# Introducing new baby to toddler's nighttime routine



## Jamiemama (Jan 19, 2003)

We are expecting our second baby in May. Our first dd is 28 months and we are wondering how we will adjust - especially our toddler. She no longer nurses at night and is potty trained. So she falls asleep after a routine of stories, singing etc. If mom is sleeping next to her she sleeps right thru the night until I wake or later. However, for various reasons we were hoping to move her to a different place to sleep in our room. She is happy to sleep on a mattress on the floor as long as I am there. She usually will wake during the night once or twice if she stirs and I am not next to her and will come over and ask to be in the "big bed". So I get up and sleep with her on the floor.

We want to cosleep with our newborn but for various reasons not have the toddler with us. What are your experiences with two? Have you helped ease your older child into a separate sleeping space? My dh thinks that we will all adjust somehow, and so far our dd has made changes such as stopping to nurse at night smoothly. I am wondering how I will manage putting my toddler back to sleep as well as care for a newborn at night.


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## WriterMama (Mar 27, 2002)

No answers, just the same concern. Hopefully we'll get lots of advice from mamas who've been there


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## LGSW (Dec 12, 2002)

Boy I hope you get some answers because my dd is the same age and I'm also expecting in May! She goes to sleep in her "big girl bed" (a toddler matress on the floor in my room) but inevitably crawls up into our bed during the night, usually around 2-3am. Often I don't even wake up when she does it. We have a queen-sized bed and I KNOW I want to co-sleep with my next baby...there is just NOT enough room in that bed for 2 adults, a large squirmy toddler, and a newborn.

We are hoping to move her into her own room on a twin-sized matress in a few weeks. (Have to buy it first). It's not that I want her out of the room...i really don't!







But we don't have enough floor space in our br for a twin and also, I'm afraid she will still crawl into our bed and put the baby in danger.

So it seems to be the only option and one of necessity.









Good luck! When is your due date? Mine is roughly 5-5-02 but I have the feeling this could be more of an Easter baby. We'll see!


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## Jamiemama (Jan 19, 2003)

Thanks for the responses so far! My due date is 5.20.03, I really hope some co-sleeping parents of two or more will share some of their collective wisdom/experience!


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## MamaMonica (Sep 22, 2002)

I had my son when my daughter was 33 months old and potty-trained, no longer nursing at night but sleeping with us and curled up next to me. We were concerned about adding a new baby to the bed. We tried to move dd out to her big girl bed, but she didn't stay-- she woke up all night and it was easier to let her back.

My dd slept between dh and the wall and the nursing baby slept next to me- so the toddler could never roll over on the new baby (who very quickly could *** the toddler if she did that). Amazingly, dd slept through the baby's cries and the baby slept through the toddler's bedtime routine noise. We all got as much sleep as could be expected with a new baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monica


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## LGSW (Dec 12, 2002)

OH, thanks for your response! I'm thinking this might work for us if ONLY we had a kingsized bed! As it is, our dinky queen, pushed up against the wall, leaves us all feeling really cramped in the morning.









Lindsey


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## MamaMonica (Sep 22, 2002)

It really does only work with a big bed. We added a twin next to our queen (pressed against it)- we simply could not all fit on the queen-- the extra space was the key to whole thing. Good luck. It will work out, one way or another, so don't worry too much-- I worried and planned and things took their own course regardless.
Monica


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## CerridwenLorelei (Aug 28, 2002)

know if it will help you much
ds#2 was 15 mos when ds#3 was born. We had a port a crib my mother had bought us when we had dd. We used it for occasional naps and when I was out too hard sometimes to be
alert.
But most of the time they both slept with us. They slept between us and we never had trouble with the toddler rolling on his brother. we talked before the baby came home about how fragile he would be and how we needed to be easy. We used a baby doll for practice sometimes too.
A time or two we put newborn between us and would use the port-a-crib like an armsreach
hth a tiny bit?


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