Its been 10 days (i think?) since we started the no-cry sleep solution.
So far, its been OK. I liked co-sleeping a lot, but as I said in a previous post he's been up every 45 minutes or so at night, I think I was keeping him up. Anyway, our schedule usually looks like this:
7pm-bath time, massage, lotion, jammies
7:30-8pm-story time and nurse
8-8:30-he gets laid down in bed.
I usually have to go back in there 3 or 4 times before 9:30 or 10 (sometimes 10:30) before he's really out for the night and I can go to bed. On a good night, he will sleep from 10ish to 1, which is an amazing improvement from what he was doing. I feed him again at 1 and put him back down, and he usually goes back down easily. He usually gets up again between 4-5 and then up every hour til 8ish. Its frustrating that he wont sleep longer than 11-1 at a time, but its a start. He seems like his crib OK and he just needs an occasional reassurance from mom. We started turning on a box fan up in his room too, and that seems to help him sleep longer. The last two nights have been rough though because I think his tummy has been hurting him. He finally pooped today after crying a lot of the night last night. Last night he slept with me, because he was so fussy. He didn't want to be put down at all. So we were up most of the night. I hope this doesn't ruin the progress we've made. I think its more important to respond to his needs than stick to some arbitrary schedule for our convenience.
We've also been working on nap time. I am trying to encourage him to nap at least 2x a day, for more than an hour. He seems to like to cat nap for 45 minutes at a time. So if its been less than an hour I try to rock him back to sleep and give him his paci. Surprisingly, he's been going back down pretty easily!! I often lay him on the couch next to me, or in his swing, but I think we need to get him in his crib for nap time too though because he's a pretty light sleeper.
Anway, enough about sleep. I just wanted to say I am relieved, and somewhat surprised that the no-cry sleep solution is working. Minimal tears, and I feel comfortable not leaving him alone to cry it out. Its a win-win, its just time consuming.
On a more positive note, Eli has changed so much. He is laughing, smiling, cooing, reaching for toys and chewing on everything he can get his hands on!
His laugh lights up the room and warms my soul. It makes it so worth it to be up with him night after night, and then I go in to his room to pick him up and the morning and he starts cooing and laughing because he's so glad to see me. He is a total mamas boy too and fusses when daddy tries to hold him. I want him to learn its OK to let other people take care of him sometimes. He has been more content for longer periods of time playing alone. I like to watch him play with his toys, he gets so serious as he grabs them and looks them over and the chomps down on them. I think he's getting close to giving up the paci, he often gets it in his hands and chews on it, but usually gets so mad if he wakes up fussing and I stick it in his mouth. He is an awesome little dude. The ped gave me the go ahead to start solids at 4 mo, but I dont think hes ready. He's not sitting up on his own, he hasnt doubled his birth weight, and he shows no interest in our plates when we are eating at the table. I have been looking into baby led weaning and I like a lot of what it says there. I am in no rush to start solids with him because a lot of studies have shown that early introduction of solids leads to increased risk of food allergies, obesity, early weaning etc. Breast milk is amazing too, I didnt know how much it changes to suit his needs as he grows. It has everything he really needs in it until he's a year old. I just dont want to rush him if he's not ready. At his four month check up he was at 12lbs 6 oz, and 25 inches long. That puts him in the 10th% for weight and the 65th% for height. Hes a banana shaped baby! I love that Monkey.
Anyway, thats pretty much it for us right now.
Heres a video of Eli talking
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
no cry sleep solution?? Yes please!
I. Am. Tired. Eli's sleep habits have gone from bad to worse. When I was pregnant I was excited to meet this little boy. I lovingly set up his crib, washed his crib sheets, obsessed over whether or not go get bumpers (SIDS risk?) and changed the sheet on his bed 3 or 4 times before he ever arrived. Once he got here, he did not want to sleep anywhere except our arms, and I was OK with that. He spent most of the time in the hospital in our arms. I remember sitting in the hospital bed and his pediatrician telling me how important it was that Eli had his own sleep space, and never, ever bring him to our bed...hahaha I remember telling my mom, in panicked tears that I couldnt possibly take him home and leave this tiny little man alone in his big, empty, lonely crib!!
