Crying it Out

BennieBud

At our 2 month my pedi recommended letting my LO CIO at night. I'm aware of the research that says not until 4-6 months and I discussed it with my pedi.  I'm curious if anyone has attempted CIO or Ferberizing with their LO... or if other pedis have recommended it.  I'm not looking for a flame fest or to judge... we all make our own parenting choices for our own reasons... I'm just trying to hear experiences of other moms.

chrisncassie

I previously had mentioned that DH and I were going to let our LO CIO ...however after getting everyone's opinions and doing some research I vetoed that decision and now we do not let LO CIO.  I will let him fuss, but not full on cry/red faced/pissed off...unless my hands are covered in raw meat/chicken and then I wash as quickly as possible!   ...at night, I will let him whimper before getting up, more often than not he's just fussing in his sleep.  I don't know if I will let him full on CIO because we have a small house and DS#1 sleeps in the next room. 

with DS#1 I waited a little bit longer before letting him CIO...I think maybe at DS#2's 4month check up I will ask his pedi about it. 

melissa4252008

I let LO fuss for a pretty long time, because 90% of the time he'll fuss himself right back to sleep. But the second he actually starts to cry, I am out of bed like a shot. I won't let him CIO until 6 months at the earliest, even if my pedi suggests it.

Runner*Jane00

With DD#1 we let her CIO at 4 months, it took about 2-3 days, sometimes she screamed and sometimes she would just fuss and go to sleep. 

With DD#2 we started CIO last week.  The first day was bad, she cried/fussed for 15-20 minutes before every nap and at bed.  The second day she cried 5-10 minutes before naps and not at all at bedtime.  Now she will fuss as I swaddle her, once she has her pacifier she quiets down and will usually go to sleep.  Sometimes she still cries, but not for more than a few minutes and she is asleep.  She doesn't cry at all at bedtime.

It doesnt work for everyone and the first day was terrible and I really thought about not doing it anymore.  But by the next morning she was doing so much better and sleeping for longer uninterrupted stretches and waking up happy.  As opposed to before when she would sleep for 10-15 minutes and then wake up screaming because she was still exhausted.

We do not let her CIO in the middle of the night.  Our Pedi thought she should still gain some more weight before doing that.  She was 10lbs 8oz at the 2 month appt.  So if she wakes up in the middle of the night, I either BF her or give her a pacifier (if I have fed her less than 3hrs before).

utlawgirl

I'm surprised your pedi would suggest it at 2 months -- that is way early. A baby that age still needs to eat at least once night if they are waking. I'm not against so-called CIO if it's necessary (and will even consider doing it myself, down the line), IF you do your research, and if you do it right. Please read up on the Ferber method if you are going to do this... and you'll note that he doesn't suggest doing it in any case until 4-6 months if there is a night waking problem.

cavewomanf16

Our pedi says that LO should be able to sleep 8 hours at night without eating by 3 months and he recommends starting Ferberizing at 3 months, although he does say that you don't HAVE to do it because he knows it is not something a lot of parents like to do.

LO already sleeps over 8 hours at night so I don't really have to think about doing it.  Usually LO sleeps from 7:30pm to 4:45-5:30am and I don't let him CIO at that point in time because I know he must be starving. 

JulietL129

I would not do it before 6 mo because at best it accomplishes nothing because your child doesn't have the ability to self-soothe and at worst, it's been shown to cause problems later on. Once your child is able to understand more I believe it's completely up to parents to do what they think is best for them and their kids. I urge you though, to research Ferber and not just go by your pedi's word. Ferber himself actually does NOT recommend CIO and agrees that it is damaging. There's much more to the Ferber method which addresses many sleep issues. I do let L fuss because most of the time he just needs to fart and he goes right back to sleep, but if it escalates and sounds like he's going to cry i try to get to him before we hit meltdown mode.

canthardlywait426

I will let him fuss but I will not not not let him CIO. He is 3 months old. Not gonna happen.

BennieBud

Just curious... but how do you differentiate between crying and fussing?  I consider my LO to be crying when she needs something... like when she's hungry... because it escalates in intensity.  But I consider it to be more fussing when I know she doesn't need anything (fed, dry, etc.) and it doesn't really escalate to that full- blown, red-faced scream.

I guess my issue with even trying to let her CIO either now or later is that I'm pretty sure she veiws crying/fussing as an endurance sport and could go hours. How long do you let them fuss or cry?

TripMomma

melissa4252008:

I let LO fuss for a pretty long time, because 90% of the time he'll fuss himself right back to sleep. But the second he actually starts to cry, I am out of bed like a shot. I won't let him CIO until 6 months at the earliest, even if my pedi suggests it.

Ditto, we didn't start it with the trio until 6mo...and really only one of them needed it.

shaw

I have friends who started as early as 9 weeks!!!  They have excellent sleepers who will sleep anywhere (traveling) at their bedtime.  I am a teacher and many coworkers and our principal used Babywise!?  I am still reading and researching infant sleep.  My LO is not a great sleeper due to being early and having low birth weight.  He was also very fussy for the first 6 weeks.  I have found what works for us is a strict bedtime routine.  I started at 3 weeks...in the nursery.  Putting Lo to bed is so easy now.  He still wakes 1, 2 or 3 times in the night, but he needs to eat.  I won't let him CIO when I know he is hungry.  However, he isn't napping as well at the babysitter's during the day.  I told him it was ok to let LO fuss because I now he needs sleep just as much as he needs food and love.  I don't know that we will have to do CIO due to our routines that are in place!?