So TJ is not a good nap taker. We usually have to hold him in order for him to fall asleep.. and stay asleep. This morning, I tried swaddling him, nursing him, and then putting him down. He woke up 3 min later. I comforted him, got him back to sleep, and he woke up again. This time, I told myself I was going to let him "cry it out". It lasted 10 minutes before I went in there & he had worked himself up so much that we was saturated in sweat from head to toe! So, I got him up, comforted him & we took a nap together in my bed.
This afternoon, I tried to put him on his tummy. He woke up right away. I don't think he's figured out to turn his head.. he puts it right into the mattress. SO, I comforted him, laid next to him in our bed & was able to sneak away once he fell asleep. It's been 1/2 an hour.
Up until this point, I've read that until 3 months, we should let the baby dictate their schedule (sleep/eat/etc). I am glad that I've done that and think I have a pretty happy baby thus far. However, now that he's 3 months, I have visions of him sleeping by himself so that I can shower/dress/etc in the morning rather than running around trying to get it done as fast as I can. I'm sure all of you moms out there can relate. AND I've read that any habits you don't want to "stick" need to be broken now, too.
So, I'm asking for advice. If you have thoughts on how to break the swaddle habit, that would be great, too. Right now he is napping on his side & that seems to work pretty well. I'm not sure that it would work at night when I want him to sleep for 5+ hours like he has been... but I suppose it's worth a shot :) He's pretty much been "breaking out" every time he wakes up.
Desperately waiting... : )
3 comments:
Yikes. Not only does this make me glad that Jake is past that, but also nervous because we are doing it again! We tried everything- swaddling, routines, white noise....a combo worked.
We had a very strict routine, moved his bedtime a little later, and "Feberized him." I love that book. You can get it at the library, but I just bought it because I STILL use it. Made me feel like less of a crazy person.
Naps are a different animal all together, though. Jake didn't take a pacifier until 4 or 5 months I think, but once he did- it worked like a CHARM to get him to take naps. We had consistent times, consistent routine, and a pacifier.
Each hour is a victory, but trust me. It DOES get better.... much later! : )
Jen-We used the book "the sleep easy solution." I really liked it and felt like they had great things to say. The most important things I learned were to have a routine and to get them down before they are overtired. It has been working for us for naps and night time. He used to get up at least twice a night, sometimes for an hour, and now he sleeps till 6, chats for a bit, and goes back down.
The other thing I learned about naps is that you have to be willing to be home to get him on a schedule. So, it sucks for a week or so, but then it gets better.
best of luck!
Ben naps in his swing in the morning and mom's lap the rest of the day... Owen was the same. It's not the best, but it works for us. I always feel like I should be doing something more productive in the afternoon, but my mom told me something like this when Owen was a baby... they are only little for a short time and there are much worse ways you could spend the afternoon than cuddling a sweet baby. I try to remember this and enjoy reading or dozing or knitting while he is asleep on my lap!
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