My mom laughed at me, and went out and bought an Arm's reach co-sleeper. I have to say, for the first 2-3 months, it was AWESOME! I would sit up in bed, nurse him and lay my sleepy boy back in his bed, right next to me! It was bliss! (cue the Jaws music) Until he hit about 3 months or so. Then he started refusing to go back to sleep in his bed. He'd scream and scream and thrash about until I picked him up and tucked him into bed with me. Ok..I can handle this. I love co-sleeping! I love having this tiny little guy curled up with me at night!! Then he started waking up every 45 minutes or less. Great, now no one is sleeping. Geoff has set up camp on the couch and is not coming back to bed til we figure something else out.
I am frustrated. I am angry. I am TIRED. I want to co sleep. I want to have Eli next to me at night, nursing on demand and sleeping blissfully. I remember telling my mom (who warned me to lay Eli down as a newborn to sleep...) "I waited 9 months to hold him! I'm not putting him down now!" *palm to forehead*
So, after asking Eli's ped. if there could possibly be anything medically wrong with our sweet, precious, screaming terror of a child (its like magic, cue bed time and he's a screaming, thrashing, back-arching, inconsolable terror!!) Theres not. He is just a strong willed child. So Geoff and I went out and bought The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. Basically she has four parts to her method.
1) Routine, routine, routine. Both nap and night time sleep needs a routine and schedule. Not rigid, but baby needs to know what comes next
2) watch your child for the first sign of sleepiness and spring #1 into action
3) introduce a lovey, this comfort item will (hopefully) help soothe them back to sleep in your absence
4) stick to your plan, it may take a week of soothing them back to bed every hour but stick with it for 10 days and re-evaluate.
Our plan is to transition him to his crib starting tonight. I hate this idea, but last night he was screaming his head off, he wouldnt nurse and was crying because he was sooo tired. Out of frustration and (I'm ashamed to admit) anger, I pushed him into his co-sleeper, stuck his paci in his screaming mouth and left the room. I came out and cried in Geoff's arms for a minute and then realized silence was coming from the bedroom...Eli was out! Magic! No crying! No bouncing, rocking, shhing, walking, nursing, wash rinse repeat. He just needed me to leave him along long enough to sleep. Geoff and I sat up for an hour talking and Eli slept the whole time. Once I (carefully) crawled back into bed and started to doze off...yep. He woke up. And woke up almost every hour for the rest of the night. I think I am waking him up everytime I shift, move, snore etc. He wakes me up everytime he stretches, fusses, moves. So we wind each other up. Not good. I thought about transitioning him back to the co-sleeper, but he's starting to outgrow it, and I dont think my night time shifting would stop bothering him. I want to go through this once. So I write this blog post out of frustration, exhaustion and a sense of disappointment. I desperately wanted to attachment parent. I really want my baby boy close by at night. But I also want to sleep in order to be a good mama. Another AP thing that does not work for us, is babywearing at home. He LOVES being worn out and about, but HATES it at home. He gets bored, frustrated and tired. So I fail on 2/7 "rules" of APing...ah well. I think in the end, attachment parenting is about parenting in the most sensitive, positive way for YOUR child. My child is a light sleeper, and stubborn. If he knows I am right there, he wants me. He wants to coo, play and nurse all night long and he gets mad at me for his being tired. So, starting tonight...he will sleep in his crib. I hope.
ETA: the book does include a section for cosleeping, breastfeeding mamas. She recommends not reacting to his every noise, which I dont. She recommends pushing him away a bit, which I do. Neither works for him. So the crib it is. For now, he naps in his swing, but we may work on that too at some point....we'll see.
