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Attachment Parenting
JocelynB0911
member
Lurker in need of lots of toddler sleep advice
JocelynB0911
member
Hey ladies, I am new to this board but could use some advice. We have an almost 2 year old son who is the sweetest thing. When he was born I did nothing different with him than I did with our daughter. Breastfed, co-slept for the first few months, did baby wearin, etc and all was well. He had some respiratory issues brought on from a bug his sister brought back from daycare and since when he gets sick he has a harder time breathing. SOOO I thought it would be a great idea to put him in bed with us. It was more for me to know he was ok. Like I said we did the same thing with DD but transitioned her into the crib with no issues.
Fast forward to him being 9 months (jan 2012) and we just moved into a bigger house. We didnt push the whole crib thing because I felt it was too much with the move and all. Are we sensing a pattern here? This past summer we really tried to let him CIO and to no avail. I finally broke down and took him to a sleep specialist and had a sleep study done. Turned out his tonsils were so large that he would stop breathing during the night randomly. We had them removed for his long term health and **thought** it would've solved the whole sleeping on his own issue. Nope. He will just cry and cry until we go an get him and once he is in my arms or cuddled up next to me he will fall fast asleep. He will sleep fine in his crib for naps (I am a SAHM now) and will go down for the first 2 hours at bed time but after that its our bed or the whole house is up for the night.
Now dont get me wrong, I love being close with my kids and we all have a strong bond but I am pregnant with twins and even in our king sized bed, I am already hugging the edge with little man (lies hes 35lbs and tall) kicking me in my back and face. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to ease him back into the crib without too much crying? I am not against the CIO method but it just breaks my heart to listen to him go at it for so long when I know what he wants.
Side note: We have thought about just putting a full sized mattress on the floor to see if it is a space issue but havent gotten that far. Thoughts on this as well, please.
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Re: Lurker in need of lots of toddler sleep advice
So he's nearly 2 now? Do you want him to move into a crib or into a bed? That's the first thing to decide.
Either way, I'd move him into something next to your bed - either a mattress on the floor or a sidecarred crib. If he'll start in his crib and nap in his crib, I'd keep starting him in his crib for now. Then, if he wants to come to your room, make a new rule that he needs to sleep in his floor bed. You or DH can lie there with him if you want, for a few minutes. Does he have a bed he'll be transitioning to? If not, I'd buy the mattress that you'll want for that and use it.
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We just did this with DD. We bought her a twin bed and let her pick out the sheets. The first week DH or I would sleep in her bed with her, then we put a cot next her bed and slept there. We moved the cot further from the bed every couple of nights. Now she sleeps in her room by herself. She will still wake up on occasion, we just go in, tuck her in again and give her a kiss. I think she just likes to know we are still there.
The whole process went much better then we expected. I also let her pick out a night light and she hasn't been calling for us as often. Good luck, HTH!!
I lie next to DS2 while he falls asleep, and he's almost 2.5. He still won't have anything to do with going to sleep on his own, but it's okay by me, he'll eventually get there.
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
Our almost-2 toddler never slept in a crib, so I am coming at your question from that perspective.
We have a twin bed in his room (on the floor) and a twin-sized mattress next to our bed. From about midnight on, I will nurse/sleep with him in one of his beds. It's a slow transition for us, but if I take a long-view, he is spending more time in bed alone.
I guess my thoughts are similar to the PPs, I wonder if a crib-less option would be more similar to what he's used to in your bed? Both of our beds for DS work, each with their own pros and cons.
Another thought, does he have any loveys? In the last month, my DS has gotten quite attached to them, and I sometimes find him cuddling with one when he's alone in his bed.