Putting baby to sleep

Rachael - posted on 08/08/2011

Now that my son is two, I know that what I've been doing to get him to sleep is what works for him and for my husband and I. I wish that I had been as confident when I posted this originally. We don't rock him to sleep anymore but we do sit with him until he falls asleep. I am a firm believer in attachment parenting and this is our modified sleep plan for him. A lot of parents who follow attachment parenting co-sleep and this wasn't for us so we comfort him to sleep. As far as others putting him to sleep, he goes down easily for my mother-in-law too. I really enjoy Dr. Sears' view on parenting and it is what I aim for. Different parenting styles work for different people and every child has a different personality so we all have to do what works for each of us in the situation we're in.

Regina - posted on 08/07/2011

honestly i wouldn't worry about it till the little one is older. When they are babies they need to feel secure and loved. We all need a hug once in a while right? Everyone is in such a hurry for their babies to be independant that they miss out on them being babies. when my older two grew into their todler beds (about 16 months or so) is when we started. they handled it much better at that age.

Kristy - posted on 01/24/2010

this is for robin rex. has your child got any teeth yet or may be teething? my son has none yet and he is 7.5 months old. he is waking 3 or 4 times a night and i just go in and give him his dummy back and he dozes off himself. occasionally i give him some teething gel to help. it may just be the age. i have also been told that because they start to have separation anxiety at this age, they often wake and see that you're not there and get unsettled. hope some of this helps xx

Robin - posted on 01/23/2010

I'm stumped at what to do with my son. He will be 8 months old soon and still wakes up at least 3 times a night. He usually takes 2 or 3 oz and goes right back to sleep. He stands up in his crib, but is still very unsteady, so im worried to let him cry it out. He stands up and cries and then falls and hits his head over and over. I had a rough pregnancy because my husband decided he didn't want to be married anymore. So in a way I take comfort in my son needing me..but I would also like to get some sleep at night. During the day his naps are very irregular. Just not sure what to do. Im not sure if he wakes up because he is truely hungry or because he eats so much and he feels his wet diaper. HELP....

Kristy - posted on 01/15/2010

i also forgot to add, i always said i would never let my child sleep in my bed. i dont do it often but when my hubby goes off to work, me and my son have a nap after his early morning feed. my son has always slept from 1030pm thru to 6am has a feed and then sleeps until9am. he has done so since 5 weeks old.

Kristy - posted on 01/15/2010

i have always let my son go to sleep on his own. you get to know when they are tired and you read the signs so i out him in his cot once he is tired and he usually goes off on his own. sometimes i need to pat his back a few times to settle him. he is always fed in my arms but isnt always due for a sleep after his feed. everyone does things differently and not everything works for every family. i worked in a baby room in child care for 6 years and found that it can be very tiring having to rock and pat babies to sleep. they still get their cuddles when they are awake or feeding but they soon learn how to self soothe to sleep. often if my son is sick he wants to be cuddled to sleep and we accommodate for this. dont always believe what you hear or read. do what works for you!!! believe me, if they do go off to sleep on their own, it makes life much easier for you. it means you can clean up or cook tea or whatever you need to do (rest if u need to). the only other thing is, does your child have a bond with other family members too? sometimes if the child has a really good bond with you (sounds like he does) they often get upset if left in someone elses company. its not easy to have a child suffering separation anxiety if u are unwell and cant help them. just a few things to think about.

Amanda - posted on 01/15/2010

i put my son in bed and he will cry for about 10 mins but eventually falls asleep...

Sara - posted on 01/14/2010

I do the same thing with my daughter who is 7 months old and I did with my son who is now 6. This is (and always was with my son too) my favorite time of the night. I do day care, so I get to be with my baby all the time, but I just feel so much closer to her when I rock her at night while she is enjoying her last bottle. Our daughter also sleeps through the night...so obviously we ARE doing something right!! I say phooey to those who think we are bad parents because we "coddle" our children and do not let them fall to sleep on their own. I am going to enjoy this time with my daughter because at some point, she is no longer going to want me to hold her and rock her to sleep. Good for you!!!!!

Jennie - posted on 01/14/2010

Rachael, If he's staying asleep when you put him down I wouldn't worry too much.

