You could always try speaking to Cecile DeScally, she really helped me get my LO's in to a good routine, and they sleep well now. Give her a call on 050 6947938 - she is really supportive!
Thanks for the hugs Greenish - they have been warmly received. And thanks too to Shaf and Hello Kitty for the suggestions.
I have been spending a lot of time with my son but somehow he still feels insecure, I suppose that is to be expected.
Good luck for the delivery next month Shaf and hope the arm pinching doesn't go on for too long!
Big hugs Shenkins. It's SO hard when the little ones are so close in age. My first two are 20 months apart so I have some idea what it might be like for your son. While it's really exhausting right now, just wait until they are a little bit older and the very best of mates! :D I love watching my two play so well together.
I love Hello-Kitty's suggestion of spending as much time as you can (while still looking after yourself) with your older child. I also found feeding times the easiest time to concentrate on my older one. He'd snuggle up next to me and we'd sing quiet songs or read a book or just snuggle.
I too agree that as much as your husband's schedule allows, he needs to be "Bedtime Guy". If Daddy can't do it, maybe try carrying the baby in a sling while you tend to your son? Try to get a really set routine happening which your husband carries out from start to finish as often as possible. Ours was always dinner, bath, story & milk then bed all done over a period of about an hour. No TV on in the house, no loud music (calm, soothing background music can sometimes help), dimmer lights if possible, quiet talk...none of this Daddy-comes-home-and-the-rough-play-begins business. ;) Try as often as you can to be reading stories before your son is really tired so he's getting into bed calm and sleepy, not over-tired and wound up.
Fingers crossed he's dropping off to sleep by himself very soon.
yup, it sounds like he's concerned that you'll leave him - it's an attention thing and bless him, it must be terribly hard adjusting from mummy's only focus to 2nd!
Make sure you spend as much time as possible with him, just interacting with him. I always found that my DD's difficult times were while I was feeding DS, so I'd get her to sit nest to me and I'd feed DS without even looking at him, just looking at her and chatting to her.
BUT at the same time, define boundaries. Maybe bedtimes become "daddy time" so that you can concentrate on No.2.
well, get ur husband to do it?
As its obviously working.
And maybe u can make it a point to spend atleast an hour with him exclusively everyday. I think the poor kid is insecure.
I am expecting my second one next month, and my DS (19months) has been squeezing my arm, pinching it for 4-5months now. Only when he goes to sleep.
I hope he will be alright when the new one comes! :)
Hi ladies,
Wondering if anyone can help........ I have an 18 month old boy and a 6 week old baby. Since the arrival of the new baby my son's sleeping or rather falling asleep in the evening has gone haywire. Its taking him over an hour to fall asleep and that too requires my hand so that he can squeeze the living daylights out of it!! If I try and take my hand away he ends up screaming and crying; thereafter I am unable to calm him down as he gets so hysterical. I just spent an hour trying to get him to sleep and eventually my husband went in and my son was asleep in 15 mins!!!
I know the presence of the baby has obviously affected my son - but realistically I can't spend over an hour every night trying to get him to fall asleep....any ideas how to resolve this issue would be appreciated.