I know people have WAY bigger troubles than this and I know my life is blessed and that this time is precious and will soon pass...I know all of this but I really need help. I got a book. A sleeping book. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby( I think that's it, I'm too tired to get up and make sure). It is a good one, highly recommended by Hannah who has the happiest kid I know. I started reading it and realized that I am in over my head. I have crapped around for 4 months letting Tucker sleep with us, keeping him up with me until I go to sleep, and loving every moment of it for the first month or 2 but now...now he is a big baby who kicks me in the tummy all night and wiggles and squirms so the sleeping with me won't work any more. The book says it is basically my fault. I am trying to switch him now from being one kind of sleeper to being a different kind of sleeper. All my fault.
Madeline was flipping AMAZING (I realize that now, Mom). She just gave up a feeding at 2 months and started these GLORIOUS 6 hour stretches of sleep. Then at 4 months while I was out one night Tyler just stuck her in her bed and she went to sleep (she had always slept with me as well) and slept all night. 12 hours. She did it again and again until that was our routine. She guided me- her nap schedule, her bed time, her alert hours... easy cheesy.
Tucker is a great baby but not so easy. First step- move him to his own bed. We started that 3 or 4 nights ago. Step 2- he is to be awake for no longer than 2 hours without a nap. Ummm, how on EARTH do you manage that one with another child? Really. Any advice here is appreciated. There is no way to get a toddler to the pool or park or library and back within an hour and a half because 30 min. or so of that 2 hours needs to be soothing time for the baby. Step three- set a bed time and soothing ritual and stick to it. We are doing that. Nursing at 6, cereal at 7, then bath and then nursing and rocking for just a few minutes, bed by 8. Then, he is waking at 10pm, 1am, 4am, and 7am. Oh my gosh. I am soooo tired. Is he hungry? Should I let him cry through one feeding? If so, which one? He is great at soothing himself initially. Poor Tucker, he doesn't get 30 min. of soothing time every time he sleeps because that wouldn't be fair to Madeline but it has made him a good self soother GOING to bed...but not so great at self-soothing in the middle of the night. How do you let a 4 mo. old cry it out with a toddler feet away that needs her rest too?
I believe in this book. I know that for MOST babies, the more sleep they get, the more they sleep. I know he has to get on a schedule. I am committed to keeping him in his bed. I am not enjoying the 3 hideously ridiculous middle of the night feedings.
Tricks, tips, ideas, anything...thanks.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
ooof! That's tough!
ReplyDeleteI'm no expert but I say let him cry. One night I decided that I'd turn the monitor down for 10 minutes while Avery cried it out.. woops... I fell asleep and left the monitor off. She slept great after that :-) It's hard, I know!
i put libby to bed a little bit later... 8:30/8:45ish, and she skips the 11:30pm feeding, so i usually only have to do 2:30am and 5:30am... but she's almost 6 mos. hopefully it will only take him a little more time to cut out a feeding. thinking of you... ;) lisa
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the thoughts, I guess I need to be a little more patient...he just got moved out of my bed a few nights ago...I think I will give it a week or so for him to adjust and then try letting him cry for a while. I would have never considered it had it not worked so well with Madeline. I REALLY appreciate the comments.
ReplyDeletewe've used the ferber method with all 3, and it worked for us. it's not so bad b/c you start out only letting them scream for 5 mins.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sleep-baby-sleep.com/ferber-method.htm
-lisa =)