Sleep Training
Around 3-6 months you will start reading about sleep training in the books. They say around 4-6 months your baby should start sleeping through the night. Our doctor told us when a baby is 13-15lbs. I have also read that doctors considering sleeping through the night when babies sleep around 5-7 hour stretches, not the 8-9 hours that parents hope for. We were struggling with getting Alexander to sleep through the night. Around 3 months he had a growth spurt for about 5 days when he was waking up about every 3 hours to feed. After the growth spurt, he was still waking up anywhere from 2-6 times a night. Most of the time we were able to get up and just put the pacifier in and he would sleep a little longer. We usually had to give him a bottle in the middle of the night which would stretch him to the morning. I can say I was getting pretty sick of being waken up multiple times a night just to stick the pacifier in for him to sleep because it usually took me another half an hour to fall back to sleep. I knew to get rid of the pacifier would be some work and a lot of crying. I also had to decide if Alexander was ready to get it rid of it and if we were going to go cold turkey. Also if we could keep using the paci during the day but not at night.
How I decided he was ready....
One night I was giving Alexander his bottle before bedtime. After burping him, I stuck the paci in and cuddle him in my arms to rock him to sleep. He was looking wide awake when he pulled out his paci and stuck his fingers in mouth. If he can find his fingers, he is ready for some sleep training.
The Method.....
I decided to use the cry it out (CIO) method also know by the Ferber method. The Ferber method is you let the baby cry but you go in and check on them. The first check is at 3 minutes, then 5,8,10 and then 10 after that. The second night you start with 5 minutes. I actually decided just to do increments of 10 minutes. When you go in and check on them you don't pick them up but just rub their back or tummy and talk them. You don't stay longer then a minute or two. You also aren't waiting for them to stop crying but just reassuring them you are there. There are a lot parents who don't do this method because they can't take the crying. I also was going to try the pick up, put down method. Which is you do checks but you pick them and try to calm them down. Once they are calm, you set them back down. However, I read this can take up to 20minutes just to calm them down.
The first night...
After the bottle and burping, I layed Alexander in the crib. He cried for 13 minutes and fell asleep. I didn't go in at 10minutes because I could tell he was calming down. He woke up at 9:30 crying. Eric went in and stuck the paci in without me knowing it. However he slept until 7:30am. Another sign to me that he was capable going through the night.
The second night....
Bottle, burp, lay down. Alexander cried for about 8 minutes and fell asleep. He woke up sometime during the night. Cried for 10 minutes, check, cried for 8 minutes, fell asleep until morning.
The third night....
Sometimes they say that their is a regression on the third night. He went down with no crying. But was up at 3 or 4am. Cried for a half an hour (I did change his diaper after ten minutes). However, woke up a half an hour later so I gave him a bottle. But he woke up at 5am and cried for 20 minutes. Then woke up at 6am and was up for the day.
The 4th-6th night....
He sometimes would go down with or without crying but it was never more then 10 minutes. He usually woke up once during the night. I would change his diaper after 10 minutes. I would always change his diaper in the crib without picking him. I did try picking him up a couple times but this usually got him more mad. He usually didn't cry for more then 20-30minutes. I also decided after the 5th night that after I do a diaper change I wouldn't go in again unless it got to 45minutes. I made this decision because my checks weren't really doing anything. He wouldn't get anymore clam but would get more mad.
The 7th night.....
Once again I read that there can be regression on the 7th or 8th night. He went down with little fuss. but woke up at 4am crying. Changed the diaper after 10minutes. He cried for an hour. :( Then woke up at 6am and was up for the day.
The 8th night....SUCCESS
Alexander went down with a little bit of fuss but slept through the night!!!! He woke up at 6:30am. 11 hours!!!!!!
Tonight will be the 11th night and he has slept through the night since night 8. He wakes up at 6:30am but will be happy in his crib until 7am which is when I get him.
So the other good news is that we were able to get rid of the paci at night but can still use it during the day. He uses it for naps and actually naps longer when I do let him have his paci. We also only use it mostly when we go out and for his witching hour (6-7pm).
Breastfeeding...
I have also stopped breastfeeding. My decision to stop was based off that my supply was not keeping up and I was still having pain in my left breast. Around when Alexander was two months old I decide to feed him only off my right breast and pump my left. I was having a lot of pain when Alexander latched onto my left breast. I would still feed him off the left breast in the morning to help keep ducts cleared and such. Pumping is very time consuming and I wasn't getting a lot. Also when I did feed him off the right one, I usually had to give him a bottle afterwards. So at 4 months I made the decision to stop. I feel good about this decision. Alexander got 4 months of breastmilk and gained benefits from that. He actually got a little more then 4 months because I had some breastmilk frozen from before when I was producing too much. Now I have new sense of freedom and I don't feel guilty about stopping. I don't know if him sleeping through the night has anything to do with being formula feed now but I'm sure it helps.