I too have been holding my son til hes asleep. I tried a few nights of letting him cry it out and it was the hardest thing ever. One night he went 1 hr, then 2 hrs and the last night 3 hrs of crying before I picked him up. I don't personally feel its ok to let your child cry for so long so I gave up on that method. I only tried because I really want him to fall asleep on his own. I don't want him to become dependent on me to fall asleep and have problems later in life because of it. But still not having much luck getting him to go to sleep on his own! When I try to put him in crib after hes asleep, he almost immediately wakes up and cries!

Rachael - posted on 01/14/2010

I now understand both sides of this and I'm going to do what I'm comfortable with. We tried the "cry-it-out" or Ferber method. Instead of creating a soothing bedtime it made my son not only upset when he went to sleep but he was upset when he woke up and it affected his mood during the day. I went back to my original way. It takes less time and it's a lot less stressful for all of us. I recently found information supporting my decision even though most don't agree. For those of you who support holding your baby until he goes to sleep like myself, I suggest reading this article on Dr. Sears' website (http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070300...). I believe every mom has to handle anything the way she feels is right for her child and this way works the best for us.

Miranda - posted on 01/13/2010

I do the same thing, nurse him til he falls asleep & 6 outta 10 times he sleeps in our bed because somehow he ends up cold & I can't get him to fall asleep in his own bed. [& YES HE'S SPOILED! So what?] lol. He sleeps from either 9-10pm til 5-6am, i feed him again then he falls asleep again til 8-9am.

Amanda - posted on 01/13/2010

i use to do this with my daughter until she was about 4mths old, but she wasn't going to sleep until 10 or 11 at night(just before mommy and daddy were ready to crash) I didn't mind and like you I enjoyed the cuddling time, but as she got bigger and heavier, holding her to put her to sleep also put my arms to sleep, and some nights no matter how long we held her she just wouldn't go to sleep, so finally one night i just layed her in her crib and after 20 min of crying(with checks) she fell asleep and slept the whole night. We tried this for a few more nights, and on night 5 she went to sleep on her own without a fuss. But we then found that she was starting to show signs of getting tired way earlier than her usual 10pm bedtime, so we bumped her bedtime back to 9:30, then 9pm, and now she goes to bed anywheres between 8-9pm(depending on her day) and sleeps about 11-12hours. We also started a bedtime routine, which babies love. Each night at around 8, she gets a bath, then into her pjs, i read her a short story while daddy makes a bottle, then I feed her and lay her in her crib drowsy but not asleep, and usually we don't hear a peep from her, once in awhile she will fuss a bit, but does fall asleep on her own. as much as I enjoyed the cuddling time with her before, I do enjoy the few hours in the evening to spend with my partner.

Anne - posted on 01/13/2010

Maddie Lambert, It's never too late to teach your child to sleep. I'm sorry that your husband is in Afgahnistan. I can't imagine how lonely and scary that must be. I understand wanting your baby with you, because having that nice warm body close by can be very comforting. If you are enjoying that, you can continue to do that and work on seperating later, but it will be more challenging then. The thing about taching your children anything is that you must be consistent. Sometimes this requires an act of stoicism from the mother, but setting boundaries is always good for a child. When you feel that you are emotionally ready to start enforcing bedtime structures, then I would give it a try. Your child may be easier to train then you think. But, be prepared that the new boundaries may be resisted by your little one. I believe that infants are very capable of understanding situations. They know when they can trust and they like to test you to see what works to get what they want. That's why, when I train my children to sleep, if I know that they have eaten enough and have a clean diaper, then I lay them down in their cribs. (My babies tend to be belly sleepers). They typically look up and start to fuss to see if you will pick them back up. I pat their back or bum and tell them "Night-Night". May do acouple of "Shhhhhhh" then I leave the room. If they are still fussing after 15 minutes and don't seem to be settling down (some babies like to hum or moan to sleep), then I will go back in and pat them some more. It's very difficult to resist picking them up, but it's for the best. Usually after this time I am able to leave no problem. They just want to know that you will be there if they need you. Usually it only takes a few times of doing this before it becomes really easy. My daughter may still fuss when I leave the room, but usually before I get to the bottom of the stairs she is done. I reccomend trying this at first during the day, for a nap, when you're not as tired. As with any parenting advice, take my method with a grain of salt. You know your child best, so you have to do what you think is right. This is just what has always worked for me. Good luck!

Maddie - posted on 01/12/2010

My little boy is 6 1/2 months and has to be rocked to sleep all the time. But I feel like it's my fault because I started letting him sleep in the bed with me a while back.. so now he thinks he needs mommy to go to sleep! I know I shouldn't do that but with my hubby being in afganistan its kinda lonley. Is it to late to break him of this??? I feel really bad leaving him with a sitter because i know how hard he is to get to sleep. Please helpl!!

