CIO and STTN

Crying it out and sleeping through the night (for those of you that aren’t sleep training a 6 month old).  Ugh, where to begin. I remember hearing from friends with babies about ferberizing, which is the cry it out method and I assumed I would always do that, and I know there were times I judged my friends because their babies at whatever age were still sleeping with them and or not through the night. I remember telling them they were crazy, that they needed their sleep and the baby would be fine.  I also remember thinking when I have kids, they will sleep in their crib and through the night by the time I go back to work.  Well….that didn’t happen. 

After 12 weeks of maternity leave, when I was heading back to work Alexa was STTN, in our room in her sleeper, and I wasn’t ready to move her up to her crib.  How could I?   I would MISS her (sounds crazy I know, but if you have kids you get it and if you don’t- you will) and if she is sleeping okay, and we were okay with it, what was the problem?   So, she stayed in our room with us and a week or 2 after I was back at work she regressed.  Regression (noun) 1. the act of going back to a previous place or state; return or reversion.   This is pretty much a baby’s motto for the first year of life.  So, in our room she stayed, getting up for work I wasn’t about to go up and down the stairs to nurse her, besides I was hearing from other veteran moms that their babies did the same thing when they were back at work, they are missing you and making up for the lost time away.  Seriously?!?  Heartbreaking….this is the first time I felt the “mommy guilt” (which can be a whole post of its own) so I embraced her need for some extra mommy time.  After only a few nights we moved her up to her crib so that Ian was able to get his sleep and nursing her 3-5 times a night has been our routine since mid October.   

With the 6 month milestone this weekend, I realize that nursing Alexa 3-5 times is unnecessary.  There is no way she is hungry,  she is nursing out of comfort and routine.  I remember at Alexa’s 4month appointment her pediatrician said that she should be getting 6-7 hours of sleep at a time, which WE are NOT getting.  Therefore I started my own form of sleep training 2 nights ago.

Night 1: I started adding 2 oz of formula to her 5oz bottle of bm in hopes to keep her belly full. Alexa slept from 7-1:30 ( a big improvement from her normal stirring that starts around 11). I went upstairs, nursed her and she went back down till 4:30!  This was by-passing her 1-2am nursing and then she slept till 7:30/8. Usually she is up at 6 to eat….this was a great improvement!!!  I was excited and hopeful to see what night #2 would bring.

Night 2:  My friend Kelly gave Alexa her bottle, 6 oz: 4oz bm and 2 oz formula just before 8.   She ate the bottle and went right down (Great job Kelly!).  I was talking with my friend Kristen (mommy to 3) and she told me that I needed to let her cry, which I knew I did but we have yet to do that because until now we really didn’t need to…but I realize she has to learn to self soothe and put herself back to sleep.  Like clockwork at 11:22 Alexa started to cry (not sure if it was in my head but it was a different cry than usual, it was more of a scream).  So, I went up there gave her a paci and told her she was okay- left the room.  I wasn’t even out the door when she started her “new cry”.  I came downstairs and set the timer on my phone for 10mins.  I told myself after 10mins I would go up there, give her the paci and leave the room.  After about 8 mins (who knew I would be the softie!) I went upstairs, retrieved her paci from under her crib and gave it to her. She ripped it right out and continued to scream. I picked her up (all the while thinking to myself, do not pick her up, just rub her belly or her head and tell her she is okay). I put Alexa back down (still screaming), and left the room.  It was 12:10 by now, it had been 38 mins.  I came back downstairs and watched her on the monitor. She was rolling, turning, crying, fussing, rolling, turning, I would go back up there, put her on her back in the center of the crib, tell her she was okay, give her the paci and leave the room.  (All the while I was thinking that if she hates me tomorrow, or isn’t her usual happy, smiley self taking 2 -3 naps a day, what will I DO?!?!)   This all went on till about 12: 45 and I decided that maybe she was hungry.  I made her a 2oz bottle of formula (not allowing her the comforts of nursing, but still feeding her).  When I went into her room and picked her up, her eyes stayed closed (she was still crying) and she opened her mouth right up like a baby bird, I love it when they do that, she looks SO adorable! J  As soon as the bottle was gone she cried, so I nursed her. She ate for about 20 mins, so I think she really was hungry (mommy guilt).  When she pulled away, I burped her and put her back down in her crib, awake.  I left her room and watched her on the monitor, she was getting comfortable, not making a peep for 10-15 mins before she dozed off.  She then slept from about 1:30- 6:45!!!!!  When I heard her cooing on the monitor I couldn’t believe it was morning and past her usual 6am wake up!! I listened to her “talk” for about 15 mins before I went up to nurse her, after she ate she went right back to sleep. 

I am so proud of US!!  We did it….she woke up her happy, smiley self and I feel well rested, something I haven’t felt in awhile.  Today is going to be a good day!  Happy Friday the 13th!