So...I have officially purchased four sleep training books: Sleep: Top Tips from the Sleep Whisperer, Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems, The No Cry Sleep Solution, and Happy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. I probably could have just read the blurb from each of them and gleaned what I needed to know, but there is a part of me that loves the idea of researching and then pulling methods from all of them or at least feeling like I know what each of the "experts" is saying.
Since Ethan was technically born a month early, it's hard to know whether or not I should be considering him as an 11 week old or as a 7 week old in regards to sleep development. We want to make sure we aren't coddling him, but at the same time don't want to force him into doing something that he isn't quite ready to do yet and making ourselves suffer in the process. We learned that with the nipple shield and also with his tummy time. When Ethan is ready to do something, he does it. He is now nursing like a champ and there was no reason to freak out. That being said, we clearly don't want him in our room until he's 14 nor can he continue sleeping for much longer in the Rock n Play.
So...for now, we are placing him for naps in his crib while swaddled. Soon enough, we'll try him in there at night swaddled, and then we'll pull away the swaddle as the next step! That being said, it takes much longer to get him settled into his crib--like three times as long. Sunday, we pulled away too many supports--the Rock n Play AND the swaddle and though he finally got to sleep, he only stayed there for 30 minutes. Today after he fell asleep on me, I placed him in the crib and of course, he perked right awake. He laid in bed for about 25 minutes and was calm, but definitely not asleep. Michael and I took turns rubbing his head. That is the magic bullet for little E--he instantly relaxes. Today I added another step. After stroking his head, I lightly closed his eyes. This helped him get to that point, but again his nap only lasted 30 minutes. He would gladly sleep on me all day if he could!
So for now, we'll take our small victories!
Since Ethan was technically born a month early, it's hard to know whether or not I should be considering him as an 11 week old or as a 7 week old in regards to sleep development. We want to make sure we aren't coddling him, but at the same time don't want to force him into doing something that he isn't quite ready to do yet and making ourselves suffer in the process. We learned that with the nipple shield and also with his tummy time. When Ethan is ready to do something, he does it. He is now nursing like a champ and there was no reason to freak out. That being said, we clearly don't want him in our room until he's 14 nor can he continue sleeping for much longer in the Rock n Play.
So...for now, we are placing him for naps in his crib while swaddled. Soon enough, we'll try him in there at night swaddled, and then we'll pull away the swaddle as the next step! That being said, it takes much longer to get him settled into his crib--like three times as long. Sunday, we pulled away too many supports--the Rock n Play AND the swaddle and though he finally got to sleep, he only stayed there for 30 minutes. Today after he fell asleep on me, I placed him in the crib and of course, he perked right awake. He laid in bed for about 25 minutes and was calm, but definitely not asleep. Michael and I took turns rubbing his head. That is the magic bullet for little E--he instantly relaxes. Today I added another step. After stroking his head, I lightly closed his eyes. This helped him get to that point, but again his nap only lasted 30 minutes. He would gladly sleep on me all day if he could!
So for now, we'll take our small victories!
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