u/BookObvious9165

So my first baby is now 3 and still needs mega support to go to sleep. I don’t know how to parent a baby who doesn’t need this high level of support! My 5 month old just fed, rolled over, played with his feet and went to sleep. What the heck! I kept rolling him back to me to feed him but he was having none of it and rolled off to do his own thing.

What is this madness?! What will happen next? I’ll just put him to bed and he’ll go to sleep?!

For info - I feed him to sleep, contact nap, bed share etc etc and always have done.

My husband is currently battling bedtime with the 3 year old. I can’t waltz around having had an easy bedtime 😂.

Hi all,

As in the title - 17 week old, napping 4-5 times a day. Fed to sleep or sleeps in car/puschair/sling. Got some pesky short naps around at the moment but once a day will sleep for over an hour (4 month thing etc etc).

Before bed, he will fall asleep on the boob for around 30 mins then rouse and sleepily feed for another 30-45 mins before properly going to sleep. Resulting in being latched for 1-1.5 hours before a fairly good (2 hour 🤨) stretch. Fine with all of that but wondering about this lonnnggg feed before bed and can’t find much online.

Have tried shortening/extending wake window before bed out of curiosity and makes no difference.

Normal? Phase? Any experiences?

Thanks!

Hi all,

3 year old has always co-slept. He needs someone with him to fall asleep every night.

3 month old is EBF, fed to sleep and co-sleeps.

Usual situation - me and my husband take turns. One night, I feed the baby and put the 3 year old to bed while he holds/distracts/rocks baby who may or may not go to sleep. The next night, I feed the baby to sleep while he does bedtime with 3 year old. 3 year old will then sleep alone until first wake up, sometimes he sleeps through, husband joins him in his bed. I do all the nights with the baby.

Tomorrow night, I will be doing bedtime solo for the first time. Husband will be back by 10pm ish. I’m very lucky and I know there are lots of experienced solo parents out there doing this every night. I would love some of your wisdom on how I might achieve this without everyone losing the plot!

Thank you!

Hi all,

I had my second baby in March 2026 and thought it may be useful to some to share my VBAC story.

First birth: First baby born in April 2023 at 41+6. Low Papp-a so high risk monitoring throughout but no issues with this. Had a category 2 emergency c section after a partial placental abruption during labour when pitocin induction was unsuccessful. We were both fine but recovery was difficult for me and I struggled with my mental health post partum for around 10 months.

VBAC thoughts while pregnant: I was keen to try a VBAC due to finding the recovery from c section so hard. However, I was open to whatever was needed. My consultant was supportive as was my community midwife. All were clear that there would be a low threshold for c section if required which I agreed with. Given history of going overdue it was advised that I didn’t go past 41 weeks. Was offered and declined sweeps and induction.

Labour story: prodromal labour for 3 days and then went in to labour at 40+3 on the Friday evening. Called the hospital to advise and was asked to go in for a check given history. Declined cervical examination at this point as knew was early and didn’t want to get disheartened. Was allowed to go home after foetal monitoring to labour at home (22.30). Told to come back when contractions were 4 in 10mins or when I “wasn’t coping anymore”. At 03:30 things started getting a bit more intense so I put the tens machine on (life saver) and continued to rest in bed, even managed an hour of sleep! At 07:30 I was struggling to cope with the intensity of the contractions although they weren’t yet 4:10. My husband thought we should wait a little longer but I was very keen to get to hospital at this point!

We slowly got up and sorted and left for the hospital at 08:15. I was examined at 08:45 and requested a cervical examination and was 4cm! Requested gas and air and was managing well, laughing with the midwife between contractions. Doctors came in on ward round at 9.25 and discussed low threshold for c section but were supportive of VBAC. At this point I asked for an epidural as felt it would be useful if I needed another c section (I have scoliosis) and also to try and keep things super positive for my last labour experience. This was agreed and the anaesthetist bleeped.

At 9.57 I went to the toilet and whilst there had a super intense contraction. I stood up and shuffled back to get my gas and air and on the next contraction my waters broke. I then immediately started spontaneous pushing and my baby was born at 10.09 in 6 pushes. He had the cord around his neck but was fine. He had to be stimulated at birth as was a little shocked (understandably).

My active labour (from 4cm) lasted 1h48 mins. I pushed for 8 minutes and it was a wonderful, healing (very unexpected) experience.

The anaesthetist arrived for my epidural 2 minutes after the baby was born…

A very surprising and wonderful experience and I’m actually glad I didn’t get the epidural in the end. I feel very grateful to have been so supported by the medical team in my quest for a VBAC.

Wishing you all well in your own experiences. Happy to answer any questions if I can.

Hello!

Bed sharing with my 15 week old. We feed side lying to sleep and on wake ups. When he unlatches he immediately starts pushing his face in to the bed and rolls on to his stomach then turns his head to the side. He can’t reliably do this when he’s awake but he’s working very hard at it. Not sure how he manages it when he’s asleep. Anyway. I have been rolling him back over to his back and he does not appreciate it. Anyone faced the same problem? When does it resolve?!

Thanks!

Whilst feeding, my three month old will push with his legs and pull my nipple/unlatch completely then scream to go back on - then repeat. Just a phase while he’s discovering he can move himself with his legs? Any tips? He even manages to do it when side lying which has always been so peaceful before!

Thanks!

Hi all,

12 week old still can’t stay awake longer than 30-40 mins. He starts staring off, yawning and eventually crying if I don’t get him to sleep. He contact naps except the first nap of the day to make sure he gets a good amount of sleep in the day. But he’s just hardly ever awake! He feeds every 2-3 hours even if he’s asleep, he cries for boob and then sleeps whilst feeding. Night time sleep is pants the last week also. Wanting to feed all night whilst asleep sort of. 😴

My first was the opposite, awake all the time and I had to work really hard to get him to nap.

Anyone else having similar? I thought by 12 weeks there would be proper bits of awake time where I would do tummy time and toys etc.