Ashley - posted on 01/06/2010

My daughter has never really been rocked to sleep. I mean when she was little i would rock her and hold her til she feel asleep but once she hit like 2 1/2 months and we moved, i just been been sticking her in her crib at night. I mean at first for like the first two three days she would cry for like 10-15mins and then go to sleep. Now i ley her in her bed at night and she hardly makes a noise. I can never get her to fall asleep in my arms anymore. ANd sometimes i just want to hold her but she doesn't like it.

Nancy - posted on 01/06/2010

I do what ever is working at the time.

Jessica - posted on 01/06/2010

i always put my son down awake, the routine of getting ready for bed means that he sleeps through the night. if the routine is wrong, it just won't work, i have found that out. i personally think that you may make things more difficult for yourself down the line if your son will only fall asleep in your arms, but if you are prepared for that, great. Not something I would do, but i wish you all the best xxx

Christina - posted on 01/06/2010

my son is 2 now, my daughter 7 months... i always held my son to put him to sleep... whether it was while breast feeding or just in my arms, but now he will not go to sleep by himself... it is only now i am able to break him from that habit. i learned from my mistake, and Chloe goes in the crib by her self to go to sleep, and i must say it is so much easier, (as much as i do miss the cuddle time) it is one habit i wont have to break her from. plus it gives me that wind down time for myself too...

CARRIE - posted on 01/06/2010

I have always held my Son or laid with him until he falls asleep. He has been sleeping through the night since he was 2 months old. I know a lot of babies that don't even sleep through the night at 9 months old. I have also read all the articles but, I believe we should do what feels right for us. What works for one person may not work for another. My Son is happy and healthy and I don't mind him wanting me to be there when he goes to sleep. It would break my heart to listen to him cry himself to sleep.

Anne - posted on 01/06/2010

I don't want to burst your bubble, but the sooner you teach him to fall asleep on his own the happier you will be in the long run. I have had friends that always rocked their babies to sleep and they still have trouble getting their six year olds to sleep. In the beginning it is easier and better for the baby if you help them to sleep. They aren't able to self soothe yet. But, somewhere around 4 months, you can begin laying your baby down while they are still awake. My daughter will fall asleep while nursing, but she still will go to sleep on her own. She doesn't take a binky or suck her thumb, but she still has no problem going to sleep on her own. Good luck! It may be a challenge at first, but ease into it and you will be glad you did!

Shea - posted on 01/05/2010

my daughter Riann sleeps 10-12 hour nights 6/7 days a week and i hold her until she falls asleep (usually because shes eating) i dont have to be careful laying her down, there are times i hear her wake up at night and she puts herself right back to sleep. i have also been able to just lay her down and she will go to sleep for the night by herself. i honestly lucked out, she is a good sleeper, been going about 6 hours a night since 2 months and it has only gotten better. the only thing i do different is i dont bounce or rock her, i just hold her, well she just lays on my shoulder. she also gave up her pacifier at 2 1/2 months on her own, she just wouldnt take it. and to Rebecca, try teething tablets, i have heard from different people that it is great for teething (which this sounds like) you can find them in the baby section just about anywhere. also i might add, daddy cant put her to bed, she thinks its play time if he is holding her. when she was younger and he would go in to change a diaper in the middle of the night she would wake up and want to play and he didnt do anyting different then what i did.

Thrisha - posted on 01/05/2010

do what woks best for your family

Jennifer - posted on 01/05/2010

I am the mother of 5, they range in age from 20 down to 7months. I have rocked all of them to sleep every night until the were a year old and could understand bedtime. We would have quite time with a book or just quiet rocking for about 10-15 mins then i put them in their cribs to put themselves to sleep. I don't believe in pacifiers but i do believe in soft toys like a bunny or a teddy. this has work for the 1st 4 and i expect it to work for the last one too. one of my kids would play with her bunny in her crib till she fell asleep and my 6 y/o still talks to his "kitty", my oldest had a very small travel pillow he had to had. we had no screaming or tears.

Shannon - posted on 01/04/2010

Your method is just fine as long as you know you can have the exact same routine every night. Also what about when he is no longer breast feeding. I don't know if you'll have problems then or not but I would think so. I didn't exactly do the Ferber method but I did put my daughter down when she was half asleep. Now she can put herself to sleep fairly easy. Our daily schedules change alot so this has been helpful for us.

