I know this is bad, and I am NOT recommending you try this at all, but Ollie sleeps VERY well on his stomach. His first nap of the day was spent on his belly. He slept soundly and happily for three full hours. Poor guy was still so exhausted from his crazy day. I laid next to him the whole time reading a book, so I could keep a very close eye on him. I know it's dangerous to let him sleep on his belly, but dammit he LOVES it, and I watch him the whole time.
His next nap was spent on my chest then in his swing. Long story short, I kept him on his schedule, and his behavior and attitude showed that. I easily put the happiest baby to bed tonight!
He is so big and so wonderful I forgot just how fragile he is. It really is still so necessary that I stay focused on his needs and keep overstimulation and super busy days down to a minimum. It's one thing if he is fussy for fussy sake, it's another when it's my fault for his fussiness.
I thank all of you for your comments and emails on how to get him to sleep. I do swaddle him every time I put him down. He doesn't sleep well without his arms on lockdown. Now, as for the letting him cry it out... UGH! I'll try it. The comments from real moms who, "ran down to the end of the driveway," were so helpful in letting me know it must hurt you like it would me. But, sometimes you have to do whats necessary. "Letting her cry the first few times was the hardest thing in the world for me to do, but I realized that she needed a way to release and wear herself out and that I also needed to be able to put her down for my own sanity as well. " Those are the things I needed to hear. Thank you.
For now, order has been restored. Lessons learned. A game plan laid out for, God forbid, next time. As a first timer, I'd say that's good stuff!
5 comments:
I've been reading your blog all the way from the other side of the world since my last trimester and totally felt everything you were feeling! (I gave birth a few days after you, ps. congratulations!) We found that our baby girl now sleeps really well on her stomach and her neck is strong enough so she can turn her head and not suffocate. In fact since we've discovered she likes that position, there's also been a lot less grunting and snorting from her at night. But the first night I left her on her front in her cot, I was terrified and couldn't sleep at all (she of course was totally unaware)... so you are not alone!
-adoughnutaday
With our first child, we did NOT use the cry it out method, but we used a method in which we placed him in his bassinet (near our bed) while he was tired, and we'd pat him on the back. We started it around month 2. He WOULD cry, but we didn't leave him. We would sometimes stop patting for up to a minute, but we kept near him. He would sometimes cry for 20 or more minutes, but he'd fall asleep and know we were near. If he got too hysterical, we'd pick him up, calm him down, and then when calm, put him back down. The crying was hideous, but my cousin taught me that doing it when he was young was better than using the complete crying it out method when he was older. She waited until month 10 for her oldest boy and she ended up having him cry it out for hours one day because she was so tied to holding or nursing him to sleep. Alternatively, you can be like my best friends. They never sleep trained their child and he is three and they still sit with him for hours at night trying to get him to sleep at times.
Thank you & Congratulations to you too! It is amazing how different the sleep is from back to front. He sleeps so much more soundly on his belly. If he doesn't seem to be sleeping well on his back I flip him right over too!
Thanks Kitten! I hope you are doing well... I refuse to be like your best friends! I am doing the whole stay in the room to sooth him but with the least amount of contact as possible.
Hi! I first laid our daughter down on her belly when she was only a month old because she always had bad gas. This seemed to soothe her naturally as well as helping her release some gas that was ailing her. I was laying in the bed with her, awake the whole time. Like you've said before, all babies are different, and no matter how many books, emails, magazine, comments, etc. we, as mothers read or get, we must use our instinct to keep the baby safe and happy and healthy. If that means she'll sleep on her belly with me inches from her or if that means I will coddle anytime I feel I need to, then by golly, I'll do it! :) Keep it up sistah!
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