Terrified of her crib...

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

So Saturday night Spencer had a bad reaction to eggs, she had them for supper at 5pm and she was fine, but then I put her in bed and went to have a shower. Apparently she was freaking out so DH went and got her, he thought it was her teeth, gave her motrin and put her back to bed.

So, until I got out of the shower she was alone in there. I went in and turned on the light to discover her face was covered in hives. Gave her a dose of benadryl, she gave me a talking to and then I sat with her for a bit and tried to put her back in bed.

Cue panic attack, clawing and trying to get out of the crib...I ended up bringing in Masyn's Dora couch and laying on the floor with Spencer on top of me until she was out - she would not even lay beside me, had to be right on me! So now every nap and bedtime since she has had these panic attacks (which she has had before when a neighbour came over so I could chase down the dog when he got out)

So, I've been doing what I used to do when she was tiny and standing over the crib doing our version of shh/pat to calm her down. I am trying so hard not to pick her up because I don't want to undo months of hard work sleep training her when she was little. So now how the heck do I get back my self soothing, goes to bed without a care girl? Previous to this I had not been in her room at bedtime or for a NW since she was 7 months old, even through teething.

Oh, and I should mention she's a touchy/spirited toddler who is very attached to her Mommy 

Heidi

[jess, lukeys_mom]

oh poor thing!

i am going to move your post over to toddler sleep to get some more help for you x

[Mashi]

Heidi, my own experiences with getting through things like this is that we were always better off doing whatever it takes to get DS comfortable again, even if that means a few nights of rocking for instance. He's one - he knows how to sleep on his own, he's just having a short term need to be comforted to sleep instead.  He doesn't forget, it doesn't un-do months of working on independent sleep, it just means for him, that right now, it's something that he doesn't WANT to do.  I know I'm not a very BW mom in that I am pretty lenient with that kind of thing, but I look at it as what's worse -- putting her through a traumatic time being this upset or giving her what she needs/wants at this moment, and then having to spend 3 or 4 days reminding her of what she already knows?  If she's been going to sleep on her own every sleep for the past 7 months I can't see a few days of parenting her to sleep undoing all of that!  Worst case, once she is no longer afraid of her crib, it takes a week of GW to remind her of what she already knows!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Stacy - Spencer's room is about the size of a postage stamp and the crib is on the only wall not taken up by either a window or door. Also, I think it may be more the time and the room, as that's where her allergic reaction happened and the two are linked in her mind, kwim?  I have been considering lately having the girls share Masyn's room as all they do in their rooms is sleep, but Spencer likes it blacked out and Masyn is scared of the dark.

Mashi - You are probably right on the money, and strangely enough I was way more lenient with Masyn, but I guess it's just the fact that things have been going so great that I don't want to screw up. That, and DH (a champion of all things AP when she was tiny) now thinks I should just leave her alone to cry    I so wouldn't do that, but I guess I'm trying to strike a balance. We'll see how tonight goes, and work from there.

Thanks guys 
Heidi

[jess, lukeys_mom]

Have you considered a small nightlight with blue-ish hue for Masyn's room? Just an idea, that's helped a lot as Luke has also grown scared of the dark but needs stimulation totally blocked out of his room. That seems to help, and is still really night-time feeling in his room.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

That's exactly what we have, her fan for white noise has blue lights and I bought an LED nightlight, which was so darn bright I had to tape over part of it with electrical tape! I'm thinking if I want them to eventually share rooms I should get one for Spencer too, but then I got to thinking that if the crib was in Masyn's room she could climb into it with Spencer.

Last night went okay, she freaked as soon as I headed to her room, I set her in her crib with the light still on and she was clutching her blanky, shaking and crying. I just told her to lay down, that I would stay and when I turned out the light and went to put my hand on her back she flopped over and fell asleep instantly! I stayed in for 20 minutes through the jolts just to make sure and it is now after 7am and I haven't heard a peep yet!

Heidi

[speechie]

Great update!!
I think it was a good tactic to be there with her through it- just give her the support she needed- comfort to know she's not alone after such a scary allergic reaction.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

And tonight it only took 15 minutes! She started fussing and whining as soon as we tucked Masyn in, but quickly realized I was staying with her, so she plopped down and went to sleep. She's all stuffed up now too, so that can't help either.

oh, and one cute thing I forgot was that when DH left Spencer in her crib that first night, Masyn could hear her crying and was singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" at the top of her lungs to try and help her poor sister. (one reason I thought room sharing might be a good idea!)

Heidi

[speechie]

Aww, Bless her for singing to her sister!!
Glad things seem to be improved!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

yup, some real sisterly love going on there! My sister was visiting recently with her new baby and we asked Masyn if she wanted a new baby too - her reply "but Spencer's my baby"

Do you think it would be hazardous to Spencer if they were sharing a room and Masyn decided to hop in the crib too? (I suppose I could do a test run some night with the playpen...)