My mom laughed at me, and went out and bought an Arm's reach co-sleeper. I have to say, for the first 2-3 months, it was AWESOME! I would sit up in bed, nurse him and lay my sleepy boy back in his bed, right next to me! It was bliss! (cue the Jaws music) Until he hit about 3 months or so. Then he started refusing to go back to sleep in his bed. He'd scream and scream and thrash about until I picked him up and tucked him into bed with me. Ok..I can handle this. I love co-sleeping! I love having this tiny little guy curled up with me at night!! Then he started waking up every 45 minutes or less. Great, now no one is sleeping. Geoff has set up camp on the couch and is not coming back to bed til we figure something else out.
I am frustrated. I am angry. I am TIRED. I want to co sleep. I want to have Eli next to me at night, nursing on demand and sleeping blissfully. I remember telling my mom (who warned me to lay Eli down as a newborn to sleep...) "I waited 9 months to hold him! I'm not putting him down now!" *palm to forehead*
So, after asking Eli's ped. if there could possibly be anything medically wrong with our sweet, precious, screaming terror of a child (its like magic, cue bed time and he's a screaming, thrashing, back-arching, inconsolable terror!!) Theres not. He is just a strong willed child. So Geoff and I went out and bought The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. Basically she has four parts to her method.
1) Routine, routine, routine. Both nap and night time sleep needs a routine and schedule. Not rigid, but baby needs to know what comes next
2) watch your child for the first sign of sleepiness and spring #1 into action
3) introduce a lovey, this comfort item will (hopefully) help soothe them back to sleep in your absence
4) stick to your plan, it may take a week of soothing them back to bed every hour but stick with it for 10 days and re-evaluate.
Our plan is to transition him to his crib starting tonight. I hate this idea, but last night he was screaming his head off, he wouldnt nurse and was crying because he was sooo tired. Out of frustration and (I'm ashamed to admit) anger, I pushed him into his co-sleeper, stuck his paci in his screaming mouth and left the room. I came out and cried in Geoff's arms for a minute and then realized silence was coming from the bedroom...Eli was out! Magic! No crying! No bouncing, rocking, shhing, walking, nursing, wash rinse repeat. He just needed me to leave him along long enough to sleep. Geoff and I sat up for an hour talking and Eli slept the whole time. Once I (carefully) crawled back into bed and started to doze off...yep. He woke up. And woke up almost every hour for the rest of the night. I think I am waking him up everytime I shift, move, snore etc. He wakes me up everytime he stretches, fusses, moves. So we wind each other up. Not good. I thought about transitioning him back to the co-sleeper, but he's starting to outgrow it, and I dont think my night time shifting would stop bothering him. I want to go through this once. So I write this blog post out of frustration, exhaustion and a sense of disappointment. I desperately wanted to attachment parent. I really want my baby boy close by at night. But I also want to sleep in order to be a good mama. Another AP thing that does not work for us, is babywearing at home. He LOVES being worn out and about, but HATES it at home. He gets bored, frustrated and tired. So I fail on 2/7 "rules" of APing...ah well. I think in the end, attachment parenting is about parenting in the most sensitive, positive way for YOUR child. My child is a light sleeper, and stubborn. If he knows I am right there, he wants me. He wants to coo, play and nurse all night long and he gets mad at me for his being tired. So, starting tonight...he will sleep in his crib. I hope.
ETA: the book does include a section for cosleeping, breastfeeding mamas. She recommends not reacting to his every noise, which I dont. She recommends pushing him away a bit, which I do. Neither works for him. So the crib it is. For now, he naps in his swing, but we may work on that too at some point....we'll see.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Eli is almost 4 months old!
