EASY baby- baby whisperer-routine at night

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Parenting our children -> Infants

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

sunny90

Tue, Jan 19 2010, 8:32 am

HELP, PLEASE!!!
Yes, I got the book. I read the whole section about settling your baby to sleep. Did it work? Nope. He fell asleep pretty deeply last night while I was nursing him, I woke him up for a minute while I changed his diaper but then he fell asleep again while I was swaddling him and slept til 12 when I finally managed to dreamfeed him because I saw he was getting restless in his sleep (I tried at 11 but he just would not take it).
At 3 he woke up to eat, and ate for 10 minutes (his usual amount) and when I put him back in his crib woke up after 5 minutes. I shush/patted him until 4:30, when I fed him because he kept rooting around, and he FINALLY fell asleep at 5 once I had the pacifier in his mouth and I patted him (I guess he was just really tired!)
He had a two hour nap this morning and got tired again after an hour so I tried to put him to sleep. Shush/patting didn't work, he just kept waking up while I was patting him and start crying, for the past hour and a half. He's crying again (I guess the paci must have fallen out).
WHAT SHOULD I DO???

pinkbubbles

Tue, Jan 19 2010, 9:11 am

GR wrote:

The one thing I don't understand about scheduling babies is expecting an infant to nurse for 1/2 an hr when they're only interested in 5 minutes worth.

I had that, and it turned out that DS wasn't getting enough and so ate more often. He also wasn't really getting the fattening (filling) part of the milk. If thats what it is then you can try to stretch the feedings apart as long as possible so they're hungrier and more awake so will eat more and last longer.

pinkbubbles

Tue, Jan 19 2010, 9:17 am

sunny90 wrote:

Keep sticking to what you are doing! He'll pick it up eventually. I know its so hard when you're tired and you can't think straight! When did you last feed him before bed? Did he go from 11-3 without eating? thats great!
Does the swaddle help him sleep better? I remember that DS didn't like it until I took his arms out, then he was fine.
When hes non stop crying and you're not sure if hes tired, take him for a walk in the stroller or come pick up my baby carrier! Smile

if I can I'll drop it off later. it works wonders for when they just WONT sleep or stop crying! As soon as hes asleep you can take him inside and leave him in a quiet corner. If he doesn't sleep at least he will relax a little and hopefully stop crying.

pinkbubbles

Tue, Jan 19 2010, 9:20 am

sunny90 wrote:

Can I just ask another question?
What if he's not tired when I want him to go to sleep? Should I wait a half hour or so until I see he's a little "droopy" and starting to get sleepy, or stick to the bedtime strictly, while taking much much longer to put him to sleep?

make sure his last nap wasn't too close to bedtime (depending on how long he stays awake before getting tired). also, you can be flexible with bedtime by around 30 minutes. just wait it out, keep everything calm til he gets tired.

gryp

Tue, Jan 19 2010, 9:31 am

pinkbubbles wrote:

GR wrote:

The one thing I don't understand about scheduling babies is expecting an infant to nurse for 1/2 an hr when they're only interested in 5 minutes worth.

I'm trying that, thanks.

sunny90

Tue, Jan 19 2010, 1:14 pm

thanks pinkbubbles Smile

I wish I could just call up the baby whisperer. too bad she's dead Sad

cubbie

Tue, Jan 19 2010, 1:40 pm

sunny90 wrote:

thanks pinkbubbles Smile

I wish I could just call up the baby whisperer. too bad she's dead Sad

If you only knew how many times a day I think that very same thought!!!!

sunny90

Tue, Jan 19 2010, 4:32 pm

LOL honestly what right did she have to die? People need her! She should have trained an apprentice baby whisperer at least... Wink

pobody's nerfect

Wed, Jan 20 2010, 10:08 am

I've been using this method since my baby was about 6 weeks old. I wasn't strict with it, but I am committed now to being strict to get him on a really good schedule. I only have the small book, but I'm ordering the big one because many people have said it is better.
my biggest problem right now is that his naps are a fraction of how long she says they should be. at just under 4 months old, he is taking 3 35-45 minute naps, plus a 10-15 minute catnap around dinnertime. I've tried extending his naps by doing the same routine as when I put him down (pick up when he cries, put back down, pat) but it hasn't worked. does anyone have any suggestions? thank you!!

pobody's nerfect

Wed, Jan 20 2010, 10:09 am

oh, one more question- I just read that you should keep swaddling the baby until 6 months?! is this for real??

cubbie

Wed, Jan 20 2010, 10:19 am

If he's under 4 months you really shouldn't be doing pick up put down as it's too stimulating. If he's taking 3 naps and a catnap I'm assuming that he's on a 3 hour routine, pick up put down is more appropriate for a baby who is on a 4 hour schedule and therefore more "mature" and able to deal with more stimulation. Your babies problem is that he's only doing one sleep cycle then waking up when he should be able to transition from one sleep cycle to another. What happens when he wakes up? does he just make a noise or is he waking up with a cry straight away? If he is just making noise don't go in, but if he is crying go in pick him up and hold him vertically, patting his back like a heartbeat (in the middle not softly but not hard) for about 5 minutes or until he calms down then lie him down on his side one hand supporting his chest the other continuing to pat his back when he is very calm roll him onto his back and pat his chest gently. The important thing is to work on his nap for the length of time he should be napping, so if you put him to bed at 8.30am and he wakes up at 9.15 you need to keep working with him until 10am at which point to act like he's been sleeping all this time and wish him good morning, ask if he had a good sleep and take him out.

