Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Diary of a Sleep Training Parent- A Hopeful Beginning

Tuesday Night- A Hopeful Beginning

We had our plan. The bedtime routine that I had been doing for several days was ready. Nighttime weaning schedule - check. My husband and I went over the rules of the night. It began.

Bath, changing, songs, books, white noise, nursing, elephant, pacifier, Mr. Bear music box, "I love you baby boy" with a few kisses and into the dreaded pack and play he went.

He was screaming before I left the room...before he was in the pack and play really. I left.
His little face as I set him down broke my heart but I was resolute. We all need this.
5 min later I "check-in" and said all the supportive positive things I could in the allowed 30 seconds. My baby boy was up against the corner of the pack and play (closest to the door) having an all out fit. Honestly, it helped that he was using his tantrum cry...not his sad, hurt, or hungry cry. Something in my Mommy ears heard that tantrum cry and knew this was an OK lesson for him. I left and checked again at 10, 15, 15...then at 52 min. silence. 

I felt a little victorious I'm not going to lie.
And- the kitchen got cleaned...oh, I cleaned the heck out of it.

Besides his scheduled night feedings he only woke once at 12:30 for about 25 min. According to The Sleepeasy Solution Noah was to stay in his crib until 7:30 am. He woke at 6:30 am and cried for an hour. We did the little verbal check-ins but this was...without a doubt...the WORST part. There I lay...2 feet from him (if that) and I couldn't reach out and pull him into our bed and snuggle him back to sleep as I had been doing for months. I lay there and he cried and the whole thing felt very unnatural but I wanted to play by the rules (for now).

When the clock hit 7:30 we threw on the lights and showered Noah with love, praise, and cuddles.
I am sure it was (mostly) in my head but it didn't seem like he looked at me quite the same way through breakfast. We were happy with how night 1 went...and hopeful about the rest of the week.


(3rd in a series)


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