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Attachment Parenting
opheliainwaders
member
Sleeping baby...
opheliainwaders
member
So, for the past several weeks, DD had been completely unable to sleep without being held or snuggled. We were in a new place, and she also seems to have just reached the stage of realizing "mom can be far away from me!" right at the time when all of our relatives were SO EXCITED to hold the baby. I think she also was going through a growth spurt, because she was eating every 2 hours, around the clock. Just to save my sanity, we've been bedsharing. I'm pro-cosleeping when we need sleep, but really have trouble sleeping myself when she's in bed with me, so I was hoping that it wouldn't be a long-term thing for us (at least not all night).
We had been using some of the techniques from NCSS before we left for the holidays, and last night, she fell asleep on me, but then slept for big chunks of time in her crib no problem (4 hours, then 6 hours). Tonight, we went through our routine of book, PJs, walking around the room and pulling down the shades, turning off the lights, etc, and then I nursed her. For literally the first time in her life, she didn't fall asleep while nursing. So I took a gamble. She was quiet, and obviously sleepy (rubbing her eyes). I put her down into her crib, she talked to herself for a few minutes, said "meeeerrr" maybe twice?
Then she started coughing (ugh, this cold!), and started fussing, so I went in, she nursed for maybe a minute? Then unlatched herself, closed her eyes, and fell asleep in my arms. I put her into the crib, she looked at me briefly, and then sighed and went back to sleep.
No word yet as to whether this will last for 20 minutes, or an hour, or six, but my BMB just hit the point where their babies are old enough to CIO, and the experience of the past few weeks made me start to question whether I was doing things the "right" way. But I just wanted to share this story to show that, even though it's taken me more time, I'm so much happier with our choice, and I'm feeling really good right now. Thought you mamas might like to hear a positive sleep story tonight, just to get some warm AP fuzzies.
We had been using some of the techniques from NCSS before we left for the holidays, and last night, she fell asleep on me, but then slept for big chunks of time in her crib no problem (4 hours, then 6 hours). Tonight, we went through our routine of book, PJs, walking around the room and pulling down the shades, turning off the lights, etc, and then I nursed her. For literally the first time in her life, she didn't fall asleep while nursing. So I took a gamble. She was quiet, and obviously sleepy (rubbing her eyes). I put her down into her crib, she talked to herself for a few minutes, said "meeeerrr" maybe twice?
Then she started coughing (ugh, this cold!), and started fussing, so I went in, she nursed for maybe a minute? Then unlatched herself, closed her eyes, and fell asleep in my arms. I put her into the crib, she looked at me briefly, and then sighed and went back to sleep.
No word yet as to whether this will last for 20 minutes, or an hour, or six, but my BMB just hit the point where their babies are old enough to CIO, and the experience of the past few weeks made me start to question whether I was doing things the "right" way. But I just wanted to share this story to show that, even though it's taken me more time, I'm so much happier with our choice, and I'm feeling really good right now. Thought you mamas might like to hear a positive sleep story tonight, just to get some warm AP fuzzies.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Sleeping baby...
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When we got DS his floor bed, he loved it from the very first night. I was sure it would be a long transition, but it was as though he didn't even see our bed anymore! I would put him to bed in his bed as usual, and then go to bed in my own bed...but I wouldn't fall asleep. I couldn't fall asleep. I stared at him for hours until he stirred, wanting to nurse. Then I'd hop down, pop him on, and fall right asleep. I totally had a nurse-to-sleep association!!! Took a long time to break too.
See? Everyone has sleep associations. They're not bad - they're totally normal, natural, and good. The natural sleep association for babies is nursing to sleep! If it doesn't work for you, change it, but if it doesn't bother you, let nature be as it intended and nurse those babies to sleep.