Sam-1, Mommy-O

Yesterday I pulled out the "What to Expect the First Year" book for the first time since Sam was born. One look at it's warped pages and I quickly remembered how addicted to and reliant on, I was to it when Bo was little. I read it cover to cover and always had it near by to look up an occasional oddity or paranoia I was having at the time about why my child wasn't doing something or to diagnose what on earth the rash was all over his body. But apparently, with child number 2, comes a sense of calmness and a can-do attitude (or is it tiredness and passiveness?) Either way, I once again found solace in this book last night.

I read all about the sixth month and the developmental path Sam should be following. I looked up the introduction of solid foods and yes, I read the section on sleep. Everything from stopping nighttime feedings to how to get your child to sleep through the night. And it was weird. I already knew all of this information but at times it was as if I was reading it for the first time. The tactics were not new or anything that I hadn't already thought about but after reading it again I was inspired and motivated by this:

Cold turkey: For those parents desperate and determined to get that good night's sleep sooner rather than later, letting a baby cry it out almost always works. Though some recommend utilizing this method as early as three months, it's best to wait until baby's closer to six months. By that point, most babies no longer require nighttime nutrition breaks - unless they were born prematurely and are still catching up. And while a younger infant cries to communicate basic needs, older babies are becoming more sophisticated in their motivations. As long as crying results in being picked up, rocked, fed, they'll keep it up. When they find it no longer works, most will give up on nighttime crying usually within three to four nights.

If you're philosophically opposed to this approach, don't try it. Parenting that goes against parental instincts is rarely successful. Instead, provide your baby with a back-to-sleep crutch, such as sleep inducing music, a pacifier, a nursing - or anything else you choose - for as long as necessary, or move on the plan below.

And so, newly motivated and desperate for sleep, that was my plan last night. I would let him cry, not pick him up, soothe him by rubbing his head, and not nurse him at all. Here's how it went down:

8:00 - Put him in bed awake. Fell asleep shortly thereafter. No crying.
10:30 - I fell asleep.
11:00 - Sam's up crying. I went in to soothe according to plan.
11:05 - Nursed to top-him-off. (New modified plan: don't nurse until morning.)
11:30 - Back in crib asleep
1:30 - Up again crying & screaming. Waited 5 minutes before entering room.
1:35 - Went in, rubbed his head, turned on mobile. Waited 5 more minutes.
1:40 - Still crying. Went back in. Rubbed head. Did not nurse. (Yay for me!)
1:45 - He fell asleep.
3:00 - Up crying again!
3:01 - I went in & nursed him (Damn it! So much for the modified plan)
3:30 - Back in crib asleep
6:25 - Up fussing. I was determined to not go in. Sat at computer and blogged.
6:35 - Fuss turned to crying. I went in to soothe. More blogging followed.
6:45 - Still crying. I'm beat. I nursed him. (Plan aborted)
9:30 - Sam up for the day. (I'll try again tonight)