in November 2024 Babies 🇬🇧

Partner struggling causing arguments

My baby is 5months + 1 week and I’m still rocking him to sleep? I feel like I’m doing the wrong thing because no one else is able to put him to sleep. My parents have tried to rock him for a nap but he just literally laughs at them or wriggles about. My partner can rock him to sleep for his day time naps but can’t put him to bed of an evening. Most naps I rock him whenever we are then I’ll either hold him for all of the nap or hold him for 10 minutes then put him down in his cot in his own room. (He sleeps in the next to me at night) or if we’re out and about he’ll fall asleep in the pram. Tonight my partner has tried to rock him to sleep, after doing the night time routine together. I give him his bottle (I combi feed - formula twice a day the rest of the time breastfed) while his dad reads him a book, on our bed with the room dark / night light on. He cried hard for 35 minutes, I ended up taking over because I couldn’t stand the crying and he instantly fell asleep in my arms and I was able to put him in his next to me. Is it a phase? Have I made things worse for myself? Do I need to sleep train him to self settle?

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This is a very common problem. If you don't mind being the only one who can put him to bed for now, then there's no issue. If you want to break this habit then you'll probably have a week or two to adapt. However, it may be more than 35 mins crying. It could be 2 hrs. So you both need to be ready for that. But if you give in, then baby learns that eventually ypu come in.

You're not the only one, we are currently going through the same. My partner can put her down for her naps but not every nap will be easy. I always end up doing bedtime, which can be hard sometimes. We are talking about letting her cry it out because now I think she knows if I cry mummy will take me. The other night my partner trying to put her down after night feed, and she would cry for a bit and then smile in my direction. The moment I took her she was all smiles and asleep within 10min.

I was rocking every night before bed, every nap, everytime he woke in the night. & I’ve just stopped, It’s not been easy and there’s been a few tears but I just put the baby down and shushed him till he eventually goes to sleep, it’s been a few days and no more tears, goes down so much easier. Obviously you have to do what works for you but the rocking was driving me insane x

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