New baby and toddler regression

I've heard about toddler regression once a new baby joins the family. It makes sense. New baby cries, etc gets attention.

We are due any day now and have been talking to DD (2 years 4 months) a lot about the baby especially the last 4 months. She seems to understand and will say that is baby's car seat, I excited to see baby, etcetera. She lifts up my shirt and says baby what are you doing in there, when are you coming out. So cute.

The last few weeks she has not been sleeping through the night. Wakes up screaming and we try to let her CIO but my husband eventually gives in and calms her down. She has started doing this at daycare naps too.

She also likes to play baby. She asks to be held like a baby in 2 arms and will say goo goo ga ga. It's a silly game and we laugh. She likes to walk like a baby, imitating videos we've shown her of her taking first steps and crashing into us with a hug.

Is it possible she is regressing even before the baby is here? The only problem is the sleeping, the other stuff we find cute and funny. Are we causing the sleep issues by encouraging/giving attention to her other acting like a baby tricks?

I just need her to sleep. She has always been a bad sleeper. Colicky baby and didn't STtn until 1 year old. She wakes every time there is teething, cold, etc.

New baby and toddler regression

could be molars? and just a coincidence. my dr told me at dd's 2yr check last week that molars really start to bother around 2 1/2. and maybe she's dropping nap? Try not giving her a nap and see hoe bedtime goes. DD1 gave up naps a little before 3

New baby and toddler regression

My friend is due with her second beginning of July. Her first dd will be 3 that same week. She says cute things like, I can't wait to do this with my baby sister, etc. but then lately she has been asking for bottles and diapers. I think it's normal to act like a baby bc of the attention...and yes, even before

Re: New baby and toddler regression

I don't think that your playing "baby" is causing sleep issues. It could be molars like someone else said, or need to drop nap, or anxiety knowing change is coming. She knows things are happening and their little minds are working hard and thinking even if they don't/can't share it. Try some new tricks and eliminating nap - hopefully it improves.

Re: New baby and toddler regression

You may not be causing the sleep issues, but I would be very careful with encouraging the baby behavior (laughing and smiling is encouraging). It's going to be hard for her to understand why it's ok to be "a baby" sometimes but not others.

As others have said, the sleep problem may be her molars. Or not. Just as adults wake up when they know a big change is coming due to anxiety (good or bad), she could be responding similarly.

New baby and toddler regression

DD1 was 2.5 when our second was born too. We were lucky that we didn't really deal with any regression although she did act out at times but that passed quickly. If anything she was pretty disappointed when the baby came home and did nothing but sleep all day lol. As far as sleeping, she had nights where she did wake up and it was rough when both DDs switched off waking up. I would just show her that it was still dark outside and tell her we were all trying to sleep and she was waking us all up. I would give her a quick kiss and tell her she needed to go back to sleep and leave it at that. Thankfully it worked and even if she wakes up now she doesn't cry for us.

As far as dropping the nap, I would avoid it if you can. DD1 stopped napping for a bit after we brought the baby home. I think bc we were stuck inside and she wasn't burning as much energy and had gotten off her routine. It was so hard dealing with a newborn when she was overtired and not getting a break. Thankfully she's back to napping pretty regularly and it is such a relief.

New baby and toddler regression

I think it could also just be her age. My DD, also 2 yrs 4 mo, is doing the same things you've mentioned. She's not sick, she has all of her teeth (and has for almost a year, she got her 2 yr molars super early) and we definitely do not have a baby on the way. She asks me to hold her like a baby and sing her beautiful songs (cute, but difficult now that she's not a baby). She also likes to see videos of herself as a baby and then try to act them out and although she has an expansive vocabulary, I've noticed she's been "baby talking" a lot again. Tons of babbling incoherently, even though she can clearly communicate.

She too has always been a terrible sleeper, although she generally sleeps through the night now, so I don't have a ton of advice on that. She is terrible at going to bed and we basically have to leave her to CIO to sleep every night. It lasts for only a minute or so, but she WILL NOT go to sleep with us in the room, despite not wanting us to leave. She occasionally does wake overnight as well and we DO have to go in there or else she won't go back to sleep, but we don't stay. We rock her for a few, tell her it's ok, maybe read a story (in the dark, always interesting) and then put her back in the crib. Again, she won't sleep if we're in the room, so we can't wait for her to drift off or we'll all be up all night.

Basically, I don't have a ton of advice, but I'm going through something very similar without a baby on the way with a DD the same age. I hope for your sake, your issues improve before the next arrives! Good luck.

Re: New baby and toddler regression

Re: New baby and toddler regression