4 days in to sleep training. Pheewph. Not in the evening. Eben goes out like a light at night now, but he's started waking at between 4.30 and 5.30 in the morning. We made a rod for our own back by bringing him in to bed with us for the first couple of weeks. As an excuse Nic's exhausted with the pregnancy and has had a sinus infection that she can't treat with antibiotic's so for the extra couple of hurs we got it seemed worth it.
But, on Monday morning we took the plunge. Controlled crying. Go in after 5 minutes, then 10, then 15 etc. Monday went on for 2 1/2 hours, with everything thrown at us. Throwing bedding out of bed, saying he wanted milk, plaintive crys of Mummy and Daddy.
There's something about your own child's crying that is designed to tug at the core of your soul. I'm not so bad although I do count the minutes. Nic though finds it complete torture. With any luck we'll get him to fall back and start sleeping through till 6.30-7, he definitely needs it he's knackered when we finally get him up.
We have everything crossed.
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If the controlled crying fails ,I resorted to keeping a duvet on the floor. His choice; his bed, our floor.
It's a good idea. However, unfortunately he's still in a cot, (sorry the bedding out of bed was a bit of a red herring). We were going to move him to a bed, literally a day or two before he started waking so early and after much thought we've decided that trying to get him in to bed and sleeping longer was just too much at once. Hopefully if we can get him sleeping we can move him a couple of weeks later, we really need to have sorted it before March when no.2 arrives.
Thanks for the advice though, it's definitely worth bearing in mind for when that issue comes up which undoubtedly it will.
By the way. Very happy to hear your home birth was such a success. Did you do any active birth classes before your labour. Reason I ask is that my wife is currently in the final stages of her course to become an active birth yoga teacher and she's a big advocate of active home birth. we're hoping to have a pool this time round. Last time we were in a first floor flat and apparently pools aren't insured to be above ground floor because of the water weight issue.
Can't wait, last time round was magical, obviously I wasn't the one giving birth, but Nic said she loved the experience. being at home was unbelievably relaxing.
My advice for what it's worth is stick to your guns and buy a second cot. Then put the pair of them in the same room together. For some reason they don't wake each other - I think its the companionship. Graduate Eden to a bed only when he won't fit in the cot anymore!
Eben - typo
Ooo a heinous typo as well Gav. Eden indeed.
There is a reason for taking him out of a cot. When he wakes up he goes from sleep to full volume crying in around 2 seconds.
He has always hated being restricted, we couldn't swaddle him, he hated those papouse type carrying things, he's not a fan of hand-holding, we could never put the shoulder straps over in his buggy. He's very tactile now but he hates being held back in any way.
We have a feeling that it's the same with his cot sides, hence wanting to get him in to a bed. although he may get up and run in to us it would be preferable to him screaming as soon as he wakes.
That's this weeks theory anyway.
You'll be making a rod for your own back if you do...says old hand in doom-laden way!
Whatever you're least uncomfortable with I say!
Oi I KNEW it was a typo! I may be incompetent but I'm not ignorant!
<"Graduate Eden to a bed only when he won't fit in the cot anymore! ">
- Or learns to climb out and land on his head,as in my case.< yikes >
Six, I have taken up yoga since the boys started school, but not before the birth. The quick birth was probably down to those 'child bearing hips' of mine, that I used to loath until I realised that they don't make me look fat [!]
Nics course sounds excellent I'm sure she will be in great demand. I would have done it if it had been available to me.
If its any help, I used to get fed up with people telling me 'it never gets any easier,- you wait 'til they are teenagers'. I am in the key stage 2 years, and its a doddle. Thats from someone who was often in tears, and mildly suicidal, during the pre school years.
Yes the 'teenager' years are just around the corner, and maybe I'll be eating my words, but maybe by then this tranquil period will have softened the memory of the former.
Listen to everyones advice but ultimately do what is best for you and your child[ren], go with your gut instincts.
When they are older and tell you 'its all your fault (cos as we all know, it is scientificaly impossible to be a perfect parent) you will be able to say
'I did the best I could'
Hey Six,
My young neice had her boy in a pool, all natural etc.
She was a trooper, and the whole thing enabled her to be able to give birth to a whopping 9lb baby, with no pain relief or anything.
Alot of it is about your attitude to the whole process, and from the sounds of things, your Nik has everything well under control.
As for the sleeping thing, I think it comes and goes in stages.
Just because you are doing what you're doing now, does not necessarily mean that you are going to pay, pay, pay!
Eben's feelings and sense of security etc. will change as you go, and as long as you keep giving him positive encouragement to eventually settle on your terms, it'll pass.
Being as they are little individuals, nobody is the expert.
K x
"Being as they are little individuals, nobody is the expert"...now that is a very true, very profound and very 'unrecognised' (by experts!) statement!
Top marks Lena/K
Keep up the good work. thnx!
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