Dh wants to put dd to bed

[sapphire_chan]

Anyone manage to transition from nursing to sleep to a daddy bedtime?

[Tway]

That's what saved my sanity--and gave me a little time to myself at the end of the day. DH pats her bum, shushes, sometimes lays her on the bed next to him for awhile--eventually she goes down. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes and sometimes 50, but he seems to love it and so do I!

[sapphire_chan]

How did you get to the point that that worked with your dd? Cause mine would scream herself hoarse if we tried that.

[Tway]

She didn't really mind the transition--I guess I nursed her tired, then shushed and rocked her to sleep. So now step 2 is taken over by Daddy. Mind, they spend every evening together so I think DD developed a special connection to DH, which made the transition pretty smooth. WHat if you both stay with her for a few nights and then see if DH can put her down alone? She may resist change, but a new routine ma just fall into place. Good luck!

[crunchy_mommy]

I have no idea but I'd love to hear other's responses, some days I just want DH to do it but it's not possible. He is able to get him to take naps in the wrap occasionally but obviously that won't work for bed time!!

[MamaChicken]

We are beyond that now, but at 6-7 months DH started bedtime with the twins gormy sanity. It was far from smooth and some screaming was involved, but it didn't last long. They all adapted and seemed to enjoy it. Now when DH is gone, the boys don't like bedtime.

[lifeguard]

We just did it 'cause I went away for 2 weeks!

In all honesty though we created a bedtime routine & whether it is dh or I we do the same routine. With dh they do a bottle & with me we nurse.

[rightkindofme]

It's the best thing ever. Around 18 months I decided I needed to nightwean or I was going to cut off nursing all together and become an angry violent person. It wasn't so awesome. So we started having Daddy do the entire bedtime routine. Brush teeth, pick out jammies, come to Mommy for a last nurse, then get a drink of water, then go to bed. For a long time (over six months) he cuddled her on his chest and rocked her back and forth while singing. Many nights she cried and cried. He persisted though and stayed with her until she was solidly sleeping. At this point she has the occasional odd night when she will ask for both of us to go to bed with her, and I generally go along with that, but mostly she goes in there with Daddy and no longer needs the cuddling/rocking/singing. She moves around the bed a bit for like 10 minutes until she has gotten out the last of the squirmies then she goes to sleep.

He then comes out and we have grown up time until we reluctantly go to sleep.

[broodymama]

With my older two, DH started putting them to bed around 20-22 months (both times I was nearing the end of a pregnancy). With DD2, I started taking karate 2 nights a week when she was 12 months and DH got bedtime duty for all 3 kids on those nights. There wasn't a big transition with any of them, they just accepted that daddy puts them to bed a little differently than mommy. With DD2, she would still nurse to sleep on the nights I was home but was just as fine with DH putting her to bed on Monday and Wednesday nights.

[Logan's mommy]

We started working on that when ds2 turned a year. The first few nights ds2 cried for a bit and then I would go in and nurse to sleep, we'd stretch the time before I came in and eventually he started going to bed every night with dh.

[sapphire_chan]

Ooo, bedtime bad when he's gone. Hmm, maybe we should work on something that involves both of us but alternating nights or something.

I think dh is thinking about this stuff because dd's been extra clingy and nursey lately. Like, she'd play games with him in the evening and now she isn't, and she'd chat with him in the car on the way home from getting him at work and instead today she whined for me.

[ASusan]

1. DS does much better having DH put him to bed when I am NOT around. Out of the house is best, otherwise, downstairs cleaning up or ....we canNOT do it together. DS just bounces back and forth between us.

2. DS goes through phases when he prefers one of us (usually me) over the other. But, sometimes he prefers me because I've been doing more of the hands-on care. DH was teaching an intensive 3-week course, and I did most of the breakfasts, dressing, daycare drop-offs and pick-ups, dinners, bedtime routines, AND the fun stuff like the pool. DS had been getting pretty clingy with me. And when DH takes over and does more hands-on care/play/one-on-one, DS responds much better to him and will "allow" DH to put him to bed.

[jumpmama]

DD is 12 months now and daddy has been putting her to sleep for about 2 months already. I can not get her to sleep while nursing anymore. He just holds her and rocks. At first she cried a little just because she is a full-blown fight sleeper. she would stay up all night I bet. Now, as soon as they lay down she falls right asleep.

Since DD is older now we give her milk in a bottle if she needs it with daddy but, I always nurse her full first.

Every kid is so different I think the best advice would just be to follow your gut. You will know when it is working and when its not.