Rachael - posted on 01/04/2010

I have to mention that I didn't post this as a problem b/c he will fall asleep without me rocking/cuddling with him. This is just the way I have been doing it and wondering what others do. I am a believer that you have to do what ever you think is best for your children b/c they are all different.

My son is a sleepy baby and has been sleeping for 10 hours straight at night since he was 2 months old. Something I should mention is that I don't run to him every time he cries when he's in bed. Sometimes I just peek in (without him seeing me) and make sure he's ok and he almost always puts himself right back to sleep. I don't breastfeed him to put him to sleep either. It's just that there are times when he's hungry and he falls asleep when breastfeeding. I think that's different. I don't just give him the breast so he'll fall asleep. He's a pretty independent baby considering some people think I "spoil" him. Now if I couldn't put him down or if he wouldn't go to other people ever I would think that. I do however feel that some of you have a point about creating future sleeping habits so I'm going to give some of your ideas a try even though it's going to be hard for me to give up my (enjoyable but selfish) cuddle time. lol

Amanda - posted on 01/04/2010

I agree with April! I'm watching my nephew go this problem at the moment - nearly 2 & has to be rocked to sleep every night.

April - posted on 01/04/2010

My personal opinion is the longer you continue to do this, the harder it will be to break the routine when he's older. there will be times when you can't be the one to rock him to sleep and will he fall asleep if its someone else trying to do it? At the end of the day you have to do what works for you, but he will rely on it to fall asleep and it could become a major problem further down the track. Best of luck

Sinsoea - posted on 01/03/2010

That is so cool that he sleeps that long... my baby doesn't. But, I have 2 older ones and I found out that the way you start putting them to sleep is the way you'll always have to put them to sleep. I never rock them to sleep, pat them , or bounce them to sleep, you may have something to do at times and can't, and he will not understand that and he will cry. I've always just feed them, burp them, and laid them down. I do all the cuddling while she's awake, she'll remember that more.

Evelyn - posted on 01/03/2010

I was doing to same things as most of you ladies but it was not working for me at all. I drive a school bus in my town and with the complications that my son had when he was born it has made it very hard to keep him on a schedule, especially a sleeping schedule! :( Every two months since he was born he has had a surgery and every time a surgery comes the eat/wake/sleep thing was all messed up! Not to mention he has three teenage siblings that pick him up endlessly so when it's just Mom and Him he expects to be held 24/7.. Mom was getting no sleep and decided to try whatever somebody suggested. I Was letting him fall asleep during nursing, and when I put him in his crib for bedtime he would wake up every two hours all night. Not good for Mommy to get up for work at 5AM and needs to be alert driving a big vehicle full of kids. I started following the "Babywise" way and have had great luck. it seems to be the only thing that has helped. I even tried giving him a full bottle of formula before bed and that didn't cut it either....At least using "Babywise" his eat/wake/sleep schedule is set in stone and he sleeps most of the night. usually I put him down at 8:30pm and he sleeps until 1 or 2 am, nurses then sleeps til 6 or 7 am with no interruptions. Hopefully we'll get it down soon.

Samantha - posted on 01/03/2010

One problem that you may be causing is that your baby wont fall asleep unless he is in motion or being held. This is not going to be easy for you when the baby is 18 months old and weighs 3 times as much. Ive had 3 kids and all of mine got put to bed after bath time and usually by 2 1/2 - 3 months they where sleeping through without drifting off beforehand in my arms. The trick is to let him know you are there when he is crying, but not to pick him up. Even at this young age he will be able to manipulate the situation to get what he wants from you. As endearing as a cuddle seems, bed time is not the time and as soon as your baby gets to grips with this the better for you and him. I have had first hand experience of a mam who jumped everytime her baby squeaked when in bed, and she is paying for it dearly now, he is 6 and wont sleep through at all.My moto is get a routine and the earlier, the better. stick to it and you cant go wrong. Good luck

Christine - posted on 01/03/2010

I had the same problem. I had to hold my little boy until he fell asleep. Now during the day he goes to sleep on his own. At night thats another story. He gets overtired and fussy. I have to hold him until he falls asleep and then wait for 20 to 30 minutes to put him down. I don't think thats spoiling your child I think it's showing them thay are safe and you care.

