i need help from mammas with 2+ kids

[WingsOfTheMorning]

Originally Posted by Niphredil

I'd also encourage you, as you teach her this new routine, to have daddy heavily involved for easier transition once baby comes.

We eased Lydia into bedtime w/ Daddy. He started supervising bathtime and reading to her, then I would go nurse her to sleep. (And I get it, b/c DH was deployed her first year, so I was THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE PERSON TO FALL ASLEEP WITH for a long time. )

[DancingWithElves]

btdt very recently

so, from our experience:
it did no good trying to get the 2 yo down earier/later/nap/no nap. she was a terror all the same it was a phase, it's over, we just had to survive it.

it had everything to do with *my* sleep and overall well-being. i used melatonin to get sufficient sleep. if you don't know much about it, do a search here, i and other users posted extensively about it in Natural Health

do you have symptoms of adrenal fatigue? my fav. website source for info about it is drlam.com
if so, consider treatment. now is the time. leaving AdFa untreated will affect the unborn baby.

even under the best of circumstances it's hard hang in there.

[jossamalyn]

A basic routine and an early bedtime really helped when we stopped having Elliot nap (he was around 2). We found even a 30 minute nap meant he was up until 10pm.
Sounds like you need a break too! Is there someone who can let you have an afternoon to yourself to relax?

[jewel97]

Originally Posted by Lady Grey

What if you left the house a couple of nights a week? (coffee shop, grocery shopping or whatever) The Dh and DD could learn to do bedtime on their own.

If I could only get dh to agree lol. No she really is hard to get to sleep. The only way she will fall asleep is nursing or in the car. Even for me...that's why we still nurse at night I don't know how on earth we will ever completely stop nursing... I am going to try to get dh to help more on the getting ready for bed thing though.

Tonight as been much less stressful. We did bath at 7. teeth, jammies, snack and story. THen I asked if she was ready for bed and she said yes and climbed in our bed she really is a sweet sweet girl just very opinionated! Lol.

---------- Post added at 08:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:29 PM ----------

Originally Posted by jossamalyn

A basic routine and an early bedtime really helped when we stopped having Elliot nap (he was around 2). We found even a 30 minute nap meant he was up until 10pm.
Sounds like you need a break too! Is there someone who can let you have an afternoon to yourself to relax?

Probably but most times I'm to proud to ask for help. I'm used to being super mom and doing everything. I feel more like a failure when I admit I need help. One day last week. She woke up at 230 am like it was morning. I was so sick and so tired and so grumpy. I finally broke down and took her to my inlaws . I hated it because she knew I was upset and was clinging to me crying and I hate making her upset. Ug! this week i have been spending a lot of time with my sister so she has interaction and I can lay on the couch.

[Lady Grey]

Got it. I didn't realize she nurses to sleep when I suggested that.