Going to sleep on his own

estewart634 · February 2015

My baby is 3 months old. He will only go to sleep if he's being bounced or is nursing. Any suggestions on how to break this habit? I understand sometimes he is hungry and sleepy so he will fall asleep while eating. But sometimes I know he isn't hungry. Crying it out is too tough on this mommy's heart! Help!

Bigboobsmcgee · February 2015

You shouldn't really be letting your 3 month old CIO in the first place. At this young age, babies cry because they have a need.

I wouldn't worry about letting him fall asleep on his own at that age. He's SO little and needs you to help him right now so worry about him sleeping on his own later. I still feed DD and then rock her to sleep every night (4.5 months old) and I did the same with my son until he was 1.5 years old.

PrimRoseMama · February 2015

Bigboobsmcgee said:
You shouldn't really be letting your 3 month old CIO in the first place. At this young age, babies cry because they have a need.
I wouldn't worry about letting him fall asleep on his own at that age. He's SO little and needs you to help him right now so worry about him sleeping on his own later. I still feed DD and then rock her to sleep every night (4.5 months old) and I did the same with my son until he was 1.5 years old.

All of this. Baby is much too young for CIO

bygonebride · February 2015

Did your babies stay asleep after you put them down? Problem with my LO is she wakes up the second you lie her down.

harmonicbabe26 · February 2015

Totally what PPs said. Babies this youg need comforting. Not all - some parenta are lucky and have angel babies who sleep great at a really young age (my DD1 even though not an angel baby was always easier to put to sleep). My new DD is not that way. The second her butt hits the bed she cries...

Don't sweat it. She won't go to college being rocked by you every night. At this point she needs sleep to grow and develop more than the ability to go to bed on her own, so make sure she sleeps, no matter how you get her to do it...

Bigboobsmcgee · March 2015

bygonebride said:
Did your babies stay asleep after you put them down? Problem with my LO is she wakes up the second you lie her down.

I try to keep my hands on DD after I lay her down so she feels secure (hold her arms down or keep my hand on her middle). Usually if you just lay a baby down, their arms and legs flail because they feel like they are falling. If she does wake up, she can now put herself back to sleep.

MrsStanger · March 2015

agree with PP no CIO just yet. when you lay LO down I suggest the holding until you get past the initial startle. we then do the sushing for a few seconds. works like a charm.

estewart634 · March 2015

We definitely haven't done cry it out. The main problem is he won't stay asleep without nursing or being bounced. He's still waking up 4-5 times a night because if he wakes up he has to nurse to go back to sleep. He'll be four months in a week.

Bigboobsmcgee · March 2015

estewart634 said:
We definitely haven't done cry it out. The main problem is he won't stay asleep without nursing or being bounced. He's still waking up 4-5 times a night because if he wakes up he has to nurse to go back to sleep. He'll be four months in a week.

Unfortunately this is pretty common with BF babies. It sucks, but it will pass.

MrsStanger · March 2015

Im not an advocate of rushing things. Good things take time. I know that im exhausted from waking up with DS but we also have started cereal in the evening to see if filling him up a little more helps. So far it has given me an hour extra each night of sleep. Which in the world of BF amounts to nothing lol. Once you see LO prompt you for the next step you should try switching it up. If that means solids (mooshy solids) or cereal you do have options.

There is no right way...there is just YOUR way!

bygonebride · March 2015

All this cereal talk has me thinking. DD has been drinking much less formula during the day and needing a MOTN feed (was sleeping through) since starting cereal. Pedi says 1 tbs 3 times/day. Maybe that's too much and not satisfying her like formula?

Bigboobsmcgee · March 2015

bygonebride said:
All this cereal talk has me thinking. DD has been drinking much less formula during the day and needing a MOTN feed (was sleeping through) since starting cereal. Pedi says 1 tbs 3 times/day. Maybe that's too much and not satisfying her like formula?

Well cereal is just a filler and never should replace formula. It most likely ISN'T filling your LO up.

My DD was eating less during the day and started waking up at night to eat so I tried to limit distractions during the day while she was drinking her bottles so she could focus. That helped, but now she's going through a growth spurt and eating all day and all night too. She's 5 months old tomorrow and not on solids yet. I have no desire to start solids.

PrimRoseMama · March 2015

Please don't give your three month old worthless filler cereal in an effort to get more sleep. Calorie-dense food like formula or breast milk is better. 3 months old is too young to eliminate night feedings if your baby is hungry.

Babies wake to eat. It's a fact of life. Please, just ride it out.

bygonebride · March 2015

Good point on the distractions. She looks all over the place when feeding. I tried moving up to the next nipple flow too and that seems to help get more milk in her belly during the day. I think she was getting bored with the slower flow. She was attacking the spoons of cereal.

kaimee27 · March 2015

I agree with PP, it's too early to start CIO, and babies this young should definitely not be given cereal unless directed to do so specifically by your pediatrician-for example for severe reflux.

marblesparade · May 2015

I've heard cereal only expands their stomach. So while you may think it's working on filling them up, it eventually will only make them hungrier.

And when I used to leave my cereal bowl in the sink, I thought it was funny looking how much bigger it got. Now it totally makes sense.

kamaile89 · May 2015

Waiting until my LO was in a deep sleep worked for me. From what I learned babies sleep in cycles. I usually do the arm check to see if he's in a deep sleep and ready to go down. I lift his arm if it drops like dead weight voila he's ready! If not I just wait a little longer and try again in a few minutes. We also didn't give a pacifier so he learned to self-soothe (suck his thumb) and now he even puts himself back to sleep when he startles awake ☺. Hope that helps!

eleolin8 · May 2015

I noticed my 4.5 month old wakes up for a minute and whines and fusses (not straight out crying) and then will fall back asleep. Right now, he typically nurses 1-2x/night and sleeps roughly 730pm-7am. BUT, he eats frequently in the day (like every 2-3 hrs still).

I won't go pick him up in the night unless he starts to cry, I leave him if he fusses for a minute.

AdrianaAnna1981 · May 2015

I won't probably say something revolutionary but I will keep him on my eye everytime. Try with some of baby monitors. They are not problem solvers per se, but can help to be informed on time. I found them here.

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Going to sleep on his own

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