To other parents who are at the wits end! Our eldest daughter is our little hero. She was born at 30 weeks weighing the equivalent to a bag of sugar and spent nine weeks in the NICU fighting for her life. She faced down so many challenges during her stay in the NICU and when we finally got her home, we practically wrapped our little champ in cotton wool. She got everything her heart desired which included being rocked to sleep every night by her mum and dad. Two years on, our little fighter is a happy and very busy toddler but spends every night sleeping with either mum or dad in the spare room. We have had no problem putting her into her cot fast asleep but within two to three hours, all hell breaks loose and no way will she go back to sleep without one of her parents. With the arrival of baby number 2, we decided that something needed to be done. Waking
up for almost a year in a different bed from my husband would not be healthy for our marriage long term and what if little sister learned bad habits. My mother called me on morning to say tune into the Neil Prenderville show where a sleep consultant was trying to help out a few parents. Being particularly tired after being up with both kids, my husband although a bit reluctant agreed we would try one last time to get out little miss to sleep in her own bed. After a two hour chat with Lucy which in involved a few tears, I realised that we had never taught our toddler to be able to settle herself. So a plan was put in place where I didn’t have to let her cry to near hysteria before she fell asleep. The first night of ‘the plan’ was tough but we were geared up for a night of no sleep so a few wake ups were doable! By night three we had our first full nights sleep! Two weeks on, our little on our little one is almost asking to go to bed at night. It is brilliant! Thanks Lucy for everything, wish we had found you sooner! By the way, both my girls are having a nap now at the same time. I am sitting having a cuppa writing this…who would have thought!

Melanie, mum to Saoirse aged 22 months and Aoife 15 weeks.