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Going to try something completely new tonight with DD and no idea what I'm doing - advice please

7 replies

reastie · 21/08/2012 07:19

DD is 18 mo. For a very long time indeed she has bf to sleep. Up until recently though, if she woke in the night if I saw to her she would, again, only bf to sleep, but if DH got up he could shh pat her back to sleep. It's not just waking in the night that's a problem though (as she doesn't always do this), it's getting her asleep from our bed having just bf to her cot without waking her - some nights it takes 2 hours as she wakes up as we carry her and screams and then needs another bf to sleep, and the pattern can repeat several times until she's finally properly asleep in her cot.

She now will only ever get back to sleep with a bf though, nothing else works and if DH goes to her she just goes crazy and gets in a manic crying state.

FWIW her day naps are spent in the buggy or car seat as she won't nap in her cot and needs to be walked/swayed in the car to sleep.

Today we are putting in her room a big girl bed (4 foot bed) with the idea that I can bf her in there so we don't have to move her and that if she wakes up she might be more settled with DH if he can lie in the bed with her as opposed to patting her through the cot. She's never been overly keen on her cot and I wonder if I big bed will make her more happier as there's more freedom.

Does this look like it might work? I want to break the bfing when she wakes up in the night - there will be a time where I don't bf her anymore and she needs to learn to get back to sleep. But then I realise I'll still be bfing her to sleep in this bed but just trying something new when she wakes in the night. We've tried CC in the past and not sure we want to try again as we had 2 weeks of her screaming for hours at a time. Tonight will be her first night in big girls bed so I want to make sure we start with a pattern as we mean to go on.

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
wigglesrock · 21/08/2012 09:44

reastie we did this exact same thing with O and at the same age, whilst it didn't remedy her lack of sleep Grin, it certainly made things easier for us and sometimes easier is enough for a while! The smaller bed felt very small though and she was in a proper single bed by the time she was 23 months. Thinking back now it properly was the most effective thing we did with regards to her sleeping or lack of it.

reastie · 21/08/2012 12:33

Thanks wiggles Grin . We have a small double bed in the garage and are going to get it out this afternoon for her - this morning I took her out and we bought nice pink bedding for it and a bed guard (in the hope she realises something new is happening). Fingers crossed it makes things easier then!

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debka · 21/08/2012 18:50

reastie sounds like a plan- fingers crossed and best of luck to you tonight xxxx

reastie · 21/08/2012 19:12

Thanks. We had to go out and buy a new mattress (the old one stunk of damp from being in the garage) and DH had to rig up the bed guards freestyley as 'fits all beds' it turns out only means single beds Angry . Alice is v excited to have a huge bed in her room, and it does now look lovely as I've fancied it up with toys and a pretty pink cover. It's actually really comfy Envy ! Fingers crossed for tonight to be a good one. Thanks deb and wiggles

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GimmieChocolate · 21/08/2012 19:29

I can't offer any advice but can do some hand holding as I'm doing new and scary with my DD tonight - She's going in her room for the first time tonight.

Good luck!

reastie · 22/08/2012 07:45

gimmie how did last night go for you?

DD woke up at about 5am. She had fallen out of the bed! Well, I don't know if she had fallen when sleeping or if she woke up and came out that way, she didn't go back to sleep though . The bed time routine worked well though - she seemed really excited to go in the big bed and sleep there

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GimmieChocolate · 22/08/2012 09:54

That's great that the bed time routine worked! 5am not so great though! Though that's probably more to do with her escape artist trick I'm sure Grin

We were very lucky that DD didn't seem to care she was somewhere different. Did her bedtime BF in her room instead of ours and put her down. Few grumbles but a cuddle fixed that. Did her dream feed then not a peep! went into her at 7am as normal and got the most beautiful smile and happy wavey arms (i have a very persistant swaddle escape artist!) when she saw me. We are currently having a cuddle in her room so in theory she associates nice things with it!

Hope your LO doesn't escape tonight and goes a bit longer for you!

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