Sleep Issues and No 2 on the way...

[onthefly]

Oh you poor thing
I slept on a mattress on the floor for ages with DS and he slept there alone for quite a while once he didn't need me so much - might be worth a go.
It's great your DH wants to help - hope you can find a way for it to work

[Honeybee]

Hi Crystalwings, I don't have any advice to give because I feel like I am in a similar situation to you! DS is 22 months, has coslept since birth and will only go to sleep with me cuddling him. Freaks out if DH tries to put him to bed. I'm 19 weeks pg and I am really scared about what is going to happen when number 2 arrives. DH and I have been discussing the last couple of days having DH slowly become more and more involved in the bedtime process, with the aim of him being able to take over in 6 months or so. I am torn about whether I should be trying to transition DS to a mattress on the floor in our bedroom, because I wouldn't want to try to do it with a new baby as well. He takes up most of the bed at the moment, and I'm not convinced it will be safe for a baby (although the baby will be in a cosleeper bassinet to start with). Anyway, sorry for going on about myself, just wanted you to know you're not alone. Best of luck with getting your DH more involved in the bedtime process, and I hope your medical investigations help with the sleeping too.

HB
xxxx

[appletree]

Hi CrystalWings, i had the same worries when DS was on the way! DD has always been a terrible sleeper. In the end, we fell into our own pattern and it seems to work quite well for us. At around 20 weeks pg, i gave up on getting DD to sleep without me and we moved her toddler bed right next to ours. DD likes to pat and hold my arm to sleep so when she wakes up she just grabs me and goes back to sleep.

I was so worried about DS's sleeping when he was first born, he was wrapped and placed awake in his bassinet and self settled for just about every sleep. Because he never knew any different he never went through a period of crying as he went to sleep, he just goes of quietly. If he is crying, i know there is something wrong so i go to him straight away.

Now all four of us happily sleep together in the same room, DF and i in our bed, DD in hers right next to me and DS in his cot at the end of the bed. After the first couple of nights DD got used to me getting up to feed/change DS. I just put my feeding chair at the end of her bed, so if she wakes up i just tell her shhh, i am feeding DS go back to sleep.

The only problems i still have, which aren't worrying me enough to do something about, is that i have to lie down with DD to get her to sleep so this takes a big chunk out of my evening. If she wakes up and i am not there she will start yelling for me, which inevitably wakes up DS and then i get really shirty... Also, DH can't seem to get DD to sleep and he gets so frustrated, but i now have one night a week where i go out and don't get home till 10 so he is being forced to follow through and its really helping!

Goodluck with it, you will honestly be fine and everything will work itself out who knows, maybe this time the box for 'perfect sleeper' has been ticked for your new bub and it will be sleeping through from 6 weeks! LOL

[Crystalwings]

Thanks honeybee and appletree
I definatley feel that i want to try to get this bub to self settle more especially seeing as i will be returning to work part time when they are 6mths. i also had to do this with olive and coped but it will be different organising 2 children.
Olive slept through from 8wks until around 5.5mths when she got really sick and ever since has been a shocker. I can't even say that i enjoyed that time as i was expressing and had to get up through the night to pump. So this time i won't be so ****y about my bub sleeping through!
Olive is actually having her second ever sleep over tonight at MIL's so have been out for dinner and watched a dvd and am going to bed now for my first full nights sleep in months. argggg