Help - have I co-slept myself into a corner? Need to go to a gig in 4 weeks and can't see it happening!

[bohemianbint]

And it's not just a gig; it's my ultimate top of my "bands I want to see live before I or they peg it" list.

But at the moments, evenings consist of me mainly settling DS2 in our bed (he's 22 weeks) and then staying in bed next to him til 7am. He will generally stay happily snoozing that whole time - but only if am there waiting, if he starts rooting and I'm not there that's it. He's also never been left with anyone but DH and that was only for 3 hours.

I dunno what to do - am trying to develop a strategy to see if can get him to sleep soundly (even just for 4 hours - that would cover it!) over the next 4 weeks. Am thinking of introducing a dummy, seeing if he'll take EBM in a bottle, anything. But I can't bear the thought of him crying for me and me not being there.

DH has offered to stay home with him as he's not quite as desperate to go as I am, but obviously he still really wants to go, and I want to go with him!

Any tips? Pleeeeeeeeeease?

Buy some baby ear defenders and take him with you in a sling?

Or if you wanted to use this as a reason to stop co-sleeping you could start trying to get him to sleep in a cot now.

We moved Ds (now 21 wks) from co-sleeping into a bedside cot when he was about 8/9 weeks. Took about 2 weeks for him to settle into it for the full night, now he won't co-sleep as he prefers sleeping on his front.

Also now he's in the cot DH always settles him if he wakes up between feeds. So he's used to being settled by someone else. Doesn't sleep through, but sleeps long enough for me and DH to go out in the evening from about 8pm-11pm.

Try settling him in his cot - put some worn clothes in the cot (so smells of you) and hot water bottle to warm it up before you pop him in. Also try swaddling or gro bag - he'll associate the smell with you and may well settle abit better. Also try doing EBM bottles in the night (so i someone is babysitting, they can chuck on one of your worn tops and give him a warm bottle of EBM). Hope all goes well for you. Oh - and get him used to your intended babysitter well in advance.

Not sure who your babysitter is so this may not work for you. Ours was my mum - so she was happy enough to sleep with our DS in our bed for a few hours until we got home if that was what kept him settled. He only had a bottle of ebm handful of times - and he was happy enough to take it from her otherwise he just waited til I got home. Maybe a practice run with you and DH going out for dinner/cinema nearby while your babysitter does the planned arrangement to see how it goes?

Thank you - somne good tips! I tried the waterbottle wrapped up in my cardigan next to him last night (it had gone quite cool!)- initially I got about 2 minutes out of him, then later maybe half an hour. Marginally better than a poke in the eye I suppose, but not sure we're going to crack this by the end of next month! Will persevere...

Which gig are you going to ?

Metallica - I don't think it's the sort of thing I'd get away with taking him to!

I resort to my MIL in these situations as she is fantastic and can settle any baby anywhere. I know that yours is a bit rubbish, though, so that's not much help for you.

Port- actually, would you believe, relations have improved massively with the ILs (just as well since they've hit the skids with my family!) but she is still a bit rubbish with the kids, sort of wooden, you'd never believe she'd had two...

Bear in mind how to get out of the carpark - can add an extra hour if you get stuck in the wrong corner! Speaking from (stressful) experience.

bah - another bloody good point, Leaf.

Oh god - been trying to establish a sort of bedtime routine, to see if putting him down in the dark and keeping him in the dark will help him to sleep for longer and get the whole night time concept. Worked brilliantly for his brother-but is not working for him. He slept for 40 minutes on his own last night, that was the longest. Tonight, he slept for 25. We just have to give in and go in there with him - which is a bit of a pain in the arse as we have so much to do! He is teething though, I think, and he has a temperature so must be hitting him hard. I just hope that's a factor in not being able to settle him, rather than proof that the HV was right about me setting up a kids with sleep difficulties...

Am really not seeing how we can both leave him for an evening at this rate though.

Get him a T-shirt and take him with you, it's too good a band to miss (mild ).

Or, could you install DS & the babysitter in nearby pub & keep your phone on vibrate? Would he sleep ok in the car there & back?

Leaf - I'm starting to think we may have to. Perhaps I should start playing the new album very very loud to acclimatise him to it in advance. I'm assuming we have seats and are not down the front with the moshers, better double check!

I was playing Metallica & similar to my DD when she was a bump! But maybe some ear protectors might be an idea...

Knowing my luck, I'll have a daughter that likes techno