Adaptability of second children

[emmamw06]

I've had so many mums say to me that the second child simply has to adapt to family routines already established. Along with this, these mums seem to have just conceded that the second child will not be a great sleeper.
With my first child, we did pretty much all sleeps in the cot, which made the sleep training period much easier and as a result, she became an amazing sleeper, and still is.
I'm about to have my second child and we obviously have routines already established in our house (kindergarten drop off/pick ups, swimming lessons etc). I understand Bub will need to do a number of sleeps in the capsule and am trying to work out a routine for this. My question is: what else can I do to help Bub become a good sleeper? Do I teach her to transition from car to bed? How do you do sleep training (moving from one sleep cycle to the next) while remaining portable/on the road?
Thanks

[lily_layne]

My second definitely naps more on the go. He usually won't do more than 45 min-hr in the car or stroller and I've just accepted it and moved on. I do aim for one nap in the crib a day and did from the time he was a newborn although it didn't always happen and that's ok too. He sorted out how to transition sleep cycles on his own. As a newborn, if he fell asleep in the car or stroller I would just bring the carseat in and he would stay asleep. If he did stir, I would just rock and jiggle it a bit until he fell asleep again. It stopped working at around 2 months. I also rocked and nursed him to sleep way more than I ever did with DD and it hasn't negatively impacted his sleep.

[theu.s.lees]

We are working on that same thing right now, though this is #3 for us, so we really can't be stuck at home all the time. We do still have a rest/nap time for the other two kids, so we are home for at least that stretch. I've found that although the morning naps are typically on the go (either in the car or in a carrier), having the stability in the afternoon is enough to help her sleep well. DD2 is a pretty good sleeper, with one NW, so I think it is working well. The one thing other ladies told me on here was to give yourself some grace, especially in the beginning.

[lily_layne]

The one thing other ladies told me on here was to give yourself some grace, especially in the beginning.

Yes, yes, yes! I worried so much less about "starting as you mean to go on" with DS and it hasn't hurt his sleep (and it made the first months more enjoyable). Rock, snuggle, and have a few naps with that baby on your chest because, really, those first precious months are fleeting.

[trimbler]

Yes pretty similar here, I wouldn't say that DD is more adaptable than DS but she did have way more sling naps, which actually turned out to be positive - I struggled with ppd and bonding last time but definitely bonded with DD much earlier on, I'm sure in part due to her being on me so much in the early weeks. Also then not stressing so much about ST as she just did one nap at home a day plus BT (when DH was usually home), other naps were in the sling. So for the first 4mo she napped on the way to preschool in the sling and I continued to hold her until the end of her nap (either walking or swaying at home whilst using the tablet!), her second nap was on the preschool midday collection, continuing in the park whilst DS and I had our lunch. Then third nap at home whilst DS had too much screen time, but we did get some quality time together once she was actually sleeping. Fourth nap in the sling again as DS needs to run about  this usually involved a football Once we got to about 4mo she was able to last from getting up to us getting home from preschool and have her first nap in her cot, but we continued to do the second nap in the sling, eventually her sleep at home got better and she could manage longer A times to get out whilst awake. Just an example of one way it can work.

[*Liz*]

My third is far from perfect, but he is very adaptable. I have 2 school age kids.

He doesn't transition sleep cycles on the go, he catnaps. But it isn't the end of the world. And I can get him to nap easily in arms even now as he has just got used to it.

He is a better night sleeper than either of my other 2 so far.

Mainly I have just had to let it go though. I'm not sure there is much of an option when you have older kids.