Does he sleep through the night? This seems to be the question that every parent LOVES to ask us. "Sometimes"," Almost the whole night for the most part", " Kind of" These are the responses that I hear from fellow parents. I'm not sure why we don't just say no. The length of time your baby sleeps at night even becomes bragging rights. I'm not afraid to come out and say that he does NOT sleep through the night. Well he does, he just wakes up a few times. lol.
We have tried all of the commonly used methods to put him to sleep and have been crossing them off of our list these past sixth months. Our plans are usually thwarted in five minutes, by a suddenly awake baby with no plans of going to sleep.
Alex: Why are the lights suddenly out? Where did everyone go? Wahhhhh
Alex: wahhhhh. Rock me the whole night!
Alex: what's the plan for tonight guys?
Alex:I'm greedy. Didn’t you know this? Wheres my milk woman!
Me: Yay he's sleep! ...Wait I am too.
Alex: I love to play in the water. Playtime! No bedtime for me.
The nurse down
The nurse down worked for a long time. The trouble came when it was time to move him from my arms to his crib. With the change in surroundings he usually woke up and we were back to square one. He also became dependent on being nursed to sleep even when he wasn’t hungry.
Although many of these methods worked to put him to sleep, he did not STAY asleep. Two weeks ago we started the Ferber technique. Don't Judge me, I was desperate. This method really hurts in the beginning. Alex is particularly stubborn and believed that we would eventually pick him up if he cried forever. The first week he cried for atleast thirty minutes.
I was convinced that he would harbor resentment in the morning for not being held, but he was his usual jolly self. Lets cross our fingers that he doesnt outgrow his new sleep technique.
4 comments:
The Ferber Method is the method I really suggest to all my parents. It is definitely harder for the parents, but shortly they will thank themselves. You should talk about the Ferber method for those who don't know and how you came to find it.
I think the ferber method is better than a 20yr still needing Mommy to sleep with him. lol.
Yes. I did forget to explain it didn’t I? The Ferber method is when you teach the baby to soothe himself to sleep. Ferber recommends putting the baby to sleep while he is drowsy, but not asleep, this supposedly helps the baby learn to sleep on their own. The parents comfort the baby, but do not pick him/her up.
Actually Mr. Patrick found the Ferber method. We use two slight variations of the Ferber method.
At the beginning we placed him in his crib and gently patted him on his back. Mr. Patrick stayed in the room with him until he eventually went to sleep. I preferred to place him in the crib and periodically check on him and calm him down.
Now Mr. Patrick places him in the crib and he goes to sleep on his own, but I prefer to place him in the crib already in a light sleep. There doesn't seem to be a difference now in the timing since he has become accustomed to going to sleep in the crib.
The Ferber technique definitely works!!!!!
Although, at that time when I did it, I didn't know that's what it was called (hehehe)
Another suggestion for the next baby (hint hint wink wink):
This has definitely worked for all the new infants in the family
You should wrap the baby tightly in there blanket with their arms in place. It supposedly makes them feel as if they are still in the womb. This doesn't mean the child won't cry through the night because the baby will definitely get hungry or wet. Those cries are valid cries. The wrapping will just cut back on the "pick me up and lets party" cries
Try that on his sibling ;-) !!!!!!
We did the swaddle technique until he was about 4 or 5 months. After a while it becomes cruel to wrap a 16 lbs baby
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