Getting schooled by the doc

Ok so most of you know DH and I were so worried about our sweet angel who was no longer napping and this was then effecting her sleep at night we thought SHE HAD TO BE SICK!!  So we took her to the pedi---nope not sick---just a case of the "don't know how to sleep without mommy & daddy issues" Doc said she is at the age that she is having to learn how to sleep on her own & by me rocking her isn't working anymore unless it is constant. She is at the age she is forming sleep habits and we were at the point she was no longer napping and would only sleep in my arms for naps. It was brutal on the days she wouldn't even do that. She was becoming chronically overtired & she had no idea how to "turn things off" and fall asleep without mommy doing all the work essentially.

So the doc basically said the longer I let her do this the harder it will be to break! So she said to let her maybe CIO a little. DH and I discussed this and decided that we agreed as long as we knew she had been fed & changed (and of course wasn't sick or growth spurt) then we would put her down after her nap routine (fresh diaper, swaddle, lullaby, & being "walked down" for a few minutes.) We decided we would start at just a few minutes then go in & shussh pat her and tell her everything is ok and that we love her. Then gradually increase the time between "checks" so we started yesterday with her afternoon nap. She cried 9 minutes Then her next nap 4 minutes!!! I couldn't believe it! I chalked it up to her being so tired!! Last night before bed she did cry longer but we went in and checked on her several times before I gave in nursed her and put her back down DROWSEY then she went right to sleep. NEVER EVER has she done that she always had to be OUT like a light when putting her to sleep at night. She slept 11 hours last night ;O) And of course if she cries in the middle of the night I will assume it is because something is wrong & get up with her. Yes, a baby cries when she needs something I know this,  and when she is crying going down for naps I basically keep telling myself she NEEDS to sleep.

This morning for her nap she cried 7 minutes and then was out. Our goal is to get her to nap around 1.5 hours. After looking into things babies sleep cycles are constantly changing and she will usually awake after that 45 minute intruder approaches...so we decided if she wakes after 45 minutes then we will let her cry a few minutes before going in & stimulating her. So far this has worked and she goes right back for another round! In all my research babies her age should be getting 5 hrs of nap time at the minimum and 10-12 at night. So I think once these naps are resolved maybe no more bedtime issues.

She has naturally fallen into the eat, activity, sleep routine, that is when she will sleep! So she is pretty much awake for an hour before having to put her back down, then she takes about 15 minutes include nap routine to fall asleep. A baby her age can only handle 60-90 minutes of awake time, so I tend to just watch her cues.  So when she wasn't even lasting that long I knew she was overtired! And something had to be changed!

By no means is it easy to listen to my baby cry. But this is what is working for today. Tomorrow may be a different story & I may be trying something else. Wish us luck & if you feel the need to flame me...go ahead and put the flame out yourself I don't want to hear it.

♥♥