How can we break this bad habit? ADVICE NEEDED!

[TOK]

Hi all,
my ds (almost2) has recently gone from cotbed to bed and the transition was very smooth.

When he was in cotbed, we would hold him while he had his bottle, then he would fall asleep in our arms and we'd put him down. We tried putting him down before he was asleep but he would just squeal, so we took the easy option. But are regretting it now!

Now, we put him into his bed to have his bottle, then we sit on the rocking chair until he drops off. If we try to leave the room he cries and we are usually too tired to put up a fight! But I am pg again now and baby is due in 5 weeks so want to get him out of this bad habit asap.

Any suggestions? Are we just going to have to go through a few nights of constantly returning him to bed when he (inevitably) gets out? Don't know what to do for the best and feel guilty becuase it's us who got him into this bad habit in the first place!

Any experience/advice would be greatly appreciated!

Dont sweat....my DD1 was like this who is 2.5 and along came DD2 and the problem kinda sorted itdelf out, I used to feed DD2 whilst sitting next to the bed and then say just going to put DD2 to bed or you could try your partner sitting with him and you look after the new arrival...
You will find that there are times you have to be in two places at once but you will work away around it....My DD1 learnt this and accepted after a while and I could eventually leave her to self settle...it happened by chance..or can you try lying next to him and comforting him untill he is dropping off and then say you need the toilet and that you wont be a minute....then keep going in and checking so he knows your always near by...
I bought a portable dvd player for long journy's and this helped in stressfull situations....I put the dvd player on with a gentle movie..winnie the poo...and I let her watch that whilst I tend to screaming baby...or partner not around and when I go back in I find her asleep....
You could try the method you described as keep returning him to his room, give it ago...why not.

That sounds hopeful hayleybop-thanks! I'll keep my fingers crossed that it works out like that!