Intro and a sleep question

SunflowersBride

Hi ladies, I've been lurking on this board for a while and figured I should say hi and see if anyone has some suggestions for my sleep issue. I have a DS who is just over 8 months old and we have been following AP practices since he was born. He is still breastfeeding and we bed share at night to allow for easy access and closeness since I work full-time and am gone all day. 

I have been nursing him to sleep for a while now. It's been something that I think we have both enjoyed and a nice, relaxing way to end the day. However recently, he has become super mobile with crawling and pulling to stand, and he wants to do those things all day long. So when we lay down at bedtime, he will start to nurse, but then pop off and roll over, sit up, use my legs to stand, etc. This goes on for probably 30-45 minutes before he finally gets tired enough and falls asleep. We do a loose bed time routine of bath, lotion, book, bed, but I haven't found this to really make much of a difference. Last night I tried to put him down a little earlier (he typically goes to bed around 8:30) but it just took even longer to get him down.  Does anyone have any ideas, or been through this? Is this a phase since he's only pretty recently become very mobile, or is this a new normal? I've tried looking for some suggestions on my BMB, but they are all super into the SE solution, which just is not for me, so I figured I would try here.  TIA!

vvvvvfee

is your SO around to help with bedtime? DS has gone through several phases like that, when he's just too wacky and hyper after nursing to go to sleep. during those times, i send him off to DH to complete the bedtime process. when he was younger, he would hold him and bounce him on an exercise ball and play music. now he'll just lie with him in bed and watch something calming on youtube, or just lie quietly with him until he falls asleep. if he's super wound up, i generally find it easier to just let him run around until he get exhausted. i've always tried to take the path of least resistance when it comes to sleeping.

SunflowersBride

Well, DH is around, but getting him to help with bed time is a chore in and of itself I completely agree with taking the path of least resistance with sleeping, which is why nursing to sleep has worked so well for me! I will try to talk to DH and see if he could help out (I need some time to myself anyway!) Maybe I will try a little bit later of a bed time tonight and see how that goes.  I am at least fortunate that he sleeps pretty well over night, usually 1-2 wakeups but he nurses so quickly and goes back to sleep so easily that they don't bother me.

CNYBride05

I can't nurse my girls to sleep at bedtime. We nurse in the glider, then DH puts them to bed (they start in cribs, come in our bed later). Maybe try a change of location (glider or rocker) and cradle hold instead of side lying. This is a tough time though - newly mobile and so curious

SunflowersBride

Thanks so much ladies!  I will work on some other comfort techniques and try a change of location.