Monday, January 19, 2009

Baby Advice Please!!

I have this book called BABYWISE and I know it works. There's also a book called Baby Whisperer and I've been told that works too. I've been a little off schedule when it comes to Hayden's day. I don't really like hearing him cry so I tend to either nurse him to sleep or rock him to sleep. I'm supposed to let him cry 15-20 minutes and then check on him and then leave and hope he goes to sleep. The book says that it could take up to like 30 minutes! This past weekend wasn't fun. Thursday night he was up every hour from 1:00 on. Friday night he woke up at midnight and I let him cry it out (it took an HOUR!) Saturday night was the same thing but this time paul sat outside the door and just listened the whole time. Last night he slept until 5 but he hardly got good naps during the day so he was really tired by night time. So I'm wanting any advice I can get from all you mothers of toddlers. Do I just need to suck it up and listen to him cry for that long? I'm scared that if I don't he will never learn to fall asleep on his own and I'll never get a good nights rest. Also I'm supposed to know the difference between his cries... when he was a newborn he would cough in his cry when hungry, he doesn't do that anymore. I just don't know what to do and I'm getting frustrated. HELP!

4 comments:

*Katie May* said...

I hears with the baby language it is only noticable for the first few months then they don't cry that way. As far as letting him cry it out they say mentally babies need to be 5 mo old before you let them cry it out for a long length of time. It sounds like 10-15 min is about the right time to let him cry it out. When you go in don't pick him up just rub his back for a little then leave him be. Keep doing it til he gets the idea of it being ok and that you are still around and aren't leaving him forever. And the thing is to stick with it and be consistent! :) Good Luck!

cluffgirl said...

I did the baby whisperer thing and it worked really well for me. It was just getting him on a schedule (which he was not at all). I believe it was like a 3 hour schedule, for about 30-40 minutes or however long it takes you to feed him, then about an hour of playtime, then an hour nap. ONLY an hour! That was my problem, I let him sleep forever during the day. I followed that schedule and within a night or two he was sleeping through the night. Oh, the first night he woke up and the book said not to feed him but to give him a pacifier and rock him back to sleep. Because it's not food they want it's only the sucking (it's a comfort thing or something). So he woke up 1 time that first night and it took about an hour of him crying with me but he never woke up again. Shee said that it could take a few nights, and should get less time every night. Hope this helps!

Andy and Michele said...

Well, I did the babywise with Beckie and I felt like the worst mom just letting her cry like that, and swore I wouldn't do that again. Babies cry for a reason and I think it is so cruel to let them cry all by themselves in a dark room. The reason baby's cries start to sound the same instead of having different sounds is that their needs aren't being met, so they give up trying to communicate. I'm doing the baby whisper with Briggs and I LOVE IT! He may not sleep all night, but he is so happy, goes down really easy, and does have a good 5-6 hour stretch during the night. I read in another book that babies do still need to eat at least once in the night because it's when they are sleeping that they are developing, so it's not good for them to go too long without that nurishment. That same book described the effects of letting them cry it out, and how that effects them emotionally when they're older. Anyway, letting them cry as a mother naturally breaks my heart. So, for whatever it's worth, I'd go with the Baby Whisperer.

Ashley Marie said...

Here is a post that might be helpful. Can't say I know anything myself about this topic. Hope you get it figured out so you can inform me when I do! http://sweetnsassygirls.blogspot.com/2009/01/no-cry-nap-solution.html