My son is 5 months old soon to be 6 months old on 12th April. He was a fantastic newborn, brilliant sleeper, always smiling and only ever cried if he needed a nappy change or hungry. At 2 months old he would only wake once during the night for a bottle and nappy change then straight back to sleep. He would settle himself off to sleep, I could just lay him down in his Moses basket and he would send himself over to sleep. This soon went down to no feed during the night he would sleep from around 10pm until 8am which was fabulous!! Then when he hit 3.5 months old he was waking 5 to 6 times during the night for either a bottle, nappy change or just inconsolable crying for about 30 mins until he would finally rock back to sleep. Once he turned 4 months old thats when even his day time naps would only be 20/30 min long and he would wake up crying.. some days he was awake the whole day with maybe only two 20 minute naps so he is absolutely exhausted by bedtime. I tried everything, tried lying him down and letting him try to settle himself but then he mastered how to roll over onto his belly and he would just lie on his tummy and cry. At just over 4 months old the two bottom teeth have cut through and he is now rolling on his belly with his head completely lifted up and can roll from front to back and vice versa. By 4.5 months he was sitting up more or less on his own just with a few pillows around him. He will pick up toys with both hands and put them straight into his mouth. He has always been quite advanced, at 4.5 months old he began saying “Ma Ma Ma” and said “Baa” a few times. As soon as he turned 5 months old he began rocking up onto his hips and one day to started to pull himself along the floor (like an army crawl). He can now get around a lot better and can also sit up on his own without any support. All these milestones are great however he fights and fights his sleep. I have a Tutti Bambini Co-sleeping attachment on the side of my bed, he slept in the Moses basket placed inside the cot up until he was 4 months old then I put him in the Purflo Breathable Nest inside the cot then he began to try and roll onto his side to sleep however the nest restricted him from doing this and he would then wake up freaking out so I tried him in just the cot and he could then crawl out onto my bed. I tried putting the side up on the cot, he then tries to stand up holding onto the side (he has very strong legs and can stand holding onto something very well) I’m terrified of him trying this and toppling out onto the floor.. I’m at my wits end I’m exhausted all the time and he wants constant attention and always wanting to be played with or he just cries and cries. Now... when he goes to his grannies houses (both my mum and my partners mum) he goes straight down for naps, has 2 hour naps at a time.. goes to sleep at 9pm and only wakes once for a feed. Barely ever cries, sits and plays with his toys on his own but as soon as I arrive to take him home the crying starts again😔 I feel like he doesn’t even like me? I know that’s probably not the case as I show my son all the love that I have, have I spoiled him? Other family members have noticed that he is very badly behaved for me however an angel for everyone else. His father is amasing with him however he works 5 nights a week so he can’t help with the night time routine but on the days that he is able to sleep at home my son is usually very well behaved and goes down to sleep IN HIS OWN COT for him but I have to rock him for hours and hold him until he falls asleep then usually once I go to lie him down he wakes up and starts crying and I have to start all over again. I’ve tried multiple bedtime routines for over a week at a time.. Bath, Massage, Book, Bottle then Bed and various other combinations and nothing seems to work. Once he is finally asleep he doesn’t stay asleep for longer than an hour and a half at night. I’m ready for the hills. I’m a new mum and I’m maybe just over thinking it but I need some advice.
Sorry for the verrrry long story but I’m honestly at a loss.
Thanks K. x