Eli will be four months old tomorrow! I cant believe how fast its gone, he changes so much everyday. This week he has started showing a keen interest in his toys, and has started grabbing them and putting them in his mouth. This is pretty much right on target from the sheet the pediatrician gave us with milestones etc. Its funny to watch him reach for a toy and get so excited when he gets it in his mouth! He has his 4 month well child check/immunizations this next week, and I am kind of looking forward to it because I'm always curious to see what he weighs and how long he is. I hate to see him in pain from the immunizations, but after much research, feel its the best thing we can do to protect him from potentially deadly diseases. I know vaccines are a hot topic for some people, but I remember seeing my nephew (Alex, Carlo and Jen's little guy) in the hospital with RSV and it being the saddest, scariest thing ever. I know RSV is not something you can vaccinate against, but it struck me that there are diseases that can be prevented with a simple vaccine. Anyway *steps off soapbox*.
I am also looking forward to asking his pediatrician about sleep. Oh where do I begin? Eli has never been a great sleeper. He hates being put down when he's asleep or being forced to sleep alone, so I usually just put him in bed with me. However, he has been going through screaming fits at night off and on for the past month. I dont know what to do. We tried moving his bed time back to 7:30-8 and implemented a strict bedtime routine. At 7 he gets a bath, lotion, fresh diaper, nurses, story and bed. He sometimes goes down without a fuss, but almost always wakes up within 30-45 minutes and needs to be resoothed. He usually wakes up again at 11 and needs to be resoothed. If he goes back down ok after those two wakings, he wakes up to eat at 1-2. The rest of the night is a crap shoot. I always leave him in bed with me after that, because he freaks out if I lay him back in his cosleeper. He usually eats again at 4, 6 and 9. With a diaper change in the middle of that. I struggle with the co sleeping thing, because I dont always sleep as well with him in bed with me because I am a stomach sleeper. Also, I struggle with the whole "never put them in bed with you, you're spoiling them and its dangerous" thing. Geoff has thrown in the towel and started sleeping on the couch, partly because of Eli and mostly because he likes to watch TV at night and I dont. Nap time is not much better. He likes to cat nap during the day, 30 mins or so at a time, so he's awake and happy for a short amount of time and then crabby because he's tired. Everyone keeps telling me, this too shall pass...All I can say is I hope they are right.
On a more positive note, he is giggling, smiling, laughing, and drooling like a crazy man! Here is a video of him giggling. He is more awesome than I ever could have imagined. I cant wait to see how this tiny person grows and changes everyday.
I am also looking forward to asking his pediatrician about sleep. Oh where do I begin? Eli has never been a great sleeper. He hates being put down when he's asleep or being forced to sleep alone, so I usually just put him in bed with me. However, he has been going through screaming fits at night off and on for the past month. I dont know what to do. We tried moving his bed time back to 7:30-8 and implemented a strict bedtime routine. At 7 he gets a bath, lotion, fresh diaper, nurses, story and bed. He sometimes goes down without a fuss, but almost always wakes up within 30-45 minutes and needs to be resoothed. He usually wakes up again at 11 and needs to be resoothed. If he goes back down ok after those two wakings, he wakes up to eat at 1-2. The rest of the night is a crap shoot. I always leave him in bed with me after that, because he freaks out if I lay him back in his cosleeper. He usually eats again at 4, 6 and 9. With a diaper change in the middle of that. I struggle with the co sleeping thing, because I dont always sleep as well with him in bed with me because I am a stomach sleeper. Also, I struggle with the whole "never put them in bed with you, you're spoiling them and its dangerous" thing. Geoff has thrown in the towel and started sleeping on the couch, partly because of Eli and mostly because he likes to watch TV at night and I dont. Nap time is not much better. He likes to cat nap during the day, 30 mins or so at a time, so he's awake and happy for a short amount of time and then crabby because he's tired. Everyone keeps telling me, this too shall pass...All I can say is I hope they are right.
On a more positive note, he is giggling, smiling, laughing, and drooling like a crazy man! Here is a video of him giggling. He is more awesome than I ever could have imagined. I cant wait to see how this tiny person grows and changes everyday.
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