I've posted before on here for this, but now I'm really desperate to get dd (13.5 months old) sleeping better, and preferably in the crib, and I need help. Right now she still naps in the baby carrier worn by either me or dh depending on who is home with her, and then sleeps in bed next to me at night and nurses on and off. However, lately 'sleeps in bed next to me' consists of hardly any sleep at all. It's been bad for a while now and I was hoping would get better, but it isn't. If it's not one thing it's something else, so really, it's just a bad habit now and needs to be corrected as she wakes every hour screaming and then ultimately is just up by 5:30am or so which is NOT enough sleep.
Dh was home with her the last few days and tried to get her to nap in the crib, but it never worked. He would rock her until completely asleep, mostly asleep, not asleep, etc... and every time no matter what or for how long or how exhausted, as soon as he'd lay her in the crib she'd wake up screaming and just wouldn't nap. Finally after 1.5 days of no naps he put her in the carrier to sleep. I haven't even tried her room or the crib at night, but her sleep is just atrocious and not healthy for anyone.
A few more relevant things... I have a crib in our bedroom that we could try, but in the past this never was helpful. She has a very cozy little room and I'd really prefer to get her in there. I have a twin mattress on the floor there that I could utilize to help somehow, though I doubt she will stay on the mattress for very long as she gets up a lot and rolls even more... Also, my son is in the room next to it and he sleeps well, so I hate the thought of disturbing him a lot (he's 3).
The other super relevant things are that: 1) she is deaf. She wears a hearing aid during the day and also just received a cochlear implant so will start wearing that next week, but for sleep she is not allowed to wear these so she can't hear anything. I think this leads to a heightened need for visuals and touch for her to completely relax. Though, in bed with me at night, once I nurse her to sleep, I lay next to her for a bit but then sneak away and she stays sleeping alone (just wakes every 1-2 hours to be nursed back). 2) she has a cardiac issue that makes it imperative that we don't allow her to get worked up into a frenzy, so absolutely no CIO techniques (not that I'd expect that from this board!).
Ok...so...help!!!!???
Re: Help, no idea how to get LO in the crib
I will say it was a loooong process. We didn't start until after his first birthday and it took a couple of weeks before we started seeing any improvement. We don't believe in CIO at all so the nanosecond he started to cry or get agitated/restless I would nurse him or DH would pick him up and rock him.
Also, on the rare occasion that we don't get to him before he wakes up we've noticed he just sits up in bed and looks at the door like he knows we're coming. It's pretty sweet actually.
I don't have any advice for napping because I bedshare with him during naptime.
I'm a FTM so that's the only advice I can give. Hope you find something that works for your family! GL!
For night weaning I did Dr. Jay Gordon's night weaning while bedsharing approach. I wouldn't nurse from 10pm (dream fed before I went to bed) until 4-5pm. Later we dropped both of those as well and just offered water at night. DS certainly did cry but he was always held and snuggled and bounced the worst crying was the first night of each stage he describes. Once he was night weaned naps and bedtime in his crib actually went better. Sounds like it's going to be a lot of trial and error to figure this out. Sending you thoughts for strength!
BFP#2 3/16/11, beta 138; 4/12 Baby/HB DS born 9/10/11 at 29w4d due to partial abruption and PTL
BFP#3 8/19/13 Another boy! 17P, modified bedrest and Nifedipine helped us have a termie! DS2 born 4/19/14 at 38w5d.
Breastfeeding Counselor with Breastfeeding USA
Babywearing Guide ** Newborn Carriers
Cloth Diaper Guide
Safe Bed Sharing Info
www.becomingmamas.com
Breastfeeding Counselor with Breastfeeding USA
Babywearing Guide ** Newborn Carriers
Cloth Diaper Guide
Safe Bed Sharing Info
www.becomingmamas.com
Me-36, Unexplained Infertility, DH-35, all clear
Clomid 50mg 12/2011 = BFN
Clomid 100mg 1/2012 = BFN, with Cyst
IVF #1 Lupron/Menopur/Gonal-f/HCG Trigger
ER 4/19/12 = 11 retrieved, 6 fertilized,
ET 4/22/12 = 2 transfered (day 3), remaining 3 weren't good enough to freeze
Beta 5/3 = BFP, 87 Beta #2 5/7 560.9 Beta #3 5/9 1376.5 First u/s One Baby, 125bpm!
Second u/s, 176bmp! Kicked over to the OB by the RE at 8w. Team Green!!
Also in the hour before bedtime the only room we hang out in is his room to let him know this is where he needs to be at nighttime. We play in there on the floor, then read book , nurse and then rock. Good luck !
With the hearing and cardiac issues I would just clear the room of anything and everything and use the floor bed. Get a video monitor. Go in and lie with her as needed, escape when you can. In time slowly remove yourself more and more. Use the video monitor to keep an eye on her. She may get up and wander around but unless she is upset just let her explore and bit and in time she will stay in bed more. If she's upset go in and lie with her/nurse her back to sleep.
As you mentioned if she can hear in the day but suddenly can't that night that would result in her waking and wanting you.
The only other thing I can say is that both my kids were such bad sleepers at that age! Something about toddlerhood...hope it gets better!
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)