For those who don't believe in sleep training...

amother

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:29 pm

And I'm talking about controlled crying-type training, where the child is left crying for 2 minutes (on a timer) before the parent returns and attempts to calm/resettle the baby while the child remains in his/her crib.
So if you don't believe in it, what would YOU do with a 7-week-old baby (who is gaining weight well and is overall healthy BH) who doesn't fall asleep independently, whilst being rocked/patted or in the swing or whilst being held etc etc. And when he DOES eventually fall asleep, can't transition to the next sleep cycle and is awake again 30-45 minutes later? I'm referring to daytime only.
He is the younger brother of a very demanding toddler and the son of two working parents - I don't have the time to rock/pat/swing him etc to sleep for every nap which only ends up being 30-45min long anyway. So I'm wondering what all the sleep-training blasters on here would do with such a baby?

amother

Bronze

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:31 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

At that age they usually fall asleep while feeding

amother

Slateblue

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:31 pm

Nurse him back to sleep. Definitely no crying at that age. Even staunch CIO advocates would say 7 weeks is way to young.
Honestly CIO is child abuse no matter what the age.

amother

Yellow

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:31 pm

I do believe on sleep training BUT o think what you’re describing is 1000% typical. I’m sorry. My babies always take 2x as long to put down to nap than they actually nap! And they’re definitely not exceptions. To me that meant, nap over. Try again in 2 hours. Very very very painful tho

amother

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:33 pm

Well, he doesn't fall asleep while nursing. And a 7wo should be allowed to 'play' a little before being put to sleep - part of the eat-play-sleep cycle.

Forgot to mention that besides for everything else, if he doesn't sleep well, he doesn't feed well. So then he ends up doing half-feeds and half-naps which don't get us anywhere!

amother

Yellow

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:33 pm

amother [ Slateblue ] wrote:

Nurse him back to sleep. Definitely no crying at that age. Even staunch CIO advocates would say 7 weeks is way to young.
Honestly CIO is child abuse no matter what the age.

She was very very clear in her post she is NOT referring to CIO. At all. Crying for 2 minute is NOT cio. Hell my babies cry for longer than that while I use the bathroom or shower. That’s not CIO either. It’s just their needs in that moment conflicting with mine.

amother

Scarlet

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:34 pm

Naps are often that short at that age Sad

sorry. It's rough. Make sure baby isn't over tired and make sure you're using sleep tools (paci, swing if you have, rocking, shushing). I love the book Precious Little Sleep since she gives methods and reasonable expectations.

If feeding isn't going well, can you see a lactation consultant? It could be related.

amother

Sapphire

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:35 pm

amother [ Slateblue ] wrote:

Nurse him back to sleep. Definitely no crying at that age. Even staunch CIO advocates would say 7 weeks is way to young.
Honestly CIO is child abuse no matter what the age.

What does CIO stand for?

amother

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:36 pm

amother [ Slateblue ] wrote:

Nurse him back to sleep. Definitely no crying at that age. Even staunch CIO advocates would say 7 weeks is way to young.
Honestly CIO is child abuse no matter what the age.

And if he's simply not interested or too tired to nurse?

And SLEEP-TRAINING experts (who mentioned CIO?) are more than okay with 6wo babies starting to learn self-settling habits.

And you didn't answer my question - what would you do?

amother

Bronze

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:37 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Pacifier, swing or rocking

amother

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:37 pm

amother [ Yellow ] wrote:

Thank you!

amother

Slateblue

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:38 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

What’s a half feed? You are supposed to feed your baby on demand when he wants to eat and however much he wants to eat.Obviously with making sure you don’t go past 3 hours without a feed. 7 weeks is an infant. You have very advanced expectations for your little baby:)

amother

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:39 pm

amother [ Bronze ] wrote:

Pacifier, swing or rocking

Doesn't take a pacifier (I introduced it pretty late bc of BF issues with my first), hates his swing and rocking doesn't always work.

Even if those options could work, then when do you take care of yourself, a toddler, husband and house?

amother

Bronze

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:39 pm

amother [ Slateblue ] wrote:

Yes. I've sometimes had to wear them at that age if I wanted to get anything at all done. The Moby wrap is great for that.

amother

Bronze

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:40 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

You have to force the pacifier. Don't give up, it will pay off big time. Hold it in his mouth and rock him.

Um...you don't! Welcome to life with a baby!

Also, husband should be taking care of himself, and toddler as well if possible.

amother

Saddlebrown

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:41 pm

What I do? Well, here's what I do with my baby (who is now 8 mo and has been like this for pretty much his entire life).

I just accept it. I don't plan a nap for him. If he falls asleep good, if not then not. He goes to sleep for the night (meaning for 1-3 hours) at some time between 8pm and midnight. I calm him when he's sad, I hold him when I can, I strap him into the stroller when I can't.

But I'm a go-with-the-flow kinda person, so although sometimes I complain about this delicious child, I don't stress about it usually. He's wonderful, he's fun, and he'll grow out of this eventually.

(He is far from my first and this is the method I used with all of them. Some kids sort of developed their own sleep schedule and I respected it, but I never enforced a schedule. So if I noticed that they get tired every day at about 3 pm, I'd try to put them down for a nap then. This baby has no such ideas!)

amother

Chocolate

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:42 pm

30-45 minutes is a normal amount for a 7wo to nap

I like to do the 5 s's to get my babies to sleep at that age: swaddle, side or stomach position, swing (or some other movement such as bouncing on birthing ball), shushing aka white noise machine, and sucking (pacifier)

And when all else fails, I tucked the baby into my baby carrier and went on with my day.

amother

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:42 pm

amother [ Slateblue ] wrote:

If he feeds for only a few minutes every hour or so, I end up with blocked ducts. Not full-blown mastitis, but I've reached the achy on-the-way-to-a-fever stage a few times already.

I don't have any advanced expectations, I'm not asking for 2 hour naps during the day, nor am I asking for 12 hours straight through the night (he often feeds 3 hourly during the night). I do feel that a 7wo should have a decent nap at some point between a significant feed.

amother

Slateblue

Sun, Apr 25 2021, 8:44 pm

amother [ Yellow ] wrote:

Sorry, crying for 2 minutes at 7 weeks is a form of CIO and it’s really not appropriate for that stage at all. Even for people who believe that there is a time and place for CIO. If you have to go to the bathroom and your baby is crying, that isn’t ideal, but what can you do. That is very different from a mother making their baby cry in order to “ self soothe” . Hint, babies don’t self soothe at that age . They feel abandoned and give up unfortunately. They don’t have object performance yet ( not for many months btw) and have no idea that you will ever return.
Letting a baby cry for only 2 minutes is better then longer that that but it’s still very wrong parenting.