Help! I don't know what to do with DS2. He is 2 and cannot settle himself to sleep. I breast feed him until he drops off and then put him in the cot. If we're at home he will then pretty much sleep through so I do appreciate that in so many ways we're actually very lucky. If he does wake, I leave him to it for 10mins and usually within that time he's gone back off to sleep himself. He just can't do it when he's being put to bed in the evening.
I really am ready to stop the breast feeding now and in about 5 months time I am going to need to go away and leave him for at least two nights and so need to get this sorted. DH will be with him when I'm away, but DH has a disability so PIL will be staying over to help.
I have tried breast feeding until he's looking sleepy and then putting him down awake but instead of dropping off he gets himself wound up and ends up crying (sometimes until he's sick) even if I stay in the room with him. We gave controlled crying a week but it didn't get any better, in fact the sleep expert we asked for help said she hadn't dealt with such a persistent baby!
I just don't know what to do to help him settle. We're not completely averse to controlled crying but it didn't seem to work and he ends up beside himself.
Just for info, due to disability DH can't really help with this, it's going to have to be me that puts him to bed. We have a dinner, bath, story, bed routine.
To complicate matters further he's just discovered he can climb out of the cot so I have taken the side off this morning so it's also first night in a bed!
Sorry that's long. Any suggestions?