21 month old still co sleeping and I have a baby on the way!!

[shaz1976]

My son is 2 in January, he has co slept with us since 6 months old and it's time to get him to sleep alone. We made a huge mistake putting him in with us,it all started when he was teething and sleep deprived nights were too much. We have shot ourselves in the foot big time! We have tried controlled crying, making his cot into a bed and putting it right next to ours but he just wants to be in the middle of myself and his daddy. Our baby is due in March next year and need to get out little pud in his bed before the bubba arrives!! Any advice ladies would be appreciated xx

Personally, I don't think you've made a huge mistake. If you've all slept better for having him with you then you've done the right thing surely?

Have you read from bed to crib on askdrsears?

Yes we have got lots of sleep so in the long run much better!! However I cannot see him ever wanting to sleep alone he's got so used to the comfort. With the new baby on the way I want to get in in his own bed, as doing when there's a new arrival will upset him even more, so really want to nip it in the bud now. It's not only that but it's becoming uncomfortable myself and my partner are literally hanging off the bed every night. Thank you for the link I will take a look at that.

You can do it, I've done it with both of mine. Don't give up hope just yet

hi,

in similar situation and posted something myself here the other day.
DS is 2.2yo and often comes into our bed around 5am as its the only way to get him back to sleep again. Although to be fair, he often just wants to get up at this time...which is a whole different story...!

I'm too tired and too pregnant - 34wks - to try to 'train' him to go back to sleep in his cot at that time, so we just bring him in with us. If he does go back to sleep, its invariably ON MY HEAD or diagonally across our super king size bed (who knew a 2yo could take up THAT MUCH SPACE???) so DP and I often don't get back to sleep ourselves, but hang, like you, to the edge of the bed. I feel like a pregnant barnacle....

However, this feels like the easier option, so we're taking it for the moment.

But DC2 due in 6 weeks and will be in a crib by our bed, and I'll be bfing who-knows-how-many times a night, and am just worried that havind DS crawl into bed with us at 5am too, which just make everything worse.

There are lots of threads on here about getting a child from shared bed to cot/bed, so am sure you'll find some hints and advice and some different things to try. One thing I'd suggest - start sooner rather than later. not so much because it might take a long time (it could equally be a lot easier and quicker than you fear) but as you get heavier and more pregnant and more tired, you'll lose the will to crack it - like I have :(

If something is working for you, its not a mistake, but as soon as it stops working, its best to try to tackle it.

good luck

Don't worry, you haven't made a mistake. You have plenty of time to change things, too. My ds slept with us from 6 months until 2 when I got pregnant and could no longer cope with the lack of room!

We just did it really gradually, getting him to spend longer and longer in his own bed until after a month or so he was sleeping through. It was tough at first having to keep getting up, but we set a new target each day. One night we wouldn't bring him in until 2am, the next night stretch it to 3. We did this very gently, with one of us always DH as I was knackered cuddling him or lying next to him.

Could you think about him going in a toddler bed? My two have never settled well in cots, but ds was happy in his little bed, and you can get in with them too to help them over the transition. We put a gate on his room so he had to call for us to get resettled in his own bed rather than diving straight in with us! He us 3 now and loves his bed, never cones in ours.

My dc2 is 8 months and we had no qualms about bringing her in with us again, we worried so much the first time round, but everything's doable if you approach it gradually.

And congratulations

Also look up Dr Jay Gordon on co sleeping, some good advice there for making a gentle transition.

Thanks ladies some great advice and links to look at.
That is also another reason, I don't want his sleep to be disturbed by the new born when up in night for feeding. I am planning on putting him in his own little bed in his own room with a gate on the door. It's going to be hard but the time has definitely come xx