I am fed up of losing my evenings - falling asleep at 7pm is really annoying me now - help

[bigmyrrhstrikesagain]

I fall asleep when getting dd too sleep far too often - couple of times a week sometimes more. Not having had an undisturbed night in over three years clearly has some bearing here - but I really really really hate not having any time in the evenings. If I fall asleep early I also tend too wake up for an hour or so at stupid o'clock in the morning worrying about the stupid things that only ever concern you at 3am and occasionally having a genius idea that I realise is truly insane the next day

My dd is 19m breastfeeds at night and co-sleeps with dh and I - these factors make it all too easy - I realise - for me to nod off while settling her and we do have a bedroom for her - but while she is bf'ing at night (she wakes frequently) then I can't see the point in moving her. The one weekend I spent away from the children - at a hotel a couple of months ago - I still woke up in the night - in pain and needing to express!

Ds also wakes sometimes and crawls into bed with us - but he is a fidgety nightmare - so makes matters worse.

Waking and going to bed at the same times as the dc's is driving me mad - please someone help

I coslept with my dd and bf her till she was about 22 months. Then I gave up bf and got her a new bed. She did cry a little for about 4-5 nights but I calmly told her that my milk was all finished and she had to sleep in her own bed now... she got her head round it within a week and she has slept brilliantly (in her own bed)) ever since..

How long do you want to carry on bf for? I think that is the key, though obviously I can quite understand if you are not ready to give it up...

Thanks for responding bluejelly.

I don't know when too stop - tbh I think I could give up now - I had dd while still feeding ds - he stopped a month or so after she was born (22m), but he was clearly not fussed about feeding by then and went to his own room easily.

Dd is different she is still very dependant on frequent feeds and wants to sleep welded ino my armpit - this is not giving me any hope that she is going to be easy too wean. I just wish I wasn't finding feeding her so tiring and difficult at the mo. We do have good nights but fewer than I would like.

I know what you mean, i thought I would never be able to give up bf my dd! I asked numerous health visitors and they just looked blank. I did cut down day feeds first, then I took the plunge and ended the night ones....I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly she got her head around the fact that 'mummy's milk was all gone'. I think the new bed helped a bit.
But if your dd already has her own room that might not be such a sell!

Well she has a room in theory - in practice it is a playroom currently housing ds' humongous wooden train set (carefully laid out by me). We have not bought her a bed yet and I think she will like her own bed - but I can envisage many many nights spent falling asleep on the floor - this is where I get cold feet [coward emoticon]

ANY BRIGHT SUGGESTIONS FOR THE BLEARY EYED
oops capslock