[Resi]

For the first time EVER Oliver slept 7 hours without waking up on Friday night. He went from 9 PM to 4 AM. I don't remember waking up with him in between those times at all. I keep thinking I must have and just don't remember . He has never went that long without waking up or waking me up! It usually 3 hours at the most. He will be 7 months old tomorrow so it's been a long time without a good long stretch of sleep for me. haha.. to bad it hasn't happened since Friday night. I'm fine with waking up every 2-3 hours though because I half sleep through our nursing sessions.

I do think I'm in trouble with him falling asleep on his own. I worry that I started bad habits and he will NEVER be able to fall asleep without my help. I have to lay down with him at his bedtime and wait for him to tire out if he isn't already very sleepy. It always involves his pacifer and my boob. He goes back and forth between the pacifer and my boob. A few suck on each and then he can start "talking", kicking, or trying to roll onto this belly..etc. Last night it took forever and then when he was asleep I picked him up and brought him to his crib. He slept for about 3 hours before waking up and then I brought him into my bed. He normally stays in my bed from the start of the night until we wake up. But, he started rolling over too much for it to be safe for him to sleep in there without me next to him at all times. I like to watch TV or do my own thing before I join him for the night. Sooo... I don't know what to do. I want him to be able to fall asleep on his own and not have to stay with him the first 2-3 hours of the night. Any ideas? I don't believe in CIO. I just can't do it! I try to let him lay in his crib or pack n play and check on him often but it doesn't work. He ends up getting bored and crying after so long.

I have rambled way too much..

YEY for 7 hours!!!!!!!!!!!

As for falling asleep on his own - I know Kirsty is only 2 and half months but I'm in the same boat. I cannot put Kirsty in her cot for a sleep or at bedtime unless she is sleeping. If I put her down awake or sleepy but not sleeping, she cries. And I mean really cries!

I want to break the habbit asap and like you, I can't let her CIO, DH says I should let her as she has to learn, but I can't. It breaks my heart when she gets so upset. So I'm interested in anyone's suggestions/advice too!

[Resi]

Originally Posted by *Fiona*

YEY for 7 hours!!!!!!!!!!!

As for falling asleep on his own - I know Kirsty is only 2 and half months but I'm in the same boat. I cannot put Kirsty in her cot for a sleep or at bedtime unless she is sleeping. If I put her down awake or sleepy but not sleeping, she cries. And I mean really cries!

I want to break the habbit asap and like you, I can't let her CIO, DH says I should let her as she has to learn, but I can't. It breaks my heart when she gets so upset. So I'm interested in anyone's suggestions/advice too!

I know when Oliver was that young there was no way I could lay him down without him crying almost right away at night. From what I have heard and read you should not do CIO until at least 6 months. I know you don't want to but you should tell DH not until 6 months. Maybe someone else can help us out.

Look up the Baby Whisperer website (she is called Tracy Hogg). She has the Pick Up/Put Down technique.

You put baby in the cot and stay within sight of him, when he cries, pick him up, say "we're only going to sleep", cuddle until he stops crying, put him down. And you repeat this until he falls asleep. I've watched her programmes on Discovery Health on skyTV, and it can take an hour or more the first night, but if one perseveres it seems to work. At least it does on TV but you have to be strong, which I'm not.

I tried this a few days ago for her daytime nap, but she ended up too upset for my liking. Despite me staying there or putting my hand on her chest.

ETA: Here's a link to the forums for the baby whisperer - it's got an FAQs forum

[niknok]

Can you try letting your DH put him to bed? It will be hard and there will be crying, but it's not CIO. The crying will just be b/c he's not getting his preference. And that won't kill him, only you (when you have to listen to him cry). Why does this mommy thing have to be so hard sometimes?

[**Jenn**]

Yay for 7 hours, that's awesome!!! Most nights I don't get that either!

I really wouldn't worry about his sleeping habits now Resi, he's still so young. I thought the same thing as you though that they would never get to sleep on their own and it would always have to be my boob or something else and be a big nighttime nightmare! But one day (with both of them) they decided on their own that they were ready to do it themselves. Lochy I remember most clearly because it was only a few months ago but I thought he would always have to be nursed to sleep. Then when he was about 17 months old he decided he didn't want to nurse to sleep anymore so I just laid him in his crib after nursing. And wouldn't ya know it but he went to sleep--ON HIS OWN! And he's done this for every nap and night time since. He will still wake up during the night to nurse (usually once sometimes twice) but that first time I usually just bring him in bed (depending on the time of course). I don't believe in CIO either and fully trust that they will learn to sleep on their own when they are ready and feel secure to do so. You are in no way setting up bad habits for him. What you are doing is teaching him and showing him that you are there for him no matter what. By answering his needs you are giving him the security and confidence to do these things on his own when he is ready. It won't be forever, you won't nurse him forever, so just enjoy the closeness now while he still wants it! Lochy still doesn't sleep through the night because thats the only time of day he nurses and I don't think he likes the crib so much--he prefers the bed and tries to sleep with Liam every night. LOL I think once he transitions into a bed this summer he will sleep much better. Although the other night he slept 13 straight hours in his crib!

[Frozendesire]

Curtis was like that. He had to nurse to go to sleep. I didn't really do anything though. I've always just gone with the flow and he's worked it out. He goes to sleep by himself now. He just needed me more at bed time.

Dustin is great I can put him down sleepy and he falls asleep, or else he needs me to just pat him and say shh, then he's asleep.

Whatever you chose, just stick to it. He'll get used to it after time. Hopefully he gets better at it.

