The past two nights I let Olivia cry it out. Its the only solution to break her from waking up at night and just wanting to sleep by me. I think God has given me the strength to do this! Its hard, it really is, but I feel like I don't have any other choice. Unless I want to keep bringing her into our bed, which I don't!
She will go to sleep on her own (usually). She does a lot of flipping and turning until she gets comfortable. Then on Wednesday night she woke up around 1 am and was crying. It wasn't a desperate cry so I knew I could let her be for a few minutes. She cried for about 3 minutes and fell back to sleep. Lastnight she woke up again around 1 am, but it was a desperate cry. She cried for about 3 minutes again then I went to check on her. I didn't pick her up right away, just wanted to see what she was doing. She sat up in her crib ad was wailing, so I picked her up, gave her a couple ounces and she fell back to sleep. I held her for about 10 minutes and put her back in her crib. She woke up AGAIN at 2:30, but this time I didn't go in her room. She cried for about 3-5 minutes, but she got her self back to sleep. I was very proud of her (and myself for not running in and getting her). She slept until 6 am!
Hopefully we will only have to deal with the crying for a couple more nights, but I atleast know I can handle the crying it out method. It breaks my heart not going in to comfort her, but apparently what I have been doing wasn't working. This is my last resort so I pray it works. I just don't understand why the past few months she has been sleeping like a baby (pun intended) and now all of a sudden she wakes up in the middle of the night! Although, I have read on my Baby Center February Mommy's Club that a lot of mom's are going thru the same thing. One mom posted that a lot of babies when they turn 6 months (or around there) have the problem of waking up in the middle of the night. I am not sure what it is, maybe the bond with mommy and baby and baby doesn't want to be without mommy? I don't know. Its been a rough couple of weeks at nighttime so I really hope she gets out of this phase quickly!
4 comments:
I am very proud of you! I know it's hard and it takes a very strong person to be able to do it. However, I do think it will benefit Olivia in the long run. Take it from me as the example of what not to do - I never had the strength to let my kids cry (at least not when it would have done some good) and I'm paying for it now!
wow 3 TO 5 minutes is great! It is usually a lot longer. Good for you, sticking to it. Good Job Mommy!!
Great job Carrie. Just keep in mind that she will get confused as to WHEN you will get and her and when you won't. What I mean is that you said that you got her the first time gave her a bottle but the second time refused her. You might want to read further about the fact that she is old enough to get through the night without any food and she is waking to be with you and not because she is hungry. I just want it to go well for you and I am afraid that if she is unclear about the "rules" it will be harder for her to learn. If you power feed her (I always did this)at say 9 and read her a book etc. and tell her outright (yeah even at 6 months) that you will see her in the morning when the sun shines and then leave her until then, she will get it .....eventually. You can still check like you have been and pat her if need be or whatever just not picking her up or giving her the cuddles she is looking for.
Also, when you have a night where you do not pick her up and you are getting her in the morning, you can make a huge deal out of her sleeping in her big girl bed alone. Have an Independence Parade and parade her around in your arms. That is what I did and they thought it was great and wanted it every day therefore learned it was worth sleeping alone.
Good for you for doing it!!!!!!!!
We did the cry it out thing. I only remember one night that Ethan cried for about 50 minutes. After that it was maybe 10 min. It didn't last long at all and it was so worth it. I don't remember Tyler or Isaiah crying long at all. It took less than a week and was soooo worth it! I watched too many people put their kids to sleep other ways and I wouldn't trade them. We get compliments on how well our kids go to bed. I also think that a regular routine is good. We play a CD for our boys everynight while they fall asleep. We still have nights where they don't want to go to bed, or fight sleep, but once they are in bed and asleep, they are asleep for the night! I also let my kids have bottles/sippy cups in bed until they were (bottles till 1, sippy cup till 2)2, that seemed to help a lot. I'd go in and get their cups after they fell asleep. I know that's a no no, but we didn't have any problems.
Post a Comment