A while back, Mama-2-1 posted this - now, we're finally following suit! (How's it going BTW? I've been MIA for a while, v. busy with work, etc.) I'm going to try to update this every day to keep myself motivated!
OUR SITUATION: DS, age 16 mo, sleeps in the bed on the floor with me. (DH sleeps on the couch or with 8 year old DD.) I nurse him until he's sleepy (sitting up, him in my lap) then hold him on my lap with his binky until he's out. Then roll him on his belly and rub his back until he's totally out.
This repeats every 1 or 2 hours.
Lately, he hasn't wanted to leave my lap and I end up "sleeping" sitting up. For obvious reasons, it's time for this to end.
MY PLAN: A combination of "No Cry Sleep Solution," and Dr. Jay Gordon. [Since DH has never been involved with the baby at night, I think it would be too hard on DS to have DH take over the nights (even though that might remove me as the milk source.) If I can convince DH, I'd like to have him do a few nights a week, but .. who knows... ]
At bedtime, I'm going to nurse him until he's sleepy but not asleep and then lay him down with his binky. My guess is that he'll sit up and start fussing. I'll lay with him in bed and I might sing like 2 songs and rub his back for those two songs, but no more nursing and no holding him in my lap. I predict that he's going to cry - a lot. But I'm going to try to focus on what Dr. Jay says - that he's angry and frustrated, but not scared (which is the difference with straight CIO.)
Also - along with what Dr. Jay says, I'm going to expect that DS can go 7 hours without nursing. DS goes to bed at 8:30 pm, so if he wakes up after 3 am then he can nurse. I don't mind nursing at, say, 3 and then 5 and then up for the day at 7.
I'm not sure what will happen overnight. If he cries for like an hour, he might sleep for 4 or 5 hours before waking again. Or he could cry for an hour, sleep for an hour and then do it all again. But I'm hoping to stick to the plan that no nursing, no lap-holding from 8:30 pm to 3:30 am.
The goal is that he will get comfy with going to sleep with me in the bed at the beginning of the night and then I'll sit NEXT to the bed. Once he's OK with that, I'll sit near the door. Then I'll (please, please, please) be able to put him to bed and leave the room. (This is according to "No Cry, Sleep Solution." ) But I'm not sure how this will all play out. I might try to go to sleep for the night in the spare room to see if that helps too.
OK, now that I've posted this on the Intertubes, I can't back down! Wish me luck!!!
OUR SITUATION: DS, age 16 mo, sleeps in the bed on the floor with me. (DH sleeps on the couch or with 8 year old DD.) I nurse him until he's sleepy (sitting up, him in my lap) then hold him on my lap with his binky until he's out. Then roll him on his belly and rub his back until he's totally out.
This repeats every 1 or 2 hours.
Lately, he hasn't wanted to leave my lap and I end up "sleeping" sitting up. For obvious reasons, it's time for this to end.
MY PLAN: A combination of "No Cry Sleep Solution," and Dr. Jay Gordon. [Since DH has never been involved with the baby at night, I think it would be too hard on DS to have DH take over the nights (even though that might remove me as the milk source.) If I can convince DH, I'd like to have him do a few nights a week, but .. who knows... ]
At bedtime, I'm going to nurse him until he's sleepy but not asleep and then lay him down with his binky. My guess is that he'll sit up and start fussing. I'll lay with him in bed and I might sing like 2 songs and rub his back for those two songs, but no more nursing and no holding him in my lap. I predict that he's going to cry - a lot. But I'm going to try to focus on what Dr. Jay says - that he's angry and frustrated, but not scared (which is the difference with straight CIO.)
Also - along with what Dr. Jay says, I'm going to expect that DS can go 7 hours without nursing. DS goes to bed at 8:30 pm, so if he wakes up after 3 am then he can nurse. I don't mind nursing at, say, 3 and then 5 and then up for the day at 7.
I'm not sure what will happen overnight. If he cries for like an hour, he might sleep for 4 or 5 hours before waking again. Or he could cry for an hour, sleep for an hour and then do it all again. But I'm hoping to stick to the plan that no nursing, no lap-holding from 8:30 pm to 3:30 am.
The goal is that he will get comfy with going to sleep with me in the bed at the beginning of the night and then I'll sit NEXT to the bed. Once he's OK with that, I'll sit near the door. Then I'll (please, please, please) be able to put him to bed and leave the room. (This is according to "No Cry, Sleep Solution." ) But I'm not sure how this will all play out. I might try to go to sleep for the night in the spare room to see if that helps too.
OK, now that I've posted this on the Intertubes, I can't back down! Wish me luck!!!