Laura - posted on 01/03/2010

My daughter has never been a good sleeper, she will get herself too over tired and scream constantly, so anything I do to try and calm her, makes her worse, she is very stubborn at bedtime. I know alot of you dont agree with it, but I did do controlled crying for 2weeks and it seems to have calmed her down quite a lot. She is a very cuddly baby, so will sometimes fall asleep while having a cuddle in the day, but as soon as evening comes and bedtime is near, she just cries and cries. Ive tried bedtime routines, reading books, massage, nothing works. She normally only wakes up for 2 or 3 ounces of milk in the night, its just getting her to sleep thats my problem :(

Ashley - posted on 01/03/2010

We just started putting our son in his own room/crib 3 days ago.... before we did it I researched online what to do in case he got upset since he had been in our room for 6 months. He usually falls asleep breast feeding or we'll put him in his swing if he looks tired so either way I have to try not to wake him up to put him in crib. First night was a disaster... I tried everything I read (belly rub, let him cry... and on and on) so I gave up after 2 hours of getting him back to sleep only for him to wake up again each time. The second night started off the same way and after an hour I brought him into computer room to feed and hopefully find something else to try. Well I did.... and it's worked like a charm and now I can put him down in 30 seconds. If he wakes up after I lay him down in crib all I have to do is gently pat the side of his leg/butt repeatedly and he goes right to sleep. After I read it on the second night I tried it and it took about 5 minutes of patting and he even woke up in middle of night so I went in and pat him and he went right out. Tonight I put him down and his eyes opened I pat him for 30 seconds and he was out. My pediatrician said if he falls asleep breast feeding it's ok.... just try not to feed him if he wakes up in middle of night.... so the gentle patting is a life saver.

Cristy - posted on 01/02/2010

There is absolutely nothing wrong with what you're doing as long as you're happy doing it. Do what works.

Amanda - posted on 01/02/2010

i suggest that u just let her cry because no offence to you it sounds like shes spoiled, she knows that u will go in there and pick her up and hold her, the thing to do is just let her cry and if you know everything is ok, such as her tummy is full, shes has a clean diaper, shes not hurt or sick, then you know everything is fine. you have to break the cycle of what she knows and that is if she cries she knows u will come to her, pick her up and hold her. what u have to do now is let her cry go in and check on her but dont pick her up. that is the key thing. then if everything is fine, u walk away. and if the crying becomes to much for you which it was at first for me. i went outside and braught the moniter with me, and did stuff around the house such as gardening, raking leaves etc.. or you can stay in the house put some music on, and do ur house work, she will learn that ur not going to go to her everytime she cries. i know this sounds harsh but it works, my daughter caught on very quickly. the reason i had to do this is b.c. we were in the middle of a move and my daughter stayed at my mother in-laws place for acouple days and she would run to her hold her and everything else. when she got back home i thaught i was going to die. so i called up my mother and she told me this and i thaught it sounded harsh but it does work. let them cry and just go and check on them every 5 or 10 min. and when the crying stops go and check on them. its not going to hurt them. and the child will learn quickly that ur not going to drop what ur doing and run to them. and that ur not going to go and pick them up and hold them everytime. and plus if not taught now u will have a clingon. who will not want to leave ur side or anything else. and who really wants that? well i hope this information helps

Susan - posted on 01/02/2010

We had that problem with the rocking to sleep and being extra careful when you put him in the cot so that he doesn't wake up.

However, now, after about a month, he self settles 9 times out of 10.

I would suggest putting your son in his cot/crib, with a dummy if you use one, and some kind of soft music or a blankie.

I did this with my son and it worked. He may well lie there and play for a while, which is fine. If he gets grisly, go in, shhs him, put the dummy back him pat him and resettle, give him a cuddle if needs be. Then put him back.

Try that a couple of times. If he gets too distressed, then rock him to sleep

Its a slow process but very satisfying when they self settle the first time.

PS - I do not let my son cry uncontrollably when I do this, as soon as he gets grisly I go in.

C - posted on 01/01/2010

My 6 month old son can't sleep through the night yet. I start putting him to bed at 8-9 pm. I have to breastfeed him in the sidelying position to get him to fall asleep! He won't fall asleep in his crib, he has taken over our bed! Do whatever needs to get done to get your baby to sleep :)

Cara - posted on 01/01/2010

Im glad to hear others are in the same boat!! I have to nurse my son to sleep or lay with him and shush him while cuddling. He is almost 7 months and I was getting a little worried about how to get him to sleep on his own, but it seem like others are doing the same thing, so that makes me feel a little better!!

Rachael - posted on 01/01/2010

Thanks everyone!

