Please help! Running out of options!

[MotherHaryy]

Hello!

Please help, I'm returning to my job in less than a month and my baby is still waking up multiple times a night! I've tried putting her in her own cot, leaving her to cry a little bit but she just gets up for hours and hours. 4 hours is the longest we've continued to try to soothe before giving in. She is almost 8 months old.

She has co slept since birth and has been breastfed on demand! No dummies or comforters either, I feel like I'm failing right now because I'm about to go back on nightshifts and if I can't sort her sleeping out I'm going to have a problem sleeper and I can't bare the thought of her struggling and being upset whilst I'm not there!! (My partner doesn't sleep at night, only during the day and I really don't want my baby in this routine)

Any advice please! I will try anything to help her have a better sleep when I'm not there! Thank you in advance!!!

I should add, when I say leaving her to cry, I mean 3 minutes, then in to settle her again, as I'm not happy to leave her to cry it out! So we went in every 3 minutes for 4 hours before bringing her back to our bed.

Hi OP, I don't think I have any answers, but to understand the situation better, will your partner be awake all night with her. Can I just keep going and settling her each time, using whatever method works? Does she go to nursery in the day? Sometimes they do sleep better for other people when you're not there.

Most babies are still waking in the night when their mums return to work. It's rubbish, but it's very very normal. Your baby is still so young night wakings are really to be expected. I blame society for giving parents unrealistic explanations.

I mean it's gone 3am here and I'm on the process of feeding my 21m old and getting her back to sleep (anywhere from ,2-4 times a night) and I have work tomorrow that I need to be on the ball for.

I cope by sharing the burden as much as I can with my husband, and frankly, by being a bit knackered.

Just realised that you're not going to be there during the nights. If your husband isn't dealing much with at night yet, then he needs to start taking over in preparation.