u/Asleep_Virus3949

My daughter is 22.5 months old and up until recently was generally a very good sleeper. We could do bedtime routine, put her into the cot awake and she’d happily go to sleep independently around 7pm.

Over the last couple of weeks things have completely changed and I’m struggling to work out if this is:
- separation anxiety / the 2 year sleep regression
- overtiredness
- undertiredness
- or all of the above.

A lot has changed recently:
- I’m heavily pregnant and currently in hospital waiting to give birth
- grandparents/my husband have been doing more bedtimes (although generally before this never bothered her who did bedtime)
- she’s almost 2

Although I would caveat all of the above with that this started about 2 weeks ago on and off BEFORE I was in hospital.

Current schedule is roughly:
Wake: 6:30–7am
Nap: usually around 12/12:15 for 1–1.5 hours (recently trying to cap by 1:15/1:30)
Bedtime: asleep around 7:15–7:30

The issue is bedtime and overnight wakes. She now gets very upset when we leave the room. If someone stays beside the cot and holds her hand/touches her, she’ll usually eventually lie down and fall asleep in the cot. But if we leave she can escalate into hysterical crying and standing.

We’ve also had split nights recently where she wakes around 1–1:30am and takes hours to settle unless held/cuddled and won’t go back in the cot. Since I’ve been in hospital, my husband has even had to bring her into bed a couple of times because nothing else was working.

What’s confusing me is:
- she still clearly seems tired
- she often falls asleep quickly if supported
- but she’s suddenly massively resisting separation at sleep times.

Does this sound more like separation anxiety/regression than a schedule issue? And if so, would you:
- lean into the reassurance temporarily?
- continue staying beside the cot?
- or try to push back toward independent sleep now?

I’m trying to balance not creating unsustainable habits with the reality that we’re about to bring home a newborn and everyone is exhausted 😅

Currently in hospital being induced due to give birth to my second baby. By way of background - I had my first daughter in July 2024, severe hypertension which turned to PE discovered at 40+5 and induced that day. Turned out to be a straightforward induction with one gel and waters broke naturally a few hours later with contractions, delivered vaginally with an epidural. My mum suffered from HELLP syndrome and severe hypertension with four pregnancies so when my BP started to spike and couldn’t be controlled under medication the decision to induce was made albeit I was quite overdue anyway. The epidural in labour brought my BP down but it shot back up as soon as the epidural wore off and I endured a 5 day hospital stay post birth and then 2 weeks at home on labetelol until it finally stabilised.

With all of that in mind, this time round I had been under consultant care until 36 weeks as baby growing well and no BP issues. BP issues began however at around 38+4, not severe but borderline. I was sent to triage at 38+4 for monitoring and ultimately sent home with BP just on the cusp at 140/90, a discussion was had with the doctor about inducing around 39w to hopefully prevent the same issues that happened in 2024. I had a community midwife appointment at 38+6, BP spiked at that appointment 158/95 and trace protein in urine, sent straight to triage and told to take my bags. Monitored at triage BP stayed elevated but responded to labetelol this time (that did not happen the first time). Triage was unbelievably busy and I was moved from the bed there after assessment to a chair for four hours while waiting for a doctor. Eventually saw a doctor who advised my bloods from the 38+3 appointment did have a marker for PE and it was their advice to induce the following day at 39w even though BP had stabilsed on medication. I did not want an early induction but after speaking with them again in the morning, took their advice given it was a second pregnancy and this would hopefully avoid any BP issue post birth. That’s all to say after staying on a “make shift” antenatal ward in the day care unit due to capacity issues at the hospital, I was taken to the “real” antenatal ward around midday the following day 39w and induction began at 2.30pm with a gel, I ended up having a full cycle of gels (3) over the course of 20 hours. That in itself was fine as I was aware of the slower progress with an earlier induction and none of it was particularly painful as my cervix, given it had a successful vaginal birth before, was stretchy and was making progress. The next day 39+1 the balloon was inserted to hopefully get me to a position to have ARM (or labour naturally). That was inserted around midday and after some cramping for a few hours regular “contractions/tightenings” went on while it was in place. It was removed around 1am where I had progressed to around 2/3cm but not “in labour” however I was ready for ARM and was told I would join a list to go to the labour suite and begin that process, I was told I was 5th on the list and the unit was extremely busy but hopefully it would be within 24 hours or the following day.

All of that is to say I am currently 30+ hours in to the wait for an available suite and the list has not moved at all, I am still fifth. It is incredible demoralising. I was effectively told I required an emergency induction due to the risk of Pe/ severe hypertension to then be left days without a bed and being told although my BP was completely stable on medication I cannot go home with monitoring in case that changes. I understand this is not on the midwives it is an issue with our system but I cannot help how I feel in this moment, I have a 22 month daughter at home who I have seen for an hour over the past 4 days and nights, the longest I have ever spent away from her. Of course she can visit the hospital but she’s 22 months old and does not understand. I find the care and treatment absolutely shocking and I have no idea what the solution is. I did lose my bloody show yesterday morning and had a sweep last night which again was not painful and got me to a full 3cm, I’m getting tightening and feeling a lot of pressure so I assume and hope that natural labour is on its way in any event. The not knowing and waiting is what is killing me all while getting only a couple hours of broken sleep on a ward with 3 other women at different stages of induction.

Can anyone relate to this and share their experiences and wait times?

Note: I am at the QEUH in Glasgow.