cubbie

Wed, Jan 20 2010, 10:21 am

I don't swaddle that long, I stopped at about 2 1/2 months, when they gain control over their arms, but I use a sleep sack after that, basically if you're going to swaddle at this age, do it with his arms out.

pobody's nerfect

Wed, Jan 20 2010, 2:05 pm

thank you cubbie. I put what you said into practice today and this is what happened:

Even though he didn't show the signs of tiredness, I put yitzy into his crib after he had been awake for 1 1/2 hours which was after a short morning nap. I figured if I want him to sleep an hour and a half, I couldn't put him down any later because he would be starving during his proposed napping time.
He played in his crib for 5 minutes, then needed help falling asleep. he was much more difficult than usual. It took about 25 minutes until he fell asleep.
After 30 minutes, I heard him wake up. As always, I did not go in because he was only making noises. After 5 minutes, though, he began crying. Here's where it got really difficult.
I held him vertically while gently patting his back. He was hysterical. For ten full minutes, he shrieked and squirmed while I held him and patted. (Mind you, this is a baby whose grandfather has never heard cry. it was quite abnormal to hear him crying so hard for so long.)
I did want to try getting him back to sleep though, so I thought about how I could calm him. I sat in the rocking chair, cradling him, and within 5 minutes he was calm. While still sitting, I transferred him to a vertical position. After a minute, I stood up and kept him vertical. He stayed calm, so I put him in his crib, keeping him on his side and patting, and then rolling him onto his back. I sighed in happiness. But it was short lived. After a minute and a half, he was screaming again.
So I picked him up vertically, but he was still inconsolable, so I went back to the rocking chair. After 5 minutes he was calm, so I put him vertical, then stood up, then tried to put him back in his crib. He freaked out. I tried this 3 times, but he kept screeching.
Back to the rocking chair for 5 minutes. At this point, I had been working with him for 1/2 hour- an hour from when he fell asleep.
I was spent, and unsure if I was even doing the technique properly, so I decided to stop.
The minute I took him out of his room, he relaxed. I made him a bottle, and sat down on the couch. He started crying, but when I gave him the food he was fine. He sucked a full bottle down really fast. then he nuzzled into me, so that I probably could have put him back to sleep if I wanted. Ten minutes later, he started to make noises and play. Now he's on the floor happy as can be.

So.... what am I going to do at his next nap? When should I even attempt putting him in for his nap? Am I doing things right?

Thank you. I really appreciate it!

Seraph

Wed, Jan 20 2010, 2:18 pm

cubbie wrote:

Pobody, you know my baby is older than yours, right?
My son still enjoys being swaddled arms in.

Rochelly

Wed, Jan 20 2010, 2:22 pm

Seraph wrote:

cubbie wrote:

Pobody, you know my baby is older than yours, right?
My son still enjoys being swaddled arms in.

my baby loves being swaddled too and she's 4 months old.. I assured my dh that she wont go to the chuppah in her kiddapotumos...

pobody's nerfect

Wed, Jan 20 2010, 3:15 pm

do you swaddle for naps, or just at night?

Seraph

Wed, Jan 20 2010, 4:25 pm

pobody's nerfect wrote:

do you swaddle for naps, or just at night?

If he gives me any trouble whatsoever going to sleep, he gets swaddled. If he isn't swaddled, he's on his belly. He doesnt sleep well at all on his back unswaddled.
Overtired=swaddled.
Cranky=swaddled
Not settling down easily when I'm patting him=swaddled.

It usually ends up being most naps and at the start of the night until I go to sleep and bring him into my bed.

shabri

Thu, Jan 21 2010, 2:32 am

pobody's nerfect wrote:

1st of all, Definitely get the big book. Its much much better--answers all the questions and explains things so much better.

To answer your question, I think you said your baby is just under 4 months. It could be he is moving towards a 3.5 hour or 4 hour schedule. So maybe you need to extend is A time a little. Like 15 min to 1/2 hr. Esp if you say he wasn't showing tired signs. I would try that for a few days and see if it works.

In terms of swaddling. She says by 3 mos or so once the kids start getting control of their hands to stop, or at least leave their hands out. But if my baby liked it, I would for sure keep it up

cubbie

Thu, Jan 21 2010, 3:22 am

I really need to stress something here
Baby Whispering is not magic. It is a way of teaching your baby the skills he needs. Like anything it takes time and perseverence. You will not use her methods for one nap and suddenly have a baby who knows to go to sleep by himself, self-soothe when he wakes and sleep for the full 90 minutes. But if you stick to it after a couple of weeks you will have a baby who goes to sleep withing 5 minutes around 90% of the time.

shabri

Thu, Jan 21 2010, 3:27 am

cubbie wrote:

I totally agree. Many times people say I've tried it and it doesn't work. So I ask them abt it and they say they tried it, the baby cried so they took him into bed. I try to stress that babies aren't robots and we are trying to teach them new skills--which takes time and most of all consistency. Usually a young baby you can make small changes in 3-4 days. But an older baby (after 3 mos or so) it can take a week or 2. Its sticking to it that will make the difference.

People don't realize its not a method (do this don't do this) but a philosophy--if you don't "buy into" the philosophy, its not going to work. Thats why I always encourage people to read the book before they start.

Page 4 of 5

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next