DD2 just turned 1. She has never been a good sleeper by herself. She does great if you hold her and often that is what happens for naps and if she wakes in the late evening and DH is still up. He'll just holder her and bring her up later. She usually does okay when she first goes down in her crib but lately she is waking after an hour or so, stands up, cries. I get her out, rock her and try again. The last couple of nights I've had to do that 3 or 4 times and the longest she'll do is about 3 hours. When she wakes in the early morning (anywhere from 1-3) I just bring her to bed with us b/c I need my sleep.
Although I didn't co-sleep at all with DD1 (who is now 3 1/2), we do with DD2. I guess I just really wanted my sleep and could manage to sleep quite well if she was in bed with us and I nursed her. With DD1 I was so alert to the newness of a baby that I had to remove her from the room at about 4 months. I would nurse DD1 in her room, rock her and then put her in her crib.
DD1 hasn't been a great sleeper and still wakes once a night and comes into bed with us. We side-carred a bed to ours for DD2 a few months ago and this does work well. Give us more space to stretch out. But most nights both girls are in bed with us. At least we usually sleep but this is getting 'old'.
At DD2 1 year dr appt today I talked to my ped about her frequent waking and she said that it is behavioral and she has learned that if she cries I come get her. Of course I will respond and I think that it is important to do so. I just want to figure out a way to get her more comfortable with her bed and less agitated with her sleep.
An interesting behavior she does have is that she is very touchy when she is falling to sleep. She likes to stroke, hold hair, rub my face. Her hands are always moving. This isn't bad at first but as the night wears on and I'm asleep with her feeling my face, it gets annoying and bothersome. DD1 didn't use a lovey or a blanket or stuffed animal. But I think DD2 could find this comforting since she likes to stroke and hold. Any advice on how to introduce a lovey? Do you think this might work?
Our ped. said to let her CIO. Give her up to 20 minutes of crying (WHAT!!) then go talk her down and do it again. I just can't do this. I am willing to have a bit of fussing but not like that. We've even thought of creating a sibling bed. both DD could help eachother sleep but I think DD2 should be a bit older. Do you agree? When she is in bed with us and wakes she roams around and whimpers/cries. I'd hate for her to do that in bed with DD1. So I'd like to work on stretching out her sleep before we try a co-bed with them.
Lastly, we nurse but I am not comfortable or willing to nurse all night. Breastfeeding this time has been more painful then last and continues to be. I do nurse her once or so a night, usually around 3am, and she is pretty okay with this. She is comforted with rocking or holding for most of her wakings and is not rooting around. But there is some of that when she is in bed with us.
I know sleep is most parents top issue and I do think some of DD2 behaviors are normal. Each kid is different. I have not practiced a perfect routine like I did with DD1 and maybe that is part of the problem. We do have baths and jammie time together, then go downstairs for some quiet time. around 8pm DD1 goes up for stories and music but DD2 stays downstairs to have her night time bottle and is held while she falls asleep. Usually she is held for and hour or so then transferred upstairs to her crib. I'm thinking that we need to transition her to a better nighttime routine, similar to that of her big sister.
Thanks for reading if you got this far...i did just borrow the no cry sleep solution so maybe that will help.
