Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Bedtime routine at 14 weeks?

6 replies

cupcake78 · 05/10/2013 21:05

Dd is beginning to drive me crazy on an evening. We have been doing a routine for her for weeks. Bath, massage, bottle, cuddles. Must be nearly 8 weeks if not more but still she refuses to go to sleep. I put her in her cot and she wakes up instantly!

When she was in her Moses basket she would fall asleep on her own in a dark room. She's now in her cot and will not go down on her own without hours (from 7pm till 11pm) of hugs, bottles, cuddles etc. She sleeps well once she finally goes to sleep but this is because she's so exhausted because she doesn't nap for any longer than 20 mins once a day. She's not the only one who's utterly shattered.

I could handle this for a while but dh and I are getting no time together at all! We're either dealing with dd, ds (6 and a terrible sleeper). We're never in the same room on an evening as while one of us has dd the other is dealing with family phone calls, bills, washing or dh is out running/ on his bike/ in the bath etc.

In mornings ds wakes at 6am and is very demanding so we get no quality time. Its a constant tag team and Im running out of patience. Weekends are taken up with parties, homework and family demands. FIL having cancer treatment, DM recently widowed, DF ill and needs support and help in his house. Friends and other family all seem to have been hit by some crisis recently such as redundancy, illness, house problems. There is no time left for just us.

It's seriously getting to me now. Our relationship is suffering. I have PND and need some time with DH as I can feel I'm beginning detach from the relationship.

How do we get dd to go to sleep before 11pm on an evening.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Jellyboobs · 05/10/2013 21:14

My dd was older but I used to roll up 2 towels and wrap them in a t-shirt or cardi I'd been wearing, then put them on each side of her when she was in bed. Before this she had woken up around once every half hour.
She was used to sleeping in a nice cosy, enclosed space, and suddenly she was in this huge cot, so I think the warmth and mummy smells helped. When she rolled over there was a solid shape smelling of mummy, and she fell back to sleep.

As my dd was considerably older, someone might say this is not safe for your little one, but maybe elements of it might help.

Jellyboobs · 05/10/2013 21:16

ps : she was around 9 months at the time. x

cupcake78 · 05/10/2013 21:17

Towels, checkSmile. I will try anything! I've thought of putting a muslin square in with her that I've had with me.

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

MsJupiterJones · 05/10/2013 21:51

Does she still fit in the Moses basket? She is a bit young to be in a big cot and maybe it feels really huge to her. Could you put the Moses basket into the cot for a while to help her transition?

Have you tried white noise etc? The other thing to consider is if she has reflux or any other discomfort. It could be worth tilting the cot slightly to see if that improves things.

cupcake78 · 05/10/2013 22:06

She's too long for her basket. She's been in her cot for weeks and once settled does well. She seems comfortable just fights sleep and bedtime is an absolute no no for her.

I'm trying a very small toy next the cheek she would usually snuggle next to dh or I. I've put the muslin we've been using at the other side of the cot in the hope it smells of me.

OP posts:
Jellyboobs · 05/10/2013 22:30

Could you also just say no to the people who are asking for help? It sounds like you are very accommodating and generous with your time, so hopefully they will understand if you say it like it is 'we need some time for us and dd/dd, she's not sleeping well, I'm knackered.' She's only tiny and I think I'd only just started going out regularly to groups and stuff when mine was 14 weeks.
Can you lay with her on the bed for daytime naps? I know our dd slept in with us for months, which not everyone agrees with, but it meant we all slept, asdas long as you follow all the guidelines you will be safe. If that's not for you, just laying with her so she naps on your bed, and making sure she can't roll off, worked well for us. x

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread