & ended with me taking her straight back into her cotbed. Sunday night DH was alone (I was away on business) & he ended up bringing her into our bed three times but only at 5 in the morning did she actually fall asleep. Monday night she made herself sick when putting her to bed at 7pm, finally went off at 8.30 & then woke at 11pm screaming. After what DH had told me I thought I'd just bring her into our bed (even though it goes against everything we think but as I was shattered & just could face sitting in her chair) but although she did sleep she fidgeted so much that I didn't sleep & started to get cross. So I plonked her back into her cotbed at 12.30. Last night, again took 45 mins to stop crying & go to sleep (but only after falling asleep in DH arms- again we don't do that either!) then woke again at 10.15 & sreamed. So, I go into her room, obviously check she's not got a temp or anything & pick her up. At which point she goes quiet & snuggles up. The minute I try to put her back all hell breaks lose. So, I persist. I put her back, telling her it's bedtime etc & wait in our room. I go back in again after 5 mins & lay her down again, soothe her but firmly tell her it's bedtime - all the while it's "bed, out there Mummy"....Worrying that maybe she's having bad dreams etc I leave the hall light on (we've never had a problem before) but she continues to cry. So go back again, don't pick her up, tell her it's bedtime & go away again. By this stage it's 11 ish so I sit & wait & notice that she's calming down but still crying although not screaming as she was. Anyhow, after another 5 mins I go back in again & lay her down & start singing her a lullaby - which has worked before (DH thinks so as he went to sleep at this point!) & she starts to yawn, close her eyes etc & eventually around 11.30 she's asleep.
My questions are...what is going on?! Is it that she's 20 months nearly & just aware that there is life still after bedtime? That she wants to be in our bed instead of hers? That's she's scared of something? That it is all down to her teeth? Scared of the dark? Just a phase? Does she (as DH thinks but I don't..yet) want the bars of her cot removed & to sleep in a bed? Argghhhhhhhhh The point is that once we've picked her up or she's come into our bed the screaming, obviously I suppose, has stopped.
Thing is that sadly I'm away for the next two nights with work & I'm worried that she'll do the same & that DH will just bring her into our bed or sleep in her room - both of which I don't want to happen as I felt as though we did get somewhere last night, although it was bloody tough hearing her cry like that. It's just very unnerving to experience this as she's never been like this ever & bedtimes really were a pleasure. I just don't know if there's something we're doing wrong or what....please can you help....sorry it's such a long rant but I don't know who else to turn too!!!
C x