How did you manage sleep with 2 kids?

Corinne - posted on 06/18/2011

i put mine down for quiet time too! even though she still doesnt nap, its soooooo nice! lol this baby seems a lot better sleeper, in the womb, then my first was so im hoping thats a good sing!

Kim - posted on 06/18/2011

In the 2 weeks I have been home with both of mine I have discovered the following:
my daughter has LOTS of energy and had dropped her naps too. However, now that the little guy is here, his crying wakes her up at night (not enough to make her cry, but disrupts her sleep) so she has been napping since he came home! :) Even if she wasn't she has "quiet time" in her bed in her room for at least an hour a day. I time this so my son is also sleeping at the same time, that allows me time to catch a little nap before one of them needs something. It has taken some trial to figure out how things are going to work, but they have so far!

Corinne - posted on 02/09/2011

One lady posted but it was all stuff that i did with my first daughter... some of you might find it helpful so ill post it!

"is she on a routine when she goes to bed with a set bed time? are you clear that when she goes to bed, she should stay in bed and not get up? i put a child proof lock on the door knob for awhile on my daughter's door so she could not get up in the middle of the night and start running around (she was really quiet!) and she learned to stay in bed because there was no point in getting up. i also unscrewed the light bulb so she could not turn on the light and took away all the toys in her room so she would not want to play. any time she did get up, i would march her straight away back to bed and tell her it was time to sleep. i would shut the door and wait outside her door and keep repeating this over an over again. i did have a night light in her room and a little light next to her bed from ikea that she could turn on that stayed on for a minute or two so she would not be scared.

as for the baby, i had her sleep with me. i nursed in bed. i kept diapers, wipes, a few spare changes of clothes, and water next to me so i never had to get out of bed. i would wake up and change her if i needed to, lift up my shirt, nurse and go back to bed. all and all i would be up for ten minutes total at a time! i was ready to get up with the other kids in the morning... i would also go to bed a little earlier than usual, so i could get more sleep. another thing i did was buy a gate for my living room and completely baby proof it and take a nap on the couch while my two year old watched tv with some snacks. it helped a lot and i slept light enough to hear her. often times she would climb up on the couch with me and take a nap.

when my baby was around three months i started putting her in her bassinet in the same room as me because she was sleeping a little better and not waking up as much. i would put her in her bassinet to sleep during the day to so it would not come as a shock to her to suddenly be sleeping in it. by the time she was six months she was sleeping through the night, and she didn't sleep with me at all and hasn't since.

for bottle feeding, i would put water by my bed and a bottle with formula already measured out in it and make it right there. that way the water was warm and i didn't have to get out of bed either. i would lay down and feed the baby cradled in my arms. i wish you good luck!"

Corinne - posted on 02/09/2011

These were the suggestions that i personally found most helpful!

“your first is old enough to still have time by herself if you want to sleep infact my child nurse and otehr people I know with 4 kids say its vital at least an hour put them in their room shut the door and if they dont sleep they can play. My dauhter is not much older then that and when the baby is sleeping I lay on the couch and rest I fall asleep for a few minutes here and there but she does bug the hell out of me lol. I would still put her down for rest time. Or have you thought about putting your eldest in daycare mine goes to daycare 2 days a week for about 4-6 hours. Helps me alot. It was orignally just for her to interact with other kids but since i have my second daughter its a god sent “

“I don't know where you are but here in the UK we have a programme called Home Start where volunteers (usually with grown up children and spare time) help out families with young children that need support. My sister is a volunteer and I know a few people who have used it. They will come and help with anything from housework, days out or just letting new parents sleep. Maybe look in your area and see if there is something similar. “

“Don't worry to much about your sleep pattern your daughter will be as sleep deprived as you are and will sleep more soundly once the baby is born. I agree with katherine though enlist as much help as possible from friends and family to take care of your eldest child so you can sleep.

I also had a routine with my husband that he would get up on a Friday night and Saturday night to do the feeds so that I could have two nights full sleep a week. This worked very well and as my sons got older my husband would get up on a saturday with the kids and I would on a sunday it is all about team work. “

Corinne - posted on 02/08/2011

ill see what i can do!

Erin - posted on 02/08/2011

That is a great question. I wonder if another board would be able to give you more response. I want to know the answer as well. If you do post somewhere else. Toddler board or something. Please let me know.