4 month old sleep (with todder)

[pinkglitter80]

I have a 4 mo DS and 23 mo DD. V lucky I know but am knackered and not coping v well so need to focus on DS sleep ….He used to be really good – self settled, nights woke 2 – 3 times (altho often fed to sleep) , and napped in moses basket for morning nap and in sling / buggy for other naps when out and about.
But I think the 4 month sleep regression has hit….Nights had been fine, but now he’s in a cot (too big for basket) he wouldn’t settle for morning nap, think he’s also being more disturbed now by DD noise. GP was horrified that he has no ‘routine’ and no cot naps so over weekend I tried to settle him in cot for his naps, nightmare, lasted about 15 mins max each time so I spent ages trying to settle him back. And now nights are worse, think I’ve made him hate his cot, was up about 6 times last night …
What do I do? I’ve put DD into nursery Weds – Fri this week to try and implement something (thinking baby whisperer) to encourage cot naps. But when DD is around how do I physically go and settle him when she will scream the second I leave the room?
Also DD is in process of dropping nap ? - I’ve tried cot time and quiet time to no avail so have resorted to buggy in afternoons to give her opportunity to sleep (limiting it to an hr though otherwise bedtime is hideous) so that will mean DS nap in buggy too – is that really awful? (its what I did for DD but regretted it!) Can I address that at a later point?
Also DS is teething so feel a bit mean but need to check he gets the sleep he needs – feel bit guilty as often end up focussing on DD esp with the latest nap dropping …. He seems to have been happy enough up til now but now is maybe getting more aware of surroundings and harder to go to sleep?
Sorry for essay ….

I have no advice........but wanted to watch this thread as I gave a 16 month old and I am being induced 2 weeks today.

All I have to say is, why is it so bad that your DC nap in a buggy or sling rather than a cot? GPs aren't child sleep experts and if I was you I would stick with what works. Besides, there's more flexibility with buggy and sling naps if you need to do nursery runs, urgent appointments, even going out to meet people.

GPs know nothing about infant sleep, so disregard his/her 'horror' at your methods. Was he/she older by any chance? There is absolutely nothing wrong with a sling or buggy nap, and makes life much more manageable, especially with a toddler (I have a 2.5yo and a 15wo). It does not have to be in a cot, nor does it have to be in a routine. It just has to be however it needs to be to get sleep optimised to get you through the bastard regression. The only 'rule' I follow WRT naps is being a stickler for awake time. At four months old, count 90 minutes (max) from when they wake up. As soon as they start showing sleepy signs, get them asleep any which way you can. You'll have a much happier baby for it.

Also with your DD - are you saying she's dropping her naps altogether? It's just that if you're putting her in nursery, they will still be putting them down for a post-lunch nap at 23 months so you may not want to support it being dropped at home just yet.

Thanks everyone. Glad to know buggy / sling is ok! Elphaba re the 90 min thing how do you not end up with 4-5 naps? Today for example he woke at 6am, slept 745-830, 10-1030 and has just gone to sleep now (noon)....(all fails tho as fed to sleep apart from this one where I thought I'd spotted the sleepy sgns in time but he screamed as soon as he went in cot and has cried himself to sleep :-( rubbish mummy)

re DD yes annnoyingly she goes to sleep at nursery. and sometimes in buggy with me in pm. we're limiting pm naps to an hr now which seems to be working....

You have 4-5 naps a day if that's what it takes to have a well-rested happy baby reaching their required sleep quota. Simples. Nothing wrong with 4-5 naps a day in lieu of fewer longer ones.