We need to figure out this sleep routine. As we approach yet another developmental growth spurt where things will likely go to hell again for a week or more as this one's supposed to be a big one, we really really need to get the routine down. After recovering from the disruption of the holidays, last Thursday everything went wonky. I went out to run a few errands--hit the library, the crafts store, and the grocery store. At each stop I checked in with my husband. Everything was absolutely fine when I checked in after the first two stops, then chaos erupted! As I understand it, my husband was feeding the Blueberry a bottle when he stopped to play for a bit. This isn't too unusual as the Blueberry becomes more and more aware of his surroundings and easily distracted. He finished the bottle and seemed content for a bit....then he became utterly hysterical! I got a crying phone call as I was checking out of the grocery store, then another on the drive home. After I got home it took a good 5+ minutes for me him to calm down. He wasn't wet; he wasn't still hungry; and he wasn't gassy. I finally came to the conclusion that it was teething pain plus fatigue but that sort of hysteria (which I couldn't calm immediately) was absolutely terrifying.
This incident made me aware of a number of deficiencies in the bedtime routine to the extent there's a routine at all now. First, the Blueberry needs to learn to fall asleep without help, particularly without me nursing him to sleep. He'll occasionally fall asleep on my husband after a bottle but most nights it's at the breast.
I think the Blueberry's become aware of his need for sleep and how he can get to sleep. He'll demand to comfort nurse if he's sleepy but can't fall asleep. A pacifier and rocking sometimes works in lieu of me but not always. Sometimes not even nursing will do the trick. My latest solution is to put him in the baby carrier and bounce, dance and sway about until he falls asleep but that presents another possible undesirable outcome--spending too much time in the carrier which I fear isn't great for his hips.
This is right around the time when our boys started to have similar issues. We ended up enforcing the no nursing to sleep at all, as much as we could with our very sleepy nursers. We ended up the Ferber method at 5.5ish months of age, which was short and very effective and worked wonderfully for us, but it's not for everybody (both parents and babies).
ReplyDeleteI guess really what I'm saying is that this is a sucky stage but it's universal, but you are totally right, that "first, baby needs to learn to fall asleep without help, particularly without nursing to sleep". Good luck, and remember that this too shall pass, whatever strategies you end up employing!
As for carriers - I'd try for a method that doesn't dangle the legs, so you don't have to worry about using as often as is convenient for you!
Thanks for you kind comments. Any suggestions on a baby carrier with leg support?
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