FYI: Mommy Rules are not in a particular order...
...although this one is pretty important. As I type, I hear the horrid sound of my 7 month old screaming her head off in her crib. Yes, it's awful to listen to and makes me feel like a bad mom but it is necessary and I keep reminding myself that this is for her benefit. Already, I have rocked her for a half hour and Logan took a turn as well before we laid our obviously exhausted Avonlea in her crib*. Now we're waiting to hear silence coming through the baby monitor.
Up until just a few weeks ago, Avonlea's bedtime routine was simple: Bath, Jammies, Swaddle, Nurse, Rock, Sleep. This has always worked beautifully for us, with very few exceptions... Now, when she finishes nursing she stares up at me and cries. I continue to rock and sing and she keeps right on crying with increasing intensity.
I suppose Logan and I could keep taking turns rocking her until she finally gives it up, but both of us agree that it is nice to have a little time after she's went to bed to reconnect, talk about our day and maybe work on a crossword. Plus, I would like to get some sleep...and it doesn't really matter if she's been asleep since 8:30 or 11:30, I can expect Avonlea to wake up to nurse between 2-3am and then again at 6-6:30. So we've decided that if she isn't asleep after a reasonable amount of rocking and singing (usually about 15 minutes), we lay her down in her crib and let her "cry it out."
I suppose my point here is to not just suggest but beg you to start training your child to go to sleep on their own earlier than I have. Avonlea can fight sleep a lot longer now at 7 months than she could at3 months. For your own sanity's sake, just get it over with.
Happy Mothering!
*Tonight was not a normal night here in the Stewart home. My mother stayed with Avonlea this evening while Logan and I went out for dinner and did some shopping. It was past her bed time when we got home, but when I return after being gone for several hours she always wakes up to nurse...without fail. As a result of our absence, we were a little more generous with our rocking time.
Hey, she did better last night, though. Well, kind of. Eh, maybe not. I dunno.
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