And man I wouldn't be able to survive if my little ones only slept for 3 hours at a time!! Your amazing haha. Dustin goes down at 9:30 and I don't hear from him again till 7:30.

Oh and I should also say that Curtis still gets up atleast once a night. He comes in sleep walking almost! Just climbs into our bed and keeps sleeping! I just move him back to his bed and he is fine.. but I think he just needs that closeness ya know? It's just harder for him to sleep by himself for that long I guess. He's a cuddly little thing hehe.

[Mars]

Woohoo to long hours of sleep!

[Resi]

Originally Posted by **Jenn**

Yay for 7 hours, that's awesome!!! Most nights I don't get that either!

I really wouldn't worry about his sleeping habits now Resi, he's still so young. I thought the same thing as you though that they would never get to sleep on their own and it would always have to be my boob or something else and be a big nighttime nightmare! But one day (with both of them) they decided on their own that they were ready to do it themselves. Lochy I remember most clearly because it was only a few months ago but I thought he would always have to be nursed to sleep. Then when he was about 17 months old he decided he didn't want to nurse to sleep anymore so I just laid him in his crib after nursing. And wouldn't ya know it but he went to sleep--ON HIS OWN! And he's done this for every nap and night time since. He will still wake up during the night to nurse (usually once sometimes twice) but that first time I usually just bring him in bed (depending on the time of course). I don't believe in CIO either and fully trust that they will learn to sleep on their own when they are ready and feel secure to do so. You are in no way setting up bad habits for him. What you are doing is teaching him and showing him that you are there for him no matter what. By answering his needs you are giving him the security and confidence to do these things on his own when he is ready. It won't be forever, you won't nurse him forever, so just enjoy the closeness now while he still wants it! Lochy still doesn't sleep through the night because thats the only time of day he nurses and I don't think he likes the crib so much--he prefers the bed and tries to sleep with Liam every night. LOL I think once he transitions into a bed this summer he will sleep much better. Although the other night he slept 13 straight hours in his crib!

You always make me feel so much better about my mommy choices. I guess the reason I'm worrying about it is because my Mom is always telling me I'm creating problems by letting him sleep with me and me etc. She isn't pushy about it but lets me know. I love nursing him and I'm in no rush to end that or stop the night time nursing. I just think it would be nice if he would nurse to sleep rather than playing back and forth or so long. Thanks for letting me know that I'm not "ruining" him by letting him has his way at bedtime.

[Resi]

Originally Posted by Frozendesire

Curtis was like that. He had to nurse to go to sleep. I didn't really do anything though. I've always just gone with the flow and he's worked it out. He goes to sleep by himself now. He just needed me more at bed time.

Dustin is great I can put him down sleepy and he falls asleep, or else he needs me to just pat him and say shh, then he's asleep.

Whatever you chose, just stick to it. He'll get used to it after time. Hopefully he gets better at it.

And man I wouldn't be able to survive if my little ones only slept for 3 hours at a time!! Your amazing haha. Dustin goes down at 9:30 and I don't hear from him again till 7:30.

Oh and I should also say that Curtis still gets up atleast once a night. He comes in sleep walking almost! Just climbs into our bed and keeps sleeping! I just move him back to his bed and he is fine.. but I think he just needs that closeness ya know? It's just harder for him to sleep by himself for that long I guess. He's a cuddly little thing hehe.

He doesn't really nurse to sleep. If he did that would be great. He mstly plays with my boob. A few sucks and he is turning away to do something. Then a few sucks to hos paci, then back to my nipple.. until he finally will turn away to fall asleep. lol.. I have learned to live w/ the 2-3 hes of waking.. then work FT.

[**Jenn**]

Originally Posted by Resi

You always make me feel so much better about my mommy choices. I guess the reason I'm worrying about it is because my Mom is always telling me I'm creating problems by letting him sleep with me and me etc. She isn't pushy about it but lets me know. I love nursing him and I'm in no rush to end that or stop the night time nursing. I just think it would be nice if he would nurse to sleep rather than playing back and forth or so long. Thanks for letting me know that I'm not "ruining" him by letting him has his way at bedtime.

Yeah, my Mom did that to me too. We lived with my parents from the time Liam was born til a month before Lochy was born. She couldn't understand why we cosleep and all the other stuff that was pretty foreign to her. She "suggested" letting him CIO several times and finally I did succumb and it was clearly the wrong thing to do with him. You know Oliver best and what works best for him. I know it can be very exhausting because Loch would do that a lot too. It wasn't uncommon for bedtime to be a couple hour procedure with him. The only times he would really just crash was if he was really tired. If I tried too early or he had a longer nap than usual it was a huge production! There were some nights I longed for the luxury of being able to just lay him down, no fuss no muss. Patience did pay off and it was so worth it! You're doing great things for Oliver. Keep listening to your heart--Mommy always knows best!

I agree with Jenn, we know our babies best. I know laying Kirsty down awake wont work so I rather avoid her getting upset doing it. I do still try putting her in her cot awake from time to time but not often.

I get the "ruining" comments from MIL, we can't even rock Kirsty in the slightest in MIL company. its not like we sit and rock her all day, everyday

[Angelaosaurus-rex]

YAY Oliver!!! I know what you mean about the bad habits. Landen can not fall asleep on his own and he wont stay asleep long if I am not right next to him. And he will not sleep in his crib at all and it scares me because he is such a rollie pollie. He normally naps on the couch and I put pillows on the floor next to him lol!

Can you belive are babies are 7 months old we were just pregnant!!!!

[soImarriedAnerd]

woot!

[~Jess~]

WTG Oliver! That's great, Resi!