Amby transition - moral support wanted please

[elfgypsy]

hi, my DD is 5 1/2 months and I have begun the transition from the Amby, largely because I went away and couldn't use the Amby where I was so it sort of began itself. She was co-sleeping for the week I was away and now I am back she has a cot attached to my bed that is open so I can reach in and feed easily, trouble is she is waking every couple of hours and sometimes wakes at 3 or 4am and is awake for 2 or so hrs grumpy and unable to settle so I spend that time trying everything from leaving her to settle herself for 15 mins then holding her until her wriggling and scratching gets too much then last resort feeding but this morning that didn't work, feels scary as I am a single mum and have to manage my life during the day with very little help at the mo, trying to arrange for a childminder a few hours a week after having had a horrible month last month, just to try to keep up my energy so I don't feel desperate and can give her more of myself. Anyone else transitioned from Amby lately? She was sleeping 7pm -1am then 1am - 5am then often 6am - 7.30, even ten I was tired...

Hi Did this earlier this year when ds was 8mo you have my sympathies!! I was sooo nervous before we did it I thought it would be horrible but in the end it went fine. But ds was waking every 40 mins for the first three hours every night in the amby until we went to bd then he came in with us. Aced we moved him to a cot he started to sleep for 2-3 hours at night and then came in with us again. I don't have much advice if she's waking more sorry! I hope it gets easier. maybe you could try rocking her Perhaps when she wakes as the amby gets them used to that and in fact I still rock/feed 14mo ds to sleep.

I use Amby for day naps and as travel cot, so know how effective it is! Luckily she sleeps fine in cot at night, however she didn't used to and I had to use an Ergo cocoon or Woombie swaddle. We still use them for day naps in the Amby & also if I know she is going to have a restless night. She is a big, bright 17lb, 18 week old baby, who just needs a little help staying asleep!
These pods are great as they allow movement but keep her feeling secure, it might do the trick to replace that wrapped up feeling the hammock gives.
Worth a try, good luck & I hope it gets easier.
Another tip, if you have a yoga/pilates ball, pop your LO into the swaddle pod and lift them onto your chest and bounce very gently on the ball with them for 10 mins, my LO can never resist sleep when I do that! Even works at that akward 5am ish slot when they reckon it might be time to get up for the day!

Thanks for responses, and suggestions, I will look into getting a woombie though she seems to like sleeping with her arms up so not sure she will like it but may try it, I do put a pillow beside her and there is a slight drop where her mattress is a bit lower than my bed on her other (non pillow) side so she is sort of cradled between the two, she does seem to wake confused and scared in the space so i think she is getting used to the difference and finding it hard when half asleep. i think she will get to 2-3 hrs at a time soon, she seems to work on that sort of time cycle and i think my body and brain are getting used to it amazingly tho I do miss the 5 hour stretches she was getting in the Amby, part of me want to try going back but don't want to confuse her and make it even harder for us both, had a long nap this afternoon which helped a lot, the 4am start really did me in this morning, amazing how quickly the anxiety kicks in after a few bad nights and then all seems impossible...
thanks for support :)

Yogamummytobe I wanted to ask you whether the cot or the amby came first, i would love to have the flexibility to move between the 2 but fear that that would make it harder for her and confuse her, I have gone back to the amby for now as I was too exhausted to keep going on 2 hrly sleep slots and she is sleeping long stretches again in the hammock, hope things get easier later after intro of solids maybe and I will try again,
xx