Back to work in 2 weeks and DD not sleeping through

[LittleDoe]

She'll be 10 months when I go back to work (3 days a week) in 2 weeks time. She still wakes up frequently at night. On a good night she'll wake around 1am, I'll bf her back to sleep and she'll sleep through until about 6am - so, not completely awful but I stress that is a good night! On a bad night she can be up several times and/or awake from 5am.

Should I try to cut out the middle of the night bfeeds before I go back? I have no idea if she actually needs fed then or not, but she does eat pretty well during the day.

Actually though... I'm really just looking for tips on how to survive going to work and getting up several times during the night. The thought of it is awful!

What do you do? DD1 was generally sleeping through by the time I went back to work, but waking every day around 5am. I actually found being back at work and tired was no worse than being at home and being tired. Was in an office job, but a high pressure one. It might not be as bad as you think.

If you want to sleep train, she is old enough for there to be various options. Is that what you want to talk about?

Sympathies too. DD2 is 13 months and still normally up multiple times.

Hi. I sympathise. We've just gone into 'sleep bootcamp' as after nearly 4 years of rubbish sleep I'm at breaking point.

DD1 will generally now sleep from 7.30 ish to 5.20am. She has a gro clock ( had it since she was 2) but the magic wore off so we've taken it back from 6.30 to 5.30 and it's worked well for the past 3 nights so far. A combination of positive praise and stickers seems to work. Dd1 is nearly 4 though so you can talk to her fairly sensibly about sleeping.

Dd2 on the other hand.... 2 at the end of this month and she still wakes in the night for a drink at about 1am. If Dh is still up that's fine but not so good if I'm pulled out of bed. Sometimes she reaches her beaker of milk herself and I'm hoping she catches onto this quickly

Dd1 and 2 are also just now in bunk beds so Dd1 wakes Dd2 when up!

How have I coped? A combination of coffee and chocolate to be entirely honest and the fact that your body does get used to rubbish sleep. It's not helped with the weight gain though

The best book I've found is the Millpond Sleep Clinic book. I'm really hoping the latest sleep bootcamp is going to work. Why? Well, whereas I've always tackled this myself Dh finally cracked too and agreed to help as I said either we needed to tackle it together, get a sleep consultant or I'd break!

I work 4 days doing a fairly full on job. To be honest the work bit is the easy bit. It's bath time after a busy work day with a tired little one that is the challenge!!

I'm in an office job (accountant) so - looking on the bright side - at least I get to sit down during the day as opposed to running around after 2 kids! (I have a 3 year old DS too but he was sleeping through at 7 mths so it was not an issue when I went back to work after mat leave with him).

I know I could sleep train but there always seems to be something up with DD...not serious stuff but colds, teething etc that I never seem to be 100% confident about going through with sleep training. I am not completely against it though. Perhaps I am just putting it off....

I did actually suffer from insomnia several years ago (pre kids) and I often went into work on only a few hours sleep - it was no fun at all but at least I know it can be done. :(

You'll get used to it.

I'm a solicitor so office based too. I agree it is tricky to know what to do for the best. Personally controlled crying with all the stress it involves is not for me!

Over the years I've picked and chosen bits from the sleep book. Gradual retreat worked best with DD1 when I went back to work. She was a real so and so as she would only go to sleep if you rocked her. Now she has 2 stories and climbs on up to her top bunk! It's taken nearly 4 years though! We've also got an old iPod linked up to some cheap speakers so play stories or bedtime music so we can escape the room when they are dopey rather than wait til they are dead to the world.

Dd1 was 2.5 before she stopped waking for a drink. Personally I have no issue with that do long as they get it themselves and don't wake me! Not so easy when BF though I guess.

Hang on in there. It will pass eventually and if i got £1 for each time I'm told I'll soon be struggling to wake them for school I'd no longer need to work . It might not be as bad as you fear!

Ive started offering water in the night. over the space of a.week dds sleep has improved tenfold. she gets no milk between 7pm and 6am (last feed 6.30pm).

I'm office based and personally I find it easier after a bad night than a day at home with DD! Not ideal I know but I do find you generally have more downtime, time to get a coffee, eat, check out the news on the internet than you do at home. DD is 15mo and only just starting to sleep through occasionally, I still wake frequently to check on her!