My DS2 (11mths) is a fab napper. He goes down for his midmorning and afternoon nap in his cot quite happily with usually no tears or crys. If he does wail it is for less than 1 minute. As my DS1 was terrible at getting himself to sleep I can appreciate that DS2 is brilliant. It make my day much easier. Also I did thing different second time (followed the EASY routine - Eat, Activity, Sleep, You (a joke!) so DS2 has never been fed to sleep during they day
BUT He is terrible at night. I am still breastfeeding and he gets an evening feed in my bed at 7pm. He then goes into his cot - sometimes awake, sometimes asleep either way he goes to sleep quickly with no bother. BUT he wakes lots - at least twice sometime more every night and is inconsolable. He screams in my arms, he screams in DH arms. Sometimes I give in and breastfeed him. He screams if I latch him off - he feeds for ages sometimes. Some nights he is awake for over an hour. The only way if he doesn't fall asleep feeding is to rock him and try and get him back in his bed without waking him.
It is killing me and my DH and we are exahusted and bickering with each other. We only have 2 bedrooms and want the DSs to share but we can't have they baby waking DS1 up so he is still in our room. He couldn't be more different during the day or when he goes down to bed at night - and it is really getting us down.
A few times recently I have slept on the couch in the living room and left DH with DS2. He still wakes and still takes rocking and walking to go back to sleep, is still up for ages but is not being fed. He hasn't been starving in the morning either so I know he doesn't need fed during the night.
I would be grateful for some practical tips. The fact our presence, cuddles and rocking seems to do little to soothe him is very upsetting for both me and my DH. The bedroom is not pitch dark so we don't think it is fear of the dark.
Thanks for reading!