3+ month old bedtime routine...

kleine8

I've been home on maternity leave with my 3+ month old lil guy; from waking up in the middle of the night for feeding, to changing diapers, to playing to him...etc. I am basically with him 24/7...occasionally I will go out and have lunch/dinner w/some friends while my hubby watches him.

What I am trying to get at is that, our bedtime routine has been a HUGE burden on the both of us. Every night, while I am cleaning up after dinner, my hubby will take the lil guy upstairs (after he feeds him) change his diaper and slowly put him to bed... the problem is that our son does NOT (and I repeat does NOT) like it when my hubby puts him to bed...he cries and cries until his face gets red! I am not kidding! His cries gets so loud and violent that I have to go upstairs to find out what is going on...when all my hubby is trying to do is put him to sleep. He does everything I tell him but still it does not help. When our son sees me, he stops crying!!! 

The feeding and changing diaper are fine, but when it comes to putting him down to sleep is a problem. Has anyone experience this?

Thank you!

etoyama

This is pretty normal for a 3 month old. He's very little and he just needs his mom to put him to bed. My 7 month old still does this and I don't anticipate it changing any time soon. My advice would be to just try to enjoy this time where you're the center of his world, because it won't last forever. They grow up soooo fast

Meg&Jesse

Gee..I am trying to think back, but it took quite awhile before we had a consistent bedtime routine established...and then it needs to be changed from time to time as DS goes through different "stages."  At that age I don't recall having much of a "set" bedtime.  I would nurse DS until he was drowsy and then lay with him for a bit (we were cosleeping).  Maybe around 5 monthish we had a more consistent routine of bath, books, nurse, and then bed.  He was probably going to bed around the same time at this age too. 

I would just give it some time.  I know it might seem tough now...but like pp said they grow up so fast!!

pixieprincss

At three months, I advocate doing what works. You baby is still pretty much a newborn. My son didn't take to any sort of sleepy-time routine until he was a year. Many families who want to do a routine start around six months.

tarahnpaul

It depends on what you want for your family.  Around 8 p.m., I go to bed with my LO, she nurses, falls asleep and DH and I watch a show or part of a movie.  When we're ready to go to sleep, I lay her down next to me and we all sleep.  It's very pleasant.  But there's a trade-off; no one else can really put her down for the night.  I'm fine with that and know that in a few years, we will get our evenings back and be able to go out again.

inlovewithB

DD is also 3 months. We are just starting a "routine" based on her patterns. We are both present most nights for bath, book, bottle, and bed.

We are trying to get her comfortable with this routine, but everything depends on how SHE is feeling. Some nights it works great others not so much. Just try to be patient. Maybe being in his room together will help him get comfortable with Daddy putting him down for the night.

ACAsomeday

DS is 4 months and although I have an ideal routine, we rarely go by it.  I can't get him to want bed at a consistent time, because I work three 10-10 shifts per week.  DH usually gets him to bed late, if at all, by the time I get home.  And then he and I both want to sleep in until 8 or 9.  Then on days that I have to bring him to daycare, we have to be out the door by 8:30.  SO, it keeps shifting back and forth.

Anyway, DH has a difficult time getting DS to sleep, but we never put him down awake.  The times when DH can get him to sleep is with rocking and hushing.  We have not and probably will not use the CIO method.  Sometimes DH has to "trick" DS into falling asleep by talking on the phone (headset) while walking around with him because he fights sleep most of the time.

I don't think you're alone!  Are you into the AP method?  If so, DS will probably prefer you over DH for quite some time!  Its just natural when you are keeping him that close to you at all times.  Maybe it would help if DH held him more during the day, or maybe he could take DS right after you nurse him so that he gets some of those warm fuzzy feelings with DH too.