After the new baby.....

[Gentle Journey]

Me and the kids will be staying at my in-laws from 2 months before the baby is due and the month after. Plus, we are there Thurs. Fri. and Sat. night every week for the rest of the summer, plus Fri., Sat., Sun. naps. Currently, the only way to get DS(20 m) to sleep is to lie down with him. But he crawls around, crys and everything else cause it's no fun to go to bed at Nana's, there's so much fun! After he's asleep for the night and has been for awhile, we put him in a playpen (we just leave him during the day) At home, we rock him to sleep and put him in a crib. I know I'll be co-sleeping with the new one. I want JJ to be able to lie down and go to sleep like my DD(almost 4, but has been since she was much younger than JJ). I weaned her at 7 months, regretably and even more regretably would just give her a bottle and she'd fall asleep. I have no idea what to do with him. I want to be able to say prayers, read a story, kiss good night and that's it. And not be on our bed. It's just not going to work with the baby. What can I do? All I'm recieving is the standard CIO message and I've already read NCSS.

[BornFreeBaby]

Hi Sara

I only have 1 dd and 1 on the way, so I don't know if I would be of much help, but I am intersted in what some of the replys might be on this.

My thoughts are that if you are currently rocking him to sleep and putting him down in the crib, you could still do this when the baby comes... Feed the baby just before your ds's bedtime, hand the baby over to dh for a while, and then go rock and cuddle your ds to sleep.
Also, why wouldn't it work out to sleep w/ 2 at a time? In my head, I was thinking that when baby #2 comes along, I would put my dd next to dh to sleep and baby next to me for the night. :shrug

[Gentle Journey]

DH wont be there to act as a sheild from the NB for the first month. My lil guy crawls around the bed and often cries. Will be at MIL's house with no crib. I'm only full time co -sleeping with the NB for 2 months or so, then I want my bed back and I know if I waitied much longer, the baby would protest it's crib. Plus, DH isn't really into co-sleeping either. We did with my DD. I thought she'd be asleep, but really she ws pinching and digging her feet into him. DS is finally sleeping through the night, I'm afraid the baby waking would wake him if he's right next to it.

[BornFreeBaby]

Good point. I hadn't thought of that. It sounds like your going to have to do what you can to get ds to sleep- rock him or lay next to him- while MIL maybe helps watch the NB for a while until you get ds to sleep- If dh can't help, I'm sure your MIL will.
What about if you put him on a mattress on the floor either by the bed or maybe in another room if your afraid NB will wake ds. You could lay next to him on the floor to help him go to sleep while MIL watches baby, then when he falls asleep, you can take baby in bed w/ you until you no longer feel comfortable w/ that. Someone recommended the mattress on the floor thing to me, and I will probably be doing that if the co-sleeping w/2 doesnt' work out. Or, maybe your MIL will take over the rocking and putting ds to sleep in a playpen while you are there...
:shrug
Dr. Sears says that crying is the late stage of hunger, so as soon as you feel the nb rooting around, to feed him/her before they start crying, so it doesn't wake ds, but I know this is not what my dd did- she would wake up full alarm crying from gas bubbles... now you are getting me thinking about how this is going to work out for me!

[Gentle Journey]

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[BHope]

I know this is off topic, but you and I will be doing about the same things at the same time! I am moving in with my folks in early October. (Dh doesn't join us until late October.) Baby number two is due Nov 26th and we intend to stay with my folks for am a month after the birth. We'll be in a small room as well. Not even sure if there will be enough room to sidecar the crib for DD... (I am intending to have DD sleep in the side car, then Dh, then me and the babe.)

Oh the joys. lol.

I would suggest that when you are at Nana's (starting now) you have evening time be low stimulus. That way he's not feeling like he's being taken away from all the fun just to go to sleep. You're probably going to have to get your IL's on board with you. I would make the transition from awake to asleep start early. With lower lit lights, lower noise level, etc... Can you transfer DS after he's asleep? For instance, lay down with him and then 20 minutes after he's been asleep go in and move him to the floor/playpen/crib?

[Gentle Journey]

I do transfer him to a playpen, but I need a crib. He can ge his leg on to of the side, so it's unsafe now. DH has the kids up there since Thurs. night, I can't wait to see how things went.

We do have a lot in common :tu