What's your "baby fantasy?" - Here is mine...

Schnoogly wrote: This is my fantasy, I know it's kind of sad and I will miss holding him when he finally learns to do this...

**After an hour of trying to get Iain to sleep, I finally give up and lay him in his bassinet to go to the bathroom. I come back 2 minutes later and he's asleep! And he sleeps for 2 hours straight!**

OK this is kind of a vent again. I am trying the pick up put down method and it is NOT working. I just got him to sleep by the regular bouncing/nursing method, then laid him in the bassinet SO gently and nursed him again, and he woke up. Now he won't go back to sleep. This is the problem--if he sleeps for 5 minutes he won't go back to sleep again for an hour, and that is a really bad hour. I have been trying this method for a week now and it really isn't working. I am going to be holding him until he goes to college I think. He's playing in his bassinet now but will blow any second...there he goes!!

Steph

MommyToAshley replied: I am sorry you have to go through this Steph.


My baby fantasy is that Ashley would sleep better at night. She does great for her naps and is an absolute Angel during the day, but she doesn't sleep very well at night. Right now she is having a hard time teething, but I think part of it is behavioral as well.

Kaitlin'smom replied: awww I am sorry you are having such a diffuicult time. do you run to him everytime he makes a noise? How long are you giving him before you get him. I know its hard to let then cry it out, and I have only done this once with Kaitlin, when I was home alone with her and i juts could not take it anymore I put her in her crib turned on the music and let her go. She cried for 10 minuites and then silence I waited another 10 minutes then I peeked in on her and she was sleeping, guess she tired he self to slepp If i remember (been several months) she slept for 2-3 hours! I was so happy! Soorry got a little off topic. I hope things do get better for you, oh did you ever try swaddling him? thats what I had to do when I want her to start slepeing in her crib. just after she fell asleep I would wrap her then rock her a little longer then down she went, took about a week but it worked for us! Just a thought HTH


oh as for baby fantasy humm guess it would be something as simple as hearing mama before dada!

Schnoogly replied: That's a great baby fantasy (it doesn't involve sleep--you are so lucky!)

The times I have let him cry (in the car) he will cry nonstop for 2 hours, so I don't think that would work. I think he would cry for 24 hours straight.

I don't go to him right away--I will let him fuss a little now (I didn't used to before he was recovered from surgery because I worried about him too much) but once it becomes a "mad" cry I go get him--not usually more than 2-3 minutes I think. I am not a big fan of Cry It Out methods especially with spirited babies just because I don't think it would work--thanks though!!!!

Steph

amynicole21 replied: I know exactly what you mean. Sophia needs lots of help getting to sleep, too. I know it will end soon, but in the meantime it's very frustrating. I don't really like CIO either, and have never tried it. Currently reading Dr. Sears' book on sleeping and the No Cry Sleep Solution , but haven't gotten to the good parts yet! Good luck to you!

Kaitlin'smom replied: awww I am so sorry I guess I am lucky with that, Kaitlin is so good about nap time and night time, don tget me wrong she has her bad nights but over all she has been good.

Have you tried a routine with him? It might take a while for him to get used to it but it worked for us. I know every baby is different. Has the doc given you any ideas I am just throwing out ideas to see if there is naything I can say to help or maybe something you have not tried. I really hope its gets better soon.

wish I could be more helpfull........

MommyToAshley replied: I am not a big fan of Cry It Out either. I also read a study where they proved that if you don't let the baby cry it out and you take care of the baby's emotional needs when they are young , then they grow up to be more independant. The babies who were left to CIO were more clingy as they neared toddlerhood. I am seeing sign of Ashley's independence already. So Steph, there is hope for you, you just may have to wait until Iain is a little older to reap some of the benefits of your hard labor

I hope I did not offend anyone, because there are as many experts in favor of CIO is there are that are against it. Everyone has to do what works for their own family. I would not judge or flame anyone who does CIO. That is why I love this board, we can all share our different views and opinions without flaming anyone.

Kaitlin'smom replied:

second that!

me dont like CIO either, just had to do it once oh boy I did not like it but it was better for me at that moment, I was soooo tired and stressed. Then I tried swaddling thats what finally worked for us!

supermom replied:
And me too - I can't say I am a fan of CIO, but if you are just not coping and ready to lose it, it's certainly better than some of the alternatives (not saying that anyone here would hurt their babe, just I know that it can be rough, esp if you are either single or dealing mostly alone day/night with your DD/DS)

As for baby fantasy, I would love to have one that would sleep in their own bed for at least part of the night - after three years Anders is finally getting there......most of the time he'll at least spend the first part of the night in his toddler bed, and then come crawl in with us in the wee hours of the morning. This only started about 3 mos ago, though, so it's been non-sleep city at our house too.....but not like you, Steph -

I am sorrry I don't have any better advice for you, I've been blessed and never had to deal with it.

Schnoogly replied: Well after 3 years I hope it isn't like it is at our house!! And you forgot your other baby fantasy supermom--that the one you're cooking is a girl (and perfectly healthy of course)

PINK PINK!!

Steph

Schnoogly replied:
Thanks--I have those books too. But nighttime (except for lately but I think he's been having a growth spurt the past few days) isn't our problem. I'm resigned to the 2-4 times he wakes up during the night for now. Naps are the big problem, and I have yet to come across a book that has any suggestions for me. I'm not a big fan of the baby whisperer for breastfed babies but I have been trying her pick up-put down method since it is basically no-cry. You are supposed to get the baby to sleep however you usually do, then put the baby down in the bed, pat him/her on the back and go shhh shhh shhh, if he wakes up pick him up and get him back to sleep again, repeat until baby is asleep in the bed. The problem with this is that once he wakes up (after being put down--doesn't matter if it's 10 minutes after going to sleep or an hour) he WILL NOT go back to sleep no matter what. So I never get a chance to "repeat." He is finally asleep now after that first debaucle with the bassinet this morning (he got 20 minutes in before I laid him down and it's been almost 4 hours since then)

I really want one of those baby hammocks I posted on another thread! He loves up and down motion--that's what our exercise ball is all about and why it's the only thing that works. I wish it didn't cost $200 though! But I'm at the point where I would spend any amount of money to get a couple of baby-free naps a day. DH is working 60 hour weeks for the next month or so (summer is busy at his work) and I have a paper I really need to write since I have to present it at a big conference in July and I haven't done any work on my dissertation since....October or so. And don't even look at the state of my house!!

Thanks for all your support--I'm sorry I complain about this so much! Just when I think it's about to get better something happens and he goes back to his old sleepless self! Last friday we had an amazing day--I took him to work with me since DH couldn't work from home and he was so good! Didn't cry at all on the way there or back (it's a 45 min drive) and met all kinds of new people, even took a nap in the sling while I was working. Awwwww. But we're back to normal this week, sigh.


Steph

mckayleesmom replied: If I have trouble getting mckaylee to sleep I usually take milk that I have pumped and put like an ounce in a bottle and prop it up with her in the swing ( I know they say you aren't suppose to bottle prop, but my mom always did it) and she usually falls asleep really good cause she can't feel me putting her down or anything, then I wait about 15 minutes to make sure she isn't going to spit up or anything and then shes fine. Also Mckaylee will sleep really good if you take her for a walk right before bed...Hope that helps some. Works for me.