Crib training
When Dylan was 6 months old, I knew crib training was in our near future.
I was not sure how I was going to go about starting the process, and I was very nervous. Since Derek was such a horrible sleeper, I keep having flashbacks to those sleepless nights with a screaming baby for hours; no matter what we did. I was not ready to go down that road again.
As soon as Dylan was born, we knew that we wanted Dylan in his room from day 1; therefore we moved our extra bed into his room. Like most parents, I didn't want Dylan in the bed with me, as that was a habit, I didn't want to have to break later.
As a newborn, Dylan slept pretty good, but has he got older, he began to wake up 2 and 3 times at night. Since breastfeeding was going so well, I was constantly reading articles about co-sleeping and dream feeding, and before I knew it, Dylan and I were co-sleeping all night every night.
At the 6 month check-up, the pediatrician strongly recommended I allow Dylan to sleep in his crib, yet I wasn't willing to give up the sleep I was getting. Then I began to realize that Dylan was nursing and waking up, out of habit, so I began crib training.
I would get Dylan to sleep, and place him in his crib, once he would wake up, I would place him in bed with me, yet that didn't get me anywhere.
Then I began extensive research on crib training.
Here are a few things I learned and began to practice.
1. Setting a routine is key.
2. It is important to establish a set bedtime.
3. Teach your baby to not associate nursing with sleeping.
4. They also need to know what needs to be done with awake time and sleepy time
So here is what I began:
The day Dylan turned 7 months, I put the plan into motion.
Once we come home from daycare Dylan still needs a 30-minute nap. Some days he gets that, other days he does not.
If we are being honest, I don't have the energy to bathe the baby every night, so I knew that would not be a part of our bedtime routine.
Around 8 pm, I nurse Dylan, then we change into our pj's, and we read a story.
When I turn out the lights and sing "Jesus Loves Me", and a song we made up with Derek, that we carried on with Dylan.
He has gotten used to the routine, that when I begin singing the second song, he usually lays his head on my shoulder.
After the song, I lay him in his crib, and turn on his mobile, no lights, just a wind-up, that plays for about 30 seconds. Then I leave the room. He still cries sometimes, but usually, lays in his crib and is asleep within 10 minutes.
And that is our routine, and for right now, it is working.
I was not sure how I was going to go about starting the process, and I was very nervous. Since Derek was such a horrible sleeper, I keep having flashbacks to those sleepless nights with a screaming baby for hours; no matter what we did. I was not ready to go down that road again.
As soon as Dylan was born, we knew that we wanted Dylan in his room from day 1; therefore we moved our extra bed into his room. Like most parents, I didn't want Dylan in the bed with me, as that was a habit, I didn't want to have to break later.
As a newborn, Dylan slept pretty good, but has he got older, he began to wake up 2 and 3 times at night. Since breastfeeding was going so well, I was constantly reading articles about co-sleeping and dream feeding, and before I knew it, Dylan and I were co-sleeping all night every night.
At the 6 month check-up, the pediatrician strongly recommended I allow Dylan to sleep in his crib, yet I wasn't willing to give up the sleep I was getting. Then I began to realize that Dylan was nursing and waking up, out of habit, so I began crib training.
I would get Dylan to sleep, and place him in his crib, once he would wake up, I would place him in bed with me, yet that didn't get me anywhere.
Then I began extensive research on crib training.
Here are a few things I learned and began to practice.
1. Setting a routine is key.
2. It is important to establish a set bedtime.
3. Teach your baby to not associate nursing with sleeping.
4. They also need to know what needs to be done with awake time and sleepy time
So here is what I began:
The day Dylan turned 7 months, I put the plan into motion.
Once we come home from daycare Dylan still needs a 30-minute nap. Some days he gets that, other days he does not.
If we are being honest, I don't have the energy to bathe the baby every night, so I knew that would not be a part of our bedtime routine.
Around 8 pm, I nurse Dylan, then we change into our pj's, and we read a story.
When I turn out the lights and sing "Jesus Loves Me", and a song we made up with Derek, that we carried on with Dylan.
He has gotten used to the routine, that when I begin singing the second song, he usually lays his head on my shoulder.
After the song, I lay him in his crib, and turn on his mobile, no lights, just a wind-up, that plays for about 30 seconds. Then I leave the room. He still cries sometimes, but usually, lays in his crib and is asleep within 10 minutes.
And that is our routine, and for right now, it is working.
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