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Moving on from co-sleeping

1 reply

BoBoo · 01/02/2011 19:25

We co-slept with DD2 from day 1 and it was amazing. We didn't have any of the sleepless nights we had with DD1 or pacing and frustrations trying to settle her at whatever o'clock, she just settled into our routine and our bed. I guess part of what made it so easy was that whenever she would wake or stir in the night she could just nurse and would go back to sleep that way with minimum effort from me.

Fast forward 17 months, and we've recently moved house, husband feels it's time to reclaim the bed and DDs are in a room together (DD1 is 3, DD2 17 months). DD1 has had her own issues, but they were relatively easy to work on when there was just the one and she's pretty easy to get off and on the whole sleeps well.

So DD2 has taken reasonably well to joining her sister and will go down reasonably easily with a story and some cuddles, which in itself amazes me as I very lazily fed her to sleep for a LONG time and couldn't see how we'd move on from that. BUT, she doesn't do anything like sleeping through and when she wakes up she seems to want a body besides her. I can't let her cry for long because a) I don't like it and b) she wakes her sister up and then I have two of them to deal with. I can get her back to sleep but the pattern repeats itself and I either end up taking her back into our bed, or getting into her bed, which I really don't fit in. I think if it was just her I would be able to fix it, but finding it really hard to keep everyone asleep.

Sorry for long drawn out post, but any suggestions? I would normally work on the daytime nap with an aim to settling the night time, but am back at work 4 days a week and so she's in nursery. Where obviously she's goes off on her own without a whimper.

OP posts:
ElsieR · 02/02/2011 08:24

Maybe she could have a special Teddy, she could hug when she wakes up?
And maybe when she wakes up, you could comfort her but leave her in her bed and not join her in her bed either (you might have to ship DD1 out to grandparents for 2 or 3 nights) and ultimately let her cry a bit.I know it's upsetting to let your child cry, but you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.

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