please help me get my girls sleeping in their beds

I feel like we should have taken care of this by now but I just can't see how we'll do it. DH is going to China for 10 days in October and I really don't want to have to ask my mother to come over in the evenings to help me get them to sleep. Also, with the new baby on the way I really need to make my life easier.
So things now are like this. DH gives the babies baths, I hold them and read to them for a little while, we each take one baby and give them a bottle of milk and if we're lucky they fall asleep when they're done and we put them into their beds. Sometimes we have to rock one or the other for about 30' till they fall asleep. Sometimes about 30' after she's gone to sleep Nefeli will start wailing and crying till I go in burp her and put her back to bed (this happens even if I've patted her back really well sometimes). Sometimes she'll wake Iris up and then we have to rock her till she falls asleep.
I had gotten Nefeli to fall asleep in her bed but then she was in the hospital and then we started day care and it's just a mess again.
Today I tried putting them both in their bed and playing quiet music while sitting between their beds. They were relaxed and happy sort of just falling around in their beds but still no sleep. Maybe I should give it more time? I did maybe 30' today.
What I need is a way to get them winding down and falling asleep in their beds without me holding or patting them because I just can't do that with two babies at a time.
I would rather this be a gentle transition into a new routine. I don't mind hanging out with them, playing music or reading to them. CIO is my last resort and I would rather not if I can avoid it.
Please share your success stories with me.
Thanks so much.

 

being that your babies are over 1 year - the CIO method may be the best choice right now - The more you rock and keep going back in, they will not learn to self sooth - I know this isn't the answer you were looking for - By 1, they should be able to put themselves to sleep.

I know it is hard - good luck - with a new baby coming, it will just be harder for you.

 

No time is a good time for a change in routine.

I had some trouble with Hadas when we recently returned to Israel from visiting my family in the states. It took her about one week to re-adjust to her bedroom and her bed (never mind the 7 hour time difference).

I'm sure you will be fine handling your kids by yourself.

I suggest you change your routine slightly. I'm a big fan of putting both babies in bouncy seats and feeding them at the same time (or high chairs). Maybe you can feed them their before-bed bottles where they usually eat meals. Then, you can give them baths and brush their teeth afterwords. Then sit on the floor or a couch with them to read in their room and say that it's time to go to bed and put them both in their beds and leave the room. CIO takes a few days and usually works well. I did it with all three of my kids.

Maybe you should discuss things with your husband and try to make changes before he leaves for his trip.

Good luck.

 

I agree with Anne, give them the bottles where they are used to eating, then what I did was put them in their cribs, pull a chair in between them where they could both see me, and read a story. Then I would sing a song, say good night and leave. The fact that they aren't crying, just moving around is great. They need to learn to go to bed on their own, and fussing their way through it goes a long way.

Good luck!

 

I think at that age we resorted to laying down between their beds. Even now when they usually sleep on their own, I'll occasionally have to go lay down on the futon in their room just to soothe them when they're feeling sick or had a nightmare or something.

Just try your best to "wean them off" of such elaborate interaction with you. Backing off to just being in the room, maybe touching them from time to time rather than holding/cuddling them the entire time can make it easier for you to manage while DH is gone.

Good luck!

--> Andy