Jessica - posted on 01/01/2010

No you're not alone, I still need to rock my 6 month old to sleep! I nurse him and then rock him to sleep the rest of the way. He just won't settle himself if I lay him down awake, even if he is tired. In a lot of ways I don't mind it, like you said I love cuddling. The problem for us is that he sometimes wakes up when I lay him in the crib and we have to start all over again.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it though. I really think some babies really just sleep better/easier earlier than others. I'd like him to be able to fall asleep on his own by the time he's a year or so though, so we'll probably work on it gradually.

Emily - posted on 12/31/2009

My little girl has always been a great sleeper, she just goes to bed in her cot each night and for two sleeps each day on her own, but in saying this she has a dummy and blanket which I take everywhere I go and can put her anywhere (pram, mum/inlaws bed etc). Every now and then I have to go back in and put her dummy in. I find this works for me as she is my third child (all under four) and as it is nice to hold your first baby andput them off to sleep (which is what I did) once you have more children this can become a problem as you do not always have the time to do this with them. I believe in self settling now since having more children but that is what works for me in my busy household but I say do whatever works for you and if you do have more children you will work out what works best then and may need to change things slightly, but for now why not spend the time with you first child, I do at times feel guilty that I dont seem to spend as much time with my second or thrid as I did with the fist but I guess that's the way it is.

Lena - posted on 12/31/2009

I do the same thing. Except I dont breastfeed. I think that its ok to rock or hold your baby to sleep. My bub will never fall asleep on her own in the crib. And I don't think its a big deal. I'm a stay at home mom as well, and I am taking advantage of being able to cuddle and hold my baby as much as I can :) She gets it from both my husband and me. During the day I hold her, at night, my husband rocks her to sleep :)

Naomi - posted on 12/31/2009

My son usually nurses to sleep, although if he doesn't sleep and it's bedtime I can put him down in his bed and he'll often fall asleep on his own. He only does this at night, for naps he pretty much has to nurse to sleep (I cannot rock him.. if he's in my arms and sleepy he wants to nurse!! my husband can though, and other people.) he started this new thing lately where he likes to lie down beside me in my bed and nurse till he falls asleep for naps. I don't mind usually, i just nap too ;P or if I get up I put pillows around and our house is very very small so I hear him when he wakes up before he starts moving. all this doesn't really bother me. I was told I should let him cry it out etc. especially since he stopped sleeping through the night and gets up about 3 times to nurse. but it is SO much easier just to breastfeed! he is out in like 5 minutes usually, if I let him cry, or rock him he screams and screams and it's so hard and tiring. why not just nurse? I think when we move into a bigger place and he has his own room I may let my husband take him for a night feeding and try to rock him to sleep cus I know he doesn't really need that food at that time anymore. we'll see how that goes, but I am really not wanting to do the cry it out thing!

Rebecca - posted on 12/31/2009

I do the same thing...my baby usually falls asleep nursing or in my arms. She was sleeping through the night since she was 8 weeks old, up until last week when she got her first runny/stuffed up nose. People have told me these usually means that a tooth will pop through soon, but it's getting so hard! She won't "stay" asleep ever since the runny nose...I will put her in her crib, after she falls asleep, but she now wakes back up immediately. She will cry and cry until I pick her back up. I was feeling like I was doing something wrong, too, by not making her fall asleep on her own, but I don't know what else to do. She screams and screams until I hold her. I did try to let her cry herself to sleep once, and I got up to 30 minutes, but I couldn't take it anymore. It's so awful to hear them scream like that!!! I don't know what to do now, though, because she keeps waking back up in the night ever since the runny nose. She woke up four times last night and I had to keep going back in and rocking her. I think she is too smart for her own good, but I don't know how to break her of this!!! I'm open to any suggestions, too! lol

Eleisha - posted on 12/31/2009

No, but I don't believe in Control Crying or Ferber Method either. (But if it works for others that's cool too). My daughter has expressed milk and at night she has her last bottle at 5.30, and goes into her cot awake. I give her a dummy (which she only has for sleeps) and she usually falls asleep within 5 minutes. Very occasionally (maybe once a fortnight) she will cry and I wait 1 minute and then go in and give her a dummy and then she will go to sleep for 11 - 12 hours. During the day, she has a bottle then 1/2 hour later I put her in her cot, put her white noise on (she has this during the day ONLY) give her a dummy and she goes to sleep for 1.5 - 2 hours twice daily.