The new, new plan...
/What's that quote? No plan survives first contact with the enemy? Something like that anyway, and certainly the case last night.
While I hesitate to label D the enemy, my best laid plan lasted about two hours. We put her in her cot half asleep after her feed at 19:30 and she finally went to sleep at 21:30 with Ali and I huddling downstairs trying not to hear as D cried herself to sleep! After 2 hours of back to back soothe/sleep/wake/cry/soothe cycles we'd just had enough. Thankfully after only about 5 min of giving up.... silence!
Still back to the drawing board!
In truth the night wasn't a complete disaster since the rest of it passed OK (by D's low standards) she slept for 5hrs straight, then spent two unsettled hours before I was relieved of duty at 6:15.
This morning we discussed one topic: what is the outcome that we really want to achieve? In the end it came down to wanting her to sleep between around 22:00 and 7:00. Since she's barely eating over that period already it should be achievable. It's more about keeping all parties as happy/rested/quiet in the easiest way possible. So the new, new plan:
- I'm doing nights for the foreseeable future.
- 19:30 put her to sleep in the buggy and rock her to sleep - she just sleeps better that way.
- 22:30 wake, feed and put back to sleep in her cot.
- Sometime in the night (when she stirs) soothe and get her back to sleep. If she really loses the plot bring her in to bed with me to co-sleep.
- From 6am onwards - when she wakes take her to Ali for a feed and try and get some shut-eye.
Hopefully with no feeds and only me for company she'll decide she may as well sleep through until Ali's back on duty.
Wish us luck...