My inbox has been flooded with "helpful" advice on getting your child to sleep on their own at three months old. So since I've a little extra time on my hands I decided to do a little internet research...first mistake. While researching how to get your child to let you sleep more than a two hour stretch, I've also been able to narrow down Beau's rash on his neck to either heat rash or rubella. This is the conclusion I came to after the better part of a wasted morning. So it only makes sense that the info on sleep will be equally disturbing and make me feel less of a mother. Oh, and apparently Beau got a cold because I didn't breastfeed and formula is a witch's brew made by the devil. Nice! I digress...
Here is the issue at hand- the books say that it is wrong to rock Beau until he is asleep then put him down in the room with us. So let me take a second to clear up the "where Beau sleeps" issue. He has his own room with his own beautiful furniture and crib that belonged to Baylee... a crib that Evan and I put together wrong. Not completely wrong...just the all important dropside part. So before I knew it was put together backwards, I thought it was old, faulty and was convinced it had been recalled b/c whenever I leaned on the side...WHABAM...down it went. In my mind I had decided that Beau would either grow up in the travel bed or I would have to secretly replace the crib because Evan thinks I have lost my mind. Since those two options were out I called the manufacturer and left messages, but nothing. Finally I found a website with an email address and explained the issue. Finally Brandy with Crib4Life emailed back and said "No it wasn't recalled" and attached a set of instructions for putting the crib together, because you know when all else fails...read the instructions. Ahaaa...we had the dropside on backwards...boy, did we feel stupid! We turned it around and magically it clicked into place...whew! Then I noticed it...when we put it on backwards, we had forced the all important plastic part to the dropside in the wrong direction...the part that if it fails causes babies to suffocate. Evan looked at what I was obsessing over this time, rolled his eyes, and said (big exhale of breath), "It's fine, but if it will make you feel better to order a new part, do it." I replied, "No, if you think it is OK then..." as I eyed it warily. The next day I ordered the part after I read on the internet about a dropside malfunctioning and suffocating another baby. He loves it when I do "research". He once asked where I came up with all my "information"...I told him "the books" and now I think he's trying to stay one step ahead of my freak flag by reading articles and chapters before me. Good luck to him...
Once the part gets here for the crib that issue is settled. Then we move on to the Beau part of the equation. Everyone says that you should put your baby down when he is still awake. Hahaha! So here is Beau's take on that-a big fat NOPE! He can be dead to the world asleep, limp arms and snoring, but the minute that you get up from the LaZBoy and head down the hall he will open one eye and cut you a look like, "Hey lady, where d'you think you're goin'?" If you happen to make it down the hall, around the corner, manage to kick the cat out of the way AND get into the room, he'll most likely wake up as his bum hits the sheet. You just have to stand completely still and pray to the sleep gods that he doesn't open his eyes and see you standing there frozen in fear. Because if he sees you, it's back to the LaZBoy for round two of rock-walk-kick cat-pray.
So this whole idea of him soothing himself to sleep, or worse the Cry It Out Method, has me wondering...do parents actually do this or are most like me and just kind of snort in disbelief and move on?
We did the "live in the recliner" dog and pony show for about three months. One night, after a 100% switch to the soy formula around month four of MA's life, we placed her ever so gently in the crib after we had rocked her for about ten minutes. She was drowsy, but not completely out. She lays down, nuzzles with Mr. Rabbit, pops her thumb/hand in her mouth, and fell asleep.
ReplyDeleteNow, we also employed the "Faberizing" technique to a point. We didn't/don't normally go in the nursery at the first little noise. We watched/watch the clock, and depending on the age of the baby/toddler wait to see if they self-soothe back to sleep. 90% of the time, MA would cry for about 38 seconds and be back to sleep in about 23 seconds.
It's just a test of wills... and ya gotta stick to it. I thought the "cry it out" method was for the birds until I was so sleep deprived after a rash of "sleepy-nursing" incidents at 3:00A.M. I decided to take a stab at it.
It gets better. No worries! You won't have to rock him to sleep (nor will he be sleeping in your room) when he's in high school. ;)
I know I am probably going to some kind of mommy hell, but Will is almost a year old and we still rock him to sleep every night. People tell me I am crazy and that I am doing it all wrong, but it works for us and it works for Will. And he slept in our room until he was 4 1/2 months old. We did find that as soon as we started a night time ritual, then Will did great. I think it works if you pick a bed time and stick to it.
ReplyDeleteAnd if it makes you feel any better, Will still got up at least once a night until he was 9 months old. Some babies sleep through the night when they are 2 weeks old, mine did not.
Every baby is different and don't let anyone make you feel bad for what you choose to do. No one can come to your house and raise your baby for you.