3 dcs - baby sleeping issues!

[CoonRapids]

Just wondering how those of you with larger families dealt with the whole issue of babies and getting into good sleeping habits. I've got a 5 year old, 3 year old and an 11 wk old (not a huge family I know!)
The baby tends to nap in his sling when we're out and about on the school and nursery runs. Then at night I try to start him off in the cot but am often so exhausted that I bf lying down and we end up co-sleeping for some of the night.

Now I'm finding that he won't settle to sleep in his cot easily at all unless he's already deeply asleep. So I guess he's learning that sleep = next to mummy!

Should I worry about this or not? I know I did worry about it with dc's 1 and 2 and they are now pretty good sleepers. But it seems more difficult to spend time settling baby in cot now am just trying to survive the busy days...

CoonRapids,

I have 2 DSS's aged 9 & 8,DS of 4,DD1 2 and DD2 5 mnths...I'm a big fan of doing what you need to do to survive .

Both DD's have co-slept with me, mainly, as you describe, because I couldnt stay awake to feed them. DD1 moved into her cot at 13 months, and after a couple of nights of controlled crying, has slept from 7-7 pretty much ever since.

TBH, I dont think I could have coped with the last 5 mnths if didnt have a decent(ish) nights sleep, so I'll happily face the controlled crying nights in about 6 mnths time.

There is no perfection, despite what some experts who have no children proclaim! I just muddle along, doing the best I can with the situation I'm in.

I have 3.5yr old, 23 month and 20 wks - ds3 settles with a dummy during the day and down in cot without at night, I think its ok to try just with the evening first as the whole event is different we always do bath, into growbag and its his only bottle (so dh can do it some nights) the switch to bottle of expressed at night was best for me as we had to find a way through settling without bfeeding.
Not sure if that helps or not

ds2 was a nightmare to settle n had dummy during night, at 6 months he was waking countless times to have it put back in so we had to break him out of the habit and get rid of dummy it was painful for 3 nights then ok and now he is a great sleeper.

I think the bottom line is if its getting you through and you're ok with it then go with it, ds is still tiny, you may find you had to have painful few nights when you decide to change the routine on him, its obviously quicker to do that the younger they are but most importantly do it when you are ready

I kept them downstairs with me until I went up to bed. Fed, swaddled and put in moses basket. Carried up to bed when we went and put the moses basket in the cot. They would wake at some point during the night and I'd bring into bed with me to feed. Sometimes I'd try to put back in the cot, sometimes I didn't. They grow out of it.

I don't think you should worry.

Thanks - that really helps. We had a bit of a better night last night as he slept in the cot from 10pm till 4am (and then fed and puked all over the bed but that's another story ) He did go back in the cot again after that until 7am. So think I'll just see how it goes for now. He was in grobag last night which may have helped.

hello all mums!! i have a 13 yr old, 9 yr old, a 3 yr old and im due my 4th next month....
i found because of the gap between number 2 and 3, we as a family have struggled with number 3s sleeping habits.
she was breastfed for almost a year, and like most mums co-slept with her as at the time it was the only way to get a full nights sleep plus it was comforting.
since she has got older, moving her to her own room, whom shes shares with her sister, into her own bed has been a nightmare!!
she just wont go to bed, stay in bed, go to sleep nor stay asleep.
i have tried everything with no avail.... i cant leave her to cry as she shares a room. introducing her to the bed as a baby was the worst thing i ever did, and i will not be making the same mistake with number 4.
im hoping she will grow out of it but at the same time i am trying to lay some bedtime rules down softley softley, small steps, small changes. i guess these problems will arise in larger familys, and i guess we all need to muddle along, finding our own way.