[ruthann8]

Ellamae has always had sleeping issues. I have let her sleep wherever she slept the best. She didn’t like sleeping with me until after she was 6 months old and I was thrilled that she finally wanted to sleep with me. But we are having issues. She will only sleep with me! I can’t even use the restroom without her screaming. If I lay her down so I can brush my teeth or take a shower she screams. I work so this is creating a problem for others. My dh and her sitter cannot get her to nap! And to top it all off she thinks she can nurse every hour, which wouldn’t be so bad except she won’t nurse laying in bed, she cries until I do the football hold in my living room chair. I am not a cio, person so any ideas would be helpful. She has always slept in the same room with me but I think maybe putting her in her own room may be the way to go otherwise I’m afraid she will cry and cry until I cave and let her sleep with me. Should I work on first the nursing issue or sleeping on her own issue, or maybe both at the same time. Once last night I ignored her fussing to nurse and she laid across my head crying for my attention and she fell asleep in that position

[twinzplus3]

I'd work on fixing the nursing issue and getting her to nurse. . .then the sleeping issue. Are your dh and sitter on board with the ap parenting or not really?

[ruthann8]

My dh is ap style except he doesn’t go to her as soon as I do when she cries. He doesn’t let her cio but it doesn’t bother him to let her cry when he takes a quick shower or use the restroom etc. He even likes using a front carrier (she hated my sling) He does think I baby her and need to let her fuss a little more but I can’t stand to have her upset.

She only goes to the sitter Tues and Thurs 7am to 11am. The sitter does her best but with multiple kids it is a little difficult. The sitter asked us to encourage her to nap on her own because the she is unable to nap with her. She is only there 4 hours but does get grumpy without a nap.

[twinzplus3]

Is she cutting teeth or anything? I think I'd still work on the nursing stuff first bc I suspect that the sleeping issue will be soon to follow suit. I certainly understand the sitter, but I have to say too that I've had kids that simply didn't nap on their own no matter what I did. While some people would say it can be trained, I have to say I see a huge difference in personalities in my children. . .that of course was reflected in their nursing styles. One thing I did with the twins was let them sleep in a bouncy or swing during the day. HTH

[ruthann8]

She has been sick off and on this past month. I have brought her to the doctor many times, she was either sick or teething. But she had two molars break though yesterday. She has cut down on the nursing and nurses before bed and around 1am and 5am. I was going to try to get her to sleep in her crib this weekend but it has been recalled and I am waiting on replacement parts. So I had her sleep in her pack n play. Friday she slept half the night in it and Saturday she slept the whole night in it. Then yesterday she got a fever and was sick. She would cry and kick the instant I tried to lay her in it, even if she was asleep she instantly knew I was trying to lay her in it. But I think we are getting somewhere. When she is well again, I think I will start her off sleeping in her play n pack and then move her to our bed after a few hours of sleeping on her own. That way she stays used to sleeping by herself but yet can still get the comfort of sleeping with mommy.

I do think her nursing style is the problem, she nurses for comfort. It is how she likes to be put to sleep so every time she wakes she wants me to nurse her back to sleep. And when she is sick or teething she is permanently attached to me! When she was younger I had my dh go out and buy every style of pacifier for her but she refused them all. Thanks for the help.

[ruthann8]

She hasn't been taking a nap at the sitters, but the sitter said she has just been go go go and probably wouldn't nap anyway. So she just waits untill after lunch and takes a long nap with daddy. There is another little girl just a few months older that she loves to play with.

[twinzplus3]

Yay--I'm glad that it's working out!