Please judge our bedtime "routine"

Mrs.Greg

So I've tried putting my babies to bed swaddled - drowsy and awake - and it never works.  I don't try it every night, I'd say every few nights, because they get so upset when I do.  I don't want them to associate bedtime with being upset.  Anyway, I've discovered a foolproof (for now!) way to get my babies to sleep.  I BF them between 7:30 and 8 p.m. and then put them in their bouncers.  Within 10 to 30 minutes, they are both fast asleep.  I let them sleep there for another 30 minutes or so and then I very gently take them out and swaddle them and put them to bed fast asleep.  Works every time.  I've been doing this for like the last 3 weeks or so.  Before that, I was BFing them to sleep, swaddling them, and putting them to bed fast asleep.  A couple weeks before they turned 2 months old, Fiona started STTN and like a week later, Anna started STTN as well.  We've had a few "rough" nights since they started STTN (one of them waking every 3 to 4 hours) and when they wake up, I BF them and they go right back to sleep without having to go into their bouncers.  I just can't get them to go to sleep at the beginning of the night.  I'm so worried about the long term effects this is going to have on their sleeping habits.  DH thinks I'm overthinking it - they are so little, I just need to do what I need to in order to get them to sleep therefore getting sleep myself, we can sleep train them when they get bigger if we need to.  My DD1 STTN very early too and I BF'd her to sleep every night for 7 months.  Then we let her CIO and she did awesome, she was definitely ready by then to put herselt to sleep.  Anyway, what do you all think of our bedtime "routine" for the babies?  Do I need to put a stop the bouncers at the beginning of the night??  TIA!

ougrad1

I don't think so.  Emerson slept exclusively in her swing until 4 months old and the babies slept exclusively in their swings until 6 months and I did not have an issue with transitioning any of them to their beds.  Actually, at those respective ages, I was able to lay all three down, say good night and walk out.

In those first few months, you've got to do what you've got to do....I say keep on doing what makes everyone happy at the moment.

 

violaplayer

I wouldn't honestly worry too much about creating habits until about 5 - 6 months old.

So whatever works for now! 

CateElizabeth

We do the same thing with our little guys - let them fall asleep in their seats first and then transfer to cribs after about 25 mins.  I do it mainly for reflux/digestion purposes, but I don't think it's a big no-no in the big scheme of things.  I agree that they are really too little to have to worry about habit-forming at this point, and by the time it's more of an issue, they may not be needing the seats anymore!

Itmamma

first of all I am so jealous your girls sleep through the night!!!  

I THINK, with emphasis on think because I am in the midst of reading sleep books, that they w ill not form habbits  until at least 4 months.    At 2 months I was putting way to much pressure on myself and babies regarding their sleeping routine, I htnk you are fine, they are still very little.   enjoy it!   

sail123

Do what works! Plus, they probably need to sit upright for a bit after their last feed. I suspect they take more during that feed than they do during the night and their little bellies probably just need to digest a bit first before going to sleep. 

MrsLnt

I'm huge on bedtime routines and the whole "start as you intend to go on" thing, but I think that at 2 months, what you are doing is fine. At that age, we were holding them after their last feeding and they'd usually pass out with us holding them, and then we'd swaddle and put to bed.  If you were rocking and didn't want to rock to sleep, or if you were bouncing in the seats, then I'd worry that there was more of a risk of them forming a habit that would be hard to break.  Like PP said this probably gives them a good way to digest their food in a semi-upright position and then settle in to sleep for the night.

Temp6313048411121614

IMO the most important thing right now is that everyone is getting the rest they need.  "They" (whoever "they" are) say that sleep habits aren't formed until 4m (so you can do whatever up to that point to an extent.  For the first 6m or so every night we put J&W in their swing at the beginning of the night and moved them to the crib when we went to bed.  When we stopped putting them in the swing at the beginning of the night they didn't have too rough of a time.

meldoo2002

I think you're totally fine.  We used the swings to put our boys to sleep until about 5 months then transitioned to the crib.  We swaddled them, put them in the swing, and moved them before we went to bed.  Worked perfectly.  They did fine when they were older and we transitioned to the crib too.  I don't think there is a "wrong way" at that age.