Sleep training?

carriec1111

Hi! I am a FTM to a baby girl...she just turned 2 months old. Right now she sleeps in her vibrating/bouncy chair in our bedroom. She never would sleep in the bassinet when we first brought her home. During the day, naps have usually been in the swing or she wants to be held. I love holding her but I can't all the time obviously. I am concerned as she gets older these habits will continue and I want her to be able to sleep in her crib....so I need to start getting her used to her crib. I am not a believer in the cry it out method..esp. since she is only 8 weeks old. So yesterday I tried the crib for her daytime naps. I put her down after I rocked her and put her down in the crib. She wakes up like 20 min. after. I comfort her but she was hysterical so I just picked her up and rocked her. Any advice? She still gets up 1-2 times a night(feeding-formula) so I still want her in our bedroom a little longer. She has had some nights of sleeping 6 hours straight. Should I try to have her sleep in bassinet again in our room? then crib when she is older? or keep her in bouncy chair at night and crib for naps?? I am confused. I read so many things and it justs overwhelms me. Any advice?

lululolo

She is really too young for any sleep training. You could try putting her down drowsy but awake, so she doesn't wake up crying and confused about why she is in her crib. At 2 months, my DS was still swaddled for all sleep, and for us that made all the difference. He was so young and still needed that tightness and closeness for comfort. Swaddle + white noise was the magic solution for us. He also napped in a variety of locations... on me, in his bassinet, swing, bouncy seat, anywhere! Otherwise, at two months I think you just need to go with the flow.

carriec1111

Yeah I think she is too young to be expected to sleep in crib too. But I was stressing out reading all these stories of babies at like 9 months who refuse to sleep in crib so I wanted her to start early. But I think I am going to wait a little longer... But I know some mothers who say that their baby slept fine from day 1 in crib. But mine sleeps fine in her cozy vibrating chair so I guess if that is what is working for now I will let it be:)

carriec1111

I use the white noise-life saver! She never liked being swaddled-she likes her arms free. She is trying to suck her thumb-hasn't quite got the hang of it yet. But that might help her self soothe herself back to sleep.

lululolo

I would't worry, a 9 month old baby is totally different from a two month old! Like you said, every baby is different and what works for some will not work for others. I read s few different books about sleep... the no cry sleep solution, healthy sleep habits healthy child (or something like that) and Ferber's book. It was definitely interesting to read about sleep and some of the reasons for issues that arise, even if you don't feel comfortable with any of the sleep training methods (once your DD is an appropriate age of course). Good luck!

Littledeer84

I think what you are doing now is fine. I remember being completely overwhelmed with the sleep issues when my DD was a few months old. She would wake up the minute I left her in the crib, she just didnt want to sleep there. I think I read too much and didnt go with my instincts enough - but I was afraid I was going to mess her up for life if I didnt get her sleeping right.
Anyways, for her first few months she would sleep the first half of the night in the swing, with one of us next to her on the couch. Usually after a mid-night feeding we could lay her down in her crib and she would sleep there the rest of the night. Slowly her time in the crib increased.
I only have one, so I cant compare her to anything else, but her sleep was the single hardest thing I dealt with her first year. After she turned one, things got a lot better.

My response is tl;dr. But the short reply is that you do what works for you.

NotSharknado

Yeah, she's a newborn. She's not even capable of forming bad habits or even a routine at this point.

NativeFloridian

I'm with the other posters.  Keep doing what you're doing for now, it's impossible to condition so young a baby in any direction.

As she gets older you'll start to notice a naturally-developing pattern in her sleep, and you can try to keep her awake at certain periods of the day to nudge that pattern little by little into a pattern that better fits your schedule.

carriec1111

Thanks everyone! I feel better..I guess I was putting to much pressure on myself. Thinking about selling my bassinet and getting one of those rock n play sleepers. Fisher price makes them. Right now she sleeps in the snug bunny bouncy chair-which works fine but I don't think its made for all night sleep...plus its low on floor(harder to pick her up)

NativeFloridian

My Rock n' Play is the stuff dreams are made of.

littlemermaid

Both of my kids slept in the bassinet until they didn't fit in it, which was roughly around 3 months old and then I moved them into their crib.

You might want to try swaddling her when putting her to sleep in the bassinet or crib.