Well, we've delayed trying the crib again because our lives have not been on a normal schedule. We had Dayton and Erin and their kids here for a few days, then were both sick for a week, and then had company this weekend.
But now that things are back to boring "normal" again :) I decided to give the crib a try. It's not safe anymore to let him take naps on our bed, and he's outgrowing his bouncy seat. Last time I tried, last Friday actually, Benjamin and I both ended up reduced to tears. (Why can't he just be a normal baby and sleep in a crib? For a nap? During the day? While I'm right there by him??) Here's the deal. We had tried the "let 'em cry it out alone" method. He can keep it up for an incredibly long time, and all we accomplish is sleep loss for ourselves and a baby who thinks we've abandoned him. I decided it would be best to stay right there to let him know I hadn't just forgotten about him, I really wanted him to stay there and sleep. I gave him little spanks on the leg every time he started his mad cry. Yes, there is a difference between his teeth-bared angry cry and his sad cry. This was the first type. He was furious at me, though he'd been nursed, almost to sleep, and had played happily and busily until he was exhausted. He simply didn't like where he was.
Well, it was probably one of the most harrowing things I've ever done, but I left him in there, gave him little spanks when he screamed, and finally he calmed down. Finally. This had gone on for over an hour. By then I was feeling like a horrible mom and seriously wondering what kind of psychological problems my child had. I slumped down by the crib, exhausted and in tears.
He turned over. Grinned at me. Started laughing!!
I picked him up, since he obviously was wide awake now and ready to play again. At least he'd sort of stayed in the crib for a while.
I didn't have the courage or emotional energy to try again until today. He woke around 7:30, played, then started looking like he needed his morning nap. I made sure his tummy was full, then put him in the crib.
Same response...screams and trying to stand up. I stayed completely calm, knowing there was nothing that would hurt him and that sleeping in the crib, while I sang him to sleep, was perfectly fine for him. I kept singing calmly and when he stood up, firmly laid him back down. During the next 45 minutes, he went from all-out lung-belting to loud singing to quietly talking to himself to....asleep.
Since then he's taken his other two naps in the crib, too. He fusses a little, then eventually drops off.
:D :D :D
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4 comments:
Before I realized that he's cutting his one year molars early, I was beside myself as well this week over sleeping. I tried a method I saw on a UK site nicknamed "PUPD" for "Pick-up / Put down" which is essentially what you did, except for picking the baby up he gets too upset, calming him down, and immediately putting him back down to sleep.
With Brady, it worked okay but not great.
Then, I tried giving him some Tylenol after suddenly realizing that he was teething.
This worked much, much better.
I then had a cry for being a bad mother too.
It must be something about this week. Keep it up! You are doing well. It took us a month to get Brady into a bed and out of our arms for sleeping.
Benjamin sounds like he's adjusting really well.
We had a really bad night last week, too. He just couldn't settle. Jeff gave him some teething gel and almost immediately he was peacefully sleeping. It's hard to tell what is personality and what is pain!!
Benjamin went to sleep in just 10 minutes today...:D I put a "lovey" in the crib, a fuzzy rabbit, that he likes to pick at while he's falling asleep. Also since the danger of SIDS is pretty much over I give him a couple of soft blankets. Maybe that's helping too.
Oh, Emmie, I'm sorry it's been so hard for you. Buy yay-it's now working-that's great.
We're going through the same thing w/Ella now. She just does not want to sleep in her own bed-only w/Daddy and Mommy.
We've at least been semi-successful. She'll now (occasionally) go to sleep in her own bed (after several tries) but when she wakes up w/one of her night terrors 3 hours later, it's straight into our bed.
Oh well. Getting her to soothe herself back to sleep will be something I try when I have more energy!
:-)
I think kids go through phases...maybe Ella is developing an imagination and it's working against her!
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