How to put toddler down for a nap with a baby?

[Tiredturtle]

I'm due to have my second baby in a few weeks and my first is 22mo. He is an ok sleeper (sleeps through most the time or wakes once) but he does like to have someone in the room whilst he falls asleep.

Just wondering if anyone has any advice on how I can make this work when I have two and I'm by myself (e.g for daytime naps). Feeling quite anxious about juggling both of them !

What does your toddler's nap/sleep routine look like? He wants someone in the room, but does he read a book in your lap/want to be held to sleep etc? If not, then it will be pretty easy at the start - have the baby in a sling and put toddler to sleep as normal. Unless newborn is absolutely starving at that moment, they will probably just snuggle on you for the 10/15/20 mins it takes your toddler to go to sleep.

If your toddler needs more input from you then you could start changing the routine now (e.g. my toddler would be in his sleepsack in his cot while we did books, not on my lap) so they start getting used to it before the baby arrives. Or you can put the baby down in a moses basket, even if baby cries for a bit while you do books/cuddles, you can then pick them up again when the toddler is in their bed and settle baby then.

My toddler dropped his daytime nap just as my second was born, but this is how we handled bedtimes. Now bedtimes are staggered, 11mo goes at 7pm and is usually asleep by 7.15, 3yo goes at 7.30. If I'm doing bedtime solo then he watches paw patrol while I put baby to bed. Good luck!

Oh god I was so stressed about this! There's 25 months between DS and DD and this was my biggest concern.

To start with, I'd make sure I had really worn toddler DS out so he was tired. Then I would feed DD before naptime so she would sleep.

Over the last 6 months I've been able to cut the nap time routine down and I put DD in her bouncer in the door way while I'm in there. I'm able to put DS in his cot awake and he puts himself to sleep. It gets easier as they get older and understand more. I'll say " mommy needs to put baby to sleep now, time for you to rest" and he does.

It was hard work to start with though so I would try to make the nap routine easier starting now.

Thanks, reassuring to hear that it works out! Nap routine is a story or 2 usually on my knee and then into cot with some lullaby music on. I can sit on a chair in his room and he'll go to sleep as long as he knows I'm there but he doesn't like it when I leave the room before he's asleep.