We are expecting baby in September. DS1 will be 2 and 9 months. DS1 was never a good sleeper. He had reflux for 5-6 months, and was very hard to settle. Finally, around 6 months, I could nurse laying down, and this ended up being (mostly) our sleep answer for the next 2+ years. He still has nights that are kindof hard, especially right now when he's teething. We mostly night-weaned in February, and he improved to just one wake-up per night (between 4 and 5.30 am). Then, around May we complete night weaned so that he only got cow's milk when he woke up at that point, but he continued to wake up consistently once a night (or a few times woke up for the day at 5.30 am).
The last week or so has been rough as he is teething and was sick. After a couple of nights battling it out refusing to nurse and having him awake for over one hour, I gave in and nursed through the night a couple of nights in a row. Now we are trying to get back to where we were before. Last night, for example, he was up for 1 hour asking (screaming) to nurse after I cut him off after 10 mins or so of nursing, from 2.30 to 3.30. Then nursed again at 5.30. Point of all this being that he's always been a bad sleeper, depends on me for nighttime needs, and is still co-sleeping. About 9 months ago, we tried having him go down in his own bed for a while, and he would just wake up earlier and earlier for the first waking. I fear that if we try to transition him to his own bed, we will not gain but lose in the sleep department. We also are in no hurry to kick him out and enjoy having him with us.
However, I'm so worried about how this is going to work for my sanity when number 2 comes along!!! Our initial thought was to have #2 in the room with us as well, in an Amby bed (I hated the cosleeper, and have hopes that the movement of the Amby will help with sleep...). However, I am remembering all the difficult nights with DS1 in the beginning, the long wakeful periods, the intense unrelenting crying (in arms), the waking after 4, then 3, then 2 then 1, then 1 hour stretches (which eventually became every 2 hours). The loud newborn noises that can disturb sleep, the walking up and down the stairs we had to do, the inability to put DS1 in a horizontal position, me sleeping with him on my chest to prop him up, etc., etc., etc.
How on earth are we going to manage a high needs DC2 in the same room as dS1?? Of course, we are trying to prepare for the worst, but I seriously doubt this will be an easy baby, and most babies are hard at least in the beginning with sleep at night!
So, should we try to transition DS1 out of the room, no matter the cost? Or, should we put DC2 in another room in the Amby, with a nearby futon for me to sleep on (if this option, what do I do when DS1 wakes in the other room)? Or, should we stick it out and have them "learn" to sleep in the same room?? What did you do?
The last week or so has been rough as he is teething and was sick. After a couple of nights battling it out refusing to nurse and having him awake for over one hour, I gave in and nursed through the night a couple of nights in a row. Now we are trying to get back to where we were before. Last night, for example, he was up for 1 hour asking (screaming) to nurse after I cut him off after 10 mins or so of nursing, from 2.30 to 3.30. Then nursed again at 5.30. Point of all this being that he's always been a bad sleeper, depends on me for nighttime needs, and is still co-sleeping. About 9 months ago, we tried having him go down in his own bed for a while, and he would just wake up earlier and earlier for the first waking. I fear that if we try to transition him to his own bed, we will not gain but lose in the sleep department. We also are in no hurry to kick him out and enjoy having him with us.
However, I'm so worried about how this is going to work for my sanity when number 2 comes along!!! Our initial thought was to have #2 in the room with us as well, in an Amby bed (I hated the cosleeper, and have hopes that the movement of the Amby will help with sleep...). However, I am remembering all the difficult nights with DS1 in the beginning, the long wakeful periods, the intense unrelenting crying (in arms), the waking after 4, then 3, then 2 then 1, then 1 hour stretches (which eventually became every 2 hours). The loud newborn noises that can disturb sleep, the walking up and down the stairs we had to do, the inability to put DS1 in a horizontal position, me sleeping with him on my chest to prop him up, etc., etc., etc.
How on earth are we going to manage a high needs DC2 in the same room as dS1?? Of course, we are trying to prepare for the worst, but I seriously doubt this will be an easy baby, and most babies are hard at least in the beginning with sleep at night!
So, should we try to transition DS1 out of the room, no matter the cost? Or, should we put DC2 in another room in the Amby, with a nearby futon for me to sleep on (if this option, what do I do when DS1 wakes in the other room)? Or, should we stick it out and have them "learn" to sleep in the same room?? What did you do?
