Monday, August 06, 2007
Hey all... I'm struggling today. See, Addie can sleep in her cradle by herself at night when she's in her deep sleep, but during the day, whenever she naps, I always hold her. The times I get her to sleep and try to lay her down, she's screaming the minute she's out of my arms. I told myself this week I would try to put her down each time she falls asleep and then just keep trying and trying, cause I want her to be able to be on her own- especially when my mom or Brandt's mom start to take care of her in two weeks. I don't want them to have to hold her all day. Does anyone have a suggestion?? Also, is it ok to let a baby cry herself to sleep? I can barely make it 5 minutes without going in to pick her up, but I'm just wondering if I should stick it out and let her calm herself down without me running to get her. I lasted 8 minutes today -she cried that entire time in her cradle, so I couldn't take it anymore and had to pick her up. I'd appreciate any suggestions :)
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5 comments:
Steph, you don't know me, but I used to work with Ali Peterson and Ana Erickson. Ana used to tell me about you and your baby and show me pictures, and I sometimes read Ali's blog, which is how I found your blog. Anyways, I have a friend who has a little girl that just turned one. She is the happiest baby and she sleeps really well, and has for many months. They read a book called "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" and they highly recommend it. Maybe you would want to check it out. It's by Marc Weissbluth. Also, your daughter is adorable!
Cristina
Hey hon. So Nora was just like this around 2 months. That's when she was sleeping in the car seat and/or swing - it's also when our doc told us that had to stop. She also told us that it was a good idea to let Nora cry and learn to soothe herself. She said start at 5 minutes, then 10 the next time. She said you can wait up to 45 minutes. Fortunatly the longest it took for Nora to calm herself was about 15 minutes. It's sucky and it's WAY hard if you are home by yourself - but you can do it. Do you swaddle Addie? Nora only gets swaddled for her naps but that way she feels like she's wrapped in someones arms. It'll get better I promise. So school starts in two weeks, huh? Didn't it go by fast? Love you!
Steph, read "secrets of the Baby Whisperer." It is the best book ever, and I wish I would've read it before Ani was born. She sleeps great now! Borders has it, the author's last name is Hogg. I don't let Anika cry herself to sleep, but this book has the cure for babies who don't want to sleep independently! Good luck, give me a call if you want.
I second the nomination for "Secrets of the Baby Whisper." My friend, who has a two year old and a baby on the way, swears by it.
This is one of the really hard parts of parenting, especially when they're so young. The frustrating part is that every baby is different and what works for one may not work for another. My sister-in-law swore by loud "shhhhhhh"-ing in her baby's ear; it worked like a charm. I tried it with Greta and she screamed even louder! It turned out that she liked to be swaddled (Dustin was the master swaddler!)
As for letting them cry themselves to sleep... it's worth a try... if you can stand it. Every minute seems like an eternity when you're listening to them scream. I think that the longest I ever lasted was 10 minutes before I broke down and picked them up.
Keep plugging away. You guys are doing a great job. And remember, you know Addie better than anyone else. It won't be long before things settle into a better routine.
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