Attachment sleeping style isn't working anymore!

[Lunaria]

Hi mamas,

I need your help! My dd turned 1 yesterday and it's time for a change. She has spent the entire year napping only on my back in the wrap. Not once has she slept apart from me. I have been going to bed early to nurse her to sleep and then we sleep together until morning.

It's no longer working! She is a very energetic baby. No matter how tired she is at night time, when I take her to bed she won't nurse to sleep. She just crawls all over the bed. We usually end up taking her downstairs where she motors around until 10 or later. She ends up really tired in the morning, I know she's not getting enough sleep.

Naps aren't as much of an issue. But more and more she gets woken by the kids(I also have a 5 and 3 year old), and she is still tired but that's the end of her nap. Plus it is getting a bit tiring packing 25lbs of baby on my back for hours. It would be nice to have another way to get her to nap.

Yes, I have the No Cry Sleep Solution book. I don't find it very practical for our situation. Also, we don't have a crib, playpen, or any other type of bed for her. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Jenny

[TerraNoelle]

I'm afraid I won't be much help
But I did use the NCSS with my 22 month old for a very similar situation. It used to be that I couldn't even get up at naptime because he would wake right up. Well I had to go back to work for financial reasons a few months ago so I need to get him transitioned to fall asleep during naptime with out nursing.

I work at my older son's special needs based school and Aaron [my 22 month old] also goes as a 'daycare child'. They are in the same room and have naptime so I really needed to do this.

What I did was make him a little "nap area" in our living room. Nice cozy blanket, pillow, a favorite stuffed toy. Then I sat right beside him and patted/rubbed his back and sang songs or played his favorite lullaby CD. I did nurse before hand at this point.

I never left his side and was there the whole time to comfort and reassure him that mommy would still be by his side as he fell asleep. It took about 2 weeks but now he'll lay down at naptime and fall asleep by himself [of course they like to pat his back and such at school because they think he's too cute! lol]

Anyway, this is probably not helpful at all. I sure hope you get some good input

[Lunaria]

Thank you for your input! I am willing to try anything. Maybe that's the key, eh? Not nursing her to sleep. She is such a hyper little thing though I can't imagine getting her to lie still long enough to rub her back and soothe her to sleep.

Also, I don't know if anyone else has replied to my post. For some reason I can't read my first post, and the screen is blank except for your post pushed to the side. Any ideas?? Thank you!!

Jenny

[Altair]

I'd really look further at the NCSS suggestions, combined with nightweaning if you're interested. I first read the book and thought no way would anything there work, but I was able to use it around 12 months and we've dramatically improved our sleep.

[kdescalzi]

I could have written your post word for word! I am right there with you. My dd just turned 1yr and has had ALL her naps on my back in the ergo. When she is ready for bed, I too must be ready nurse her and stay nursing her ALL NIGHT LONG. She too will not nurse to sleep, she just nurses and then tries to crawl all over me. VERY FRUSTRATING especially because you know they are so tired. My dh has to put her in the ergo to get her to sleep and then I am stuck literally to her and to the bed until morning. She freaks if heaven forbid I need to pee. Its brutal and I know something needs to change. Have you looked up Jay Gordon's nightweaning method? I may try that. My bottom line is that I am so scared to rock the boat and try anything that will make her cry. I know she would just be angry at the new situation, not sad because we are such AP parents, but it is a very hard choice to make...to choose a method that would cause her distress. Sorry I am of no help. But knowing that another mama will be doing the EXACT same thing as you tonight makes it a little better right??

[TerraNoelle]

Let me say, to ease your minds....that my son would not have been ready for what we did any early than we did it. [he was about 20 months.] No way at a year could I have really done it. He was still very much not ready and it would have probably hindered him more than helped.

I do understand that it can be tough, but I also promise that it does get easier and eventually passes

[Lunaria]

Hi again,

Well, I can read this thread normally again. Thank you for your replies It helps knowing I'm not alone! For some reason I really thought I was the only one crazy enough to wear my baby for all her naps for a whole year! I hadn't considered nightweaning her. I love sleeping with her at night and nursing her at night doesn't bother me. It's the having to go to sleep when she does, and oftentimes not even getting her to sleep until 10 or later. I'm wondering if she will get better, or if I let it continue like this will it just get harder to get her to sleep any other way.

I did make a little bed for her beside my bed. It's a small space between my bed and the wall about 2 feet wide and I covered it with a lambswool blanket and made it comfy for her. She can't get out so if I leave her there she's safe. I still don't know how to get her to sleep though.....sigh.

Jenny

[TerraNoelle]

Glad your feeling a little better

It will get better and it won't be as hard as you think once it does happen. Then you'll look back and think "wow, that time went so fast." I think that with my 3.5 year old! And am starting too with my 23 month old!