This is my first time posting but I’m at a loss with what to do, I would be really grateful of any tips and advice anyone has. Sorry if this is really long...
My child is 6 months old, born by c section & ive recently found out I’m pregnant again. DH and I were planning to put ds into his own bedroom at around the 6 month mark anyway, but now I’ve found out I’m pregnant we have decided to try and do this ASAP. I’ve stupidly got into the pattern of cuddling him to sleep, he slept in his next2me cot up until about a week ago, but I always would pick him up and comfort him throughout the night. I struggled with bad back pain in my last pregnancy and getting comfortable in bed etc, so there’s no way I can keep bringing him into the bed with me anymore (also aware it’s a bad habit to get into anyway) as he gets bigger, and as I get bigger.
So, he’s now in his own room in his cot - I’ve kept his bedtime routine the same, the room is as dark as possible with blackout curtains, he has a white noise machine. At the moment as soon as I leave the room or stop touching his face (he loves holding/touching you) he cries his eyes out. I have tried singing gently to him, and holding his hand until he falls asleep. I have tried laying him down and leaving the room, waiting outside but coming back in when he cries to either put his dummy back in or just lay him on his back again. (He’s started rolling on to his front where he’s reaching his arms out for me). I know it’s really important to be consistent but I don’t know what to be consistent in doing if that makes sense? Today was the worst he’s been and I had a mini break down this morning which I feel so guilty for allowing him to see me cry. I’ve stopped taking anti depressants at the advice of GP as apparently they can be harmful in the first trimester, but I’m just so emotional and then this on top I can’t bare it. I don’t run into his room as soon as he makes the slightest noise, but I don’t leave him to cry either. Should I just carry on with what I’m doing until it works? Or is there something else I should be doing? Or am I being silly trying to do everything at once when I’m already feeling tearful and emotional right now. Maybe I’m expecting too much of DS as it’s only been a week? He seems to be getting clingier as the week has gone on. DH is very supportive but he does work lots of hours so a lot of the naps/bedtimes are down to me. Last night DH took him to bed, put him down, left the room and he was asleep within minutes no crying or anything?! Which makes me think I’m doing something wrong? I honestly couldn’t believe it lol! Especially after I’d said how tough it’s been. DH says I should just pick him up, to be honest I did end up doing that today because he was really crying and inconsolable... but I don’t want to undo all the hard work of settling him in his cot by keep picking him up. Also It’s not a case of DC not being tired/ overtired I don’t think because I would say I’m pretty good at recognising his sleepy signs and also paying attention to timings etc.
Anyway, thanks for reading all this if you got this far! I just really want to get him into a proper daytime nap routine and sort his sleeping out - please help! X