Mamas with a frequent waking toddler...

[Aletheia]

Hello-
I have been lurking here on and off for the past 9 months, and only now find myself in need of some words of support.

DS is going to be 2 next Tuesday, and though he sleeps in his own room now, he wakes anywhere from 1-3 times between my bedtime and 6 am, when he is up for the day.

I have gotten really used to this, and even when I DON'T have to wake up to pee or stretch a cramped muscle or switch positions, I rarely sleep more than 2 hours at a time. I am in bed for about 7 hours each night, and I try to lay down (usu. for about a half hour) each day when DS is sort of napping.

I am due with #2 on Thursday. I keep having these several hour long periods of false starts-- contractions that become rhythmic, and then disappear. One of my midwives has suggested I might be trying to go into labor but I am just too tired to do it.

Is anyone else in this boat, or better, was in this boat or thought they were but delivered a baby already? I am getting so nervous about going overdue.

Any words of advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Love_My_Babies]

I have a 21 month old (and a 3.5 year old). I totally think the toddler can sense when I am having regular contractions, and he isn't ready to let go of his position as baby in the house. I haven't had to get up with him at all in the middle of the night for four months. All of a sudden over the past 3 weeks whenever I am having regular contractions, he is up and wants his mommy (he usually wants his daddy at night if he does get up). I was up for several hours on Sunday night and early Monday morning, and I was about to call my mw. Then, they woke up and they immediately stopped. My mw thought the same thing, my body knew it didn't have the energy to birth and care for a newborn so my cntx stopped.

A friend suggested a few days ago, and then my mw made the same suggestion yesterday, that I have a little chat with my toddler. I should tell him that the baby is going to come, I will still love my toddler the same way, etc. etc. They both thought that he would probably understand the basics of the conversation. But, even more important, I would be giving myself the strength and permission to give birth.

[bettie cracker]

wow. We just had to have a heart to heart talk with our 4.5 yr old DD. She has been somewhat out of control lately -- not so much clingy, but acting pretty mean and having lots of meltdowns. I asked her if she is nervous about becoming a big sister, and the floodgates opened (for all three of us!). We've talked lots about this before, but not that he is almost here, her emotions are getting so big. It used to just be excitement, but now she is worried that we will love her baby brother more than her. We had a good talk. Kids are so intuitive.

[Surfer Rosa]

Originally Posted by bettie cracker

wow. We just had to have a heart to heart talk with our 4.5 yr old DD. She has been somewhat out of control lately -- not so much clingy, but acting pretty mean and having lots of meltdowns. I asked her if she is nervous about becoming a big sister, and the floodgates opened (for all three of us!). We've talked lots about this before, but not that he is almost here, her emotions are getting so big. It used to just be excitement, but now she is worried that we will love her baby brother more than her. We had a good talk. Kids are so intuitive.

Yeah this!

DD is a little younger so we had to have more directed convo, but there has been some stress on her part, despite the excitement, that we're working through. around my due date i started taking some time away from her, alone in my room, as i think toddler energy can distract you from the taskk at hand. i also realized that i had to let go of some guilt i had at "replacing" dd.
can you call on anyone to help out with your dc, to give you a bit of a break?