The following is a very minor problem I've been having with Henry of which I am seeking some help. This situation or any actions in this blurb is not meant to isolate or judge anything you've tried or will try with your child. We don't co-sleep in our house not because I think there is anything wrong with that, it just doesn't work for my family. If it works for you and yours, great - it's a very beautiful thing! :)
It all started on one particularly hard day in November with Henry. We'd been so diligent about him sleeping in his crib and he was doing an excellent job with his night sleepings being so young and all, everything was going fine, except, we let him nap in his ::gasp:: swing or Boppy in the living room with us during the day.
Not such a big deal or anything to worry about when your baby is that small. They don't move too much, when they sleep they're pretty much out cold..
But I pretty much got a big head and decided that sleeping in the living room of a loud house was just not going to do at all. So we started the daily battle of the naps. I'd rock him, lay him down in his crib, he's panic and cry. Or he'd last 10 minutes or so before he'd wail. Being too young to "cry it out" (which I'm still not a big fan of..or not completely educated on, not sure) I'd have to go back in there, pick him up, soothe, leave, he'd cry, I'd return, repeat.
I'll admit, I got really lazy with it. One day I pretty much said screw it and let him sleep out in his swing (or on a quilt on the floor, or in his Boppy on the floor). I mean, I guess I thought I didn't want to mess up a good thing, which is his night time sleep and I was afraid he'd develop an aversion to his crib in the day.
So for right now I have an almost 5 month old that takes 3 (1) hour naps a day IN THE LIVING ROOM. Not too big of a deal, but I am a little worried. Because what's going to happen when he's a year old, completely mobile, I'm ready to pull my hair out and I can't get him to sleep in his room during the day for a much needed Mommy break? Plus he's getting too big for the swing and the Boppy...
Ugh, I just don't know what to do. And it's not that it's that big of a deal but it's my first "new Mommy mistake" I feel like I've made.
Does anyone have any advice for me on this or been in a similar situation with their child(ren)? Any help would be appreciated.
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5 comments:
Unfortunately, I don't have any good advice. I let her sleep in her swing too. Actually, it was good for us because she learned to sleep through some noise.
Um, my babysitter just started putting her in a packnplay in her bedroom for naps. Totally different situation, I know, but if he's comfortable sleeping on a blanket on the floor, could you start by putting the blanket in his room?
I don't think this is a mommy-mistake at all. But if this is your first and he's 5 months, you're doing great.
Big hugs, wish I was more help!
I would agree that moving the blanket to his room might start as a good transition, if you goal is to get him napping in his room and eventually in his bed.
My advice would be to put him in his crib and sit next to him and pat him/sooth him WITHOUT picking him up, until he falls asleep. Do put some kind of lovey in there-a soft square of fabric or something that he can hold, ect. That might help too.
After a day or two of that, then sit closer to the door, and talk to him from there til he sleeps, then a day or two of that, just talk to him as you are leaving the room.
Also, try a white noise machine-it might be he hates his room for naps because he is used to hearing noise when he naps, and his bed is too quiet for him to calm down for rest.
And I understand, I could never do the "cry it out" thing either. :)
Also, I love parenting books by Dr. Kevin Leman. I have most of them if you want to borrow any; they have been great for us. There is also a whole range of parenting books at the library if you are interested in browsing a few without buying them.
I read Richard Ferber's 'Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems' - yup, the dreaded cry-it-out method! I used this for the night time sleeping because we previously shared our bed with him. E was 4 months when we started trying to get him to sleep through the night in his crib - within 4 days of using the cry-it-out method he was sleeping in his crib without any assistance from us! Definitely get the book from the library and read it before you dismiss it.
Word verification: pukesp. D:
I'm gonna have to agree with alicia's comment above. We had to throw down some tough love when kid#1 was holding us hostage by getting up 4-5times/night (when he was almost 6mnths old already!) It wasn't easy, but I was going batty trying to get him to sleep (the only thing that would settle him down was to nurse and I got so tired that I started nursing while laying down in one of our spare bedrooms...which turned into co-sleeping (which I did NOT want to do) eventually we let him cry it out..it took 3-4 nights and he progressed from 2 hours of crying down to 45 min, and then to 10min. I'm sure you could do the same with his napping...worth a try maybe???!
Ellen will NOT go to sleep in her crib at any time EXCEPT her daytime nap. She insists on co-sleeping at night. But no problems with the crib during the day. I like Michelle's suggestion of sitting with him, and also the suggestion of the pack and play in his room. My parents let me nap on their bed as a "treat" to coax me into napping for a few more months. They'd spread a blanket out on their bed in the afternoons. Of course, we all still nap in front of the tv and the noise is ok, and Dakota will even nap in the middle of a loud party! LOL.
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