Sleeping away from home 4 first time

[annsam]

Hi,

DS is 11 months old and we are going away next month. He has NEVER slept in a port-a-cot, wont even sleep in his pram. Its got to be his cot or nothing. Sooooo..... does anyone have any tips on traveling with babies who have never slept elsewhere? :o

I know to take attachment objects and Ive been told it can help to take some of the sticky things on the wall if they are above the cot but I dont know whether to get him used to a port-a-cot now and risk causing sleep issues with the disturbance (we've only just got three months of sleep issues sorted :( ) or do I go cold turkey while we are away and expect that he will eventually settle.

Any suggestions anyone????
Thanks!

[Chickadee]

I think I cheated a little. First time dd slept away from home or her cot (in her portacot) was at around 3 months - we left her for the evening with a friend who's a midwife :) Although we had some sleep issues between 4 and 6 months, dd has never been any worse in her portacot than in her cot if you consider that
- when we're travelling her daytime sleeps have usually already been disrupted and she may be cranky or tired. She's harder to settle in her cot on those kinds of days anyways.
- when travelling it's not so much being in a strange room or setting that might make her reluctant to sleep, but that there often isn't the same amount of separation between where she sleeps and where we're still being active. She can usually hear us much better than at home, and being social would rather still be up with us than in her bed.

I guess it depends on what bedtime routine you've established. Ideally everything in the routine should be portable and repeatable anywhere you go. For that reason I've never made a bath part of dds bedtime routine, or turning on a special light, or anything like that. If bub is really fixed on his cot than it may be worth trying it out at home first and getting him used to it. Sometimes the refusal to sleep in a pram is more to do with bub's position in it (we have a side sleeper) and the fact that it's out in the middle of lots of potentially fun activity, and not because it's not his cot.

[jembelina]

i went to visit my mum interstate when my DS was 4 months old, using the porta cot for the first time. he was not a great sleeper then anyway and i was concerned about how it would go - he also rarely sleeps in the pusher. i was pleasantly surprised - we even had new linen and blankets of my mums, so nothing familiar at all - he slept in it perfectly, no probs at all. don't know if this helps, just my experience.

[polony]

I am currently away from home at the moment, and my baby won't sleep anywhere unless she has her "bumpers" which are two padded rolls on either side of her so she can sleep on her side. And she is sleeping like she does at home.

Because of this, the only thing I can suggest is that you take something with you that is familiar to the baby when it is bedtime, to take with you. Maybe practice before you go too! Whether it is a teddy, a special blanket etc. Maybe even a tshirt of yours that smells like you to keep bubs feeling happy and secure that you are there in someway.

Babies also love routine, so I suggest you just continue on with your bedtime ritual (if any) and baby should know that it is bedtime, even though they aren't home. I really wish you luck and hope this helps!

Love Brooke and Layla xxoo

[annsam]

Thanks so much ladies. Thats a great help! :D