- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Babies: 3 - 6 Months
I've created a bad-habit bed routine.
sigh. I've been nursing Stel to sleep. The pedi told my DH at her 3mo check up today that I've got to get away from this and start "drowsy but awake". But she goes to sleep so easily! The few times I have tried drowsy, she pops awake as soon as her back hits the mattress and screams bloody murder - the paci won't help, neither does shushing, I have had to pick her pack up and force the paci in her mouth (which felt mean!) or nurse her to sleep (my no-cry solution). Oh, and the bonus is she has been STTN since right after I gave in to this at 1.5 months (9:30 pm to 6:30 am). She also sleeps in our room in a bassinet.
Can anyone share your bedtime routine, and how long it took for LO to adopt the "drowsy but awake" theory? Right now, I'm doing bath, boob, say good night, diaper change, 2oz formula then boob with rocking... and she goes to sleep.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: I've created a bad-habit bed routine.
We don't really have a routine to be honest. Perhaps it is bad, but we let him fall asleep during his last feeding too. I say do what works best for you.
My Blog
I feed him a bottle then I rock him slowly with a book...lay him down drowsy. I've been doing drowsy but awake from the beginning though, so I think that makes a difference.
9:30 is bath time
around 9:45-50 she nurses while music is playing, and only a little light, I read her two books (Where the Wil;d Things Are and Goodnight Moon)
and she usually nurses to sleep and is down around 10:30 in her crib.
Around 7 weeks I transitioned L to his crib and started his routine. At first I nursed to sleep and then I transitioned to drowsy but awake. Its not fool proof, not every night goes as good but 85% of the time it works. He was STTN till this week, I think we are in the 4 month wakeful tho!
We start beteen 5 & 6 when I think he starts to seem sleepy. We do bath, then right into a dim room with music playing softly, massage and PJs, then I read a story, goodnight moon, and then I nurse him while I rock with his lovey, sometimes he comes off the breast when he is done and then I rock him a bit more to drowsy and lay him in his crib with his paci sometimes he stirs or fusses a little and I have to shh or put my hand on his chest. Some nights his eyes fly wide open & I put on the projector. Or put my hand on his chest for a few seconds. If he starts to fall asleep while i am nursing I unlatch him to wake him a bit and then continue with the paci & rocking. i try to pay enough attention to unlatch him when the suck changes to the light quick sucking. ALso I think the lovey helps. I slept with it a few nights first so it smells like me. I lay it across my chest and as he nurses he lays his hand it my chest/the lovey and he holds on to it (he used to do this with my shirt collar) then I put him down with it. I go in later and move it.
I always nursed DD to sleep then figured I should try drowsy but awake. (my pedi has never even asked about night time routine though!) Anyway, I nurse until she is almost asleep, pull her off, burp, go over turn off the lights. Then turn on her sound machine and projection thing. Then lay her in her crib and kiss her good night. THEN turn on the blow dryer. LOL! The blow dryer calms her down soooo much, she is out in 3 minutes tops. She def cried and fussed alot in the beginning but barely ever cries at this point. I think I started about 3 weeks ago. Some nights were easier than others but it is working well so far!
All that being said, do what is best for your LO! I personally loved nursing her to sleep but figured it would be better in the long run to have her be able to fall asleep on her own!
"You're gonna miss this You're gonna want this back You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast..."