Hello moms! I am currently staying at home with my new daughter who is going to be 9 weeks this Saturday. This week I decided to transition her and have been trying to put her in her crib between 7:30-9:00 pm. So far it has been going over horribly. I am going back to work full time in 3 1/2 weeks and would like for her to be sleeping in her crib by this time. I have a 2 1/2 year old who was sleeping in her crib by 12 weeks and I am hoping for the same with this one...however this daughter is a lot different than her sister at this age. My 9 week old SHRILL screams and gets very upset. She did this twice when I put her down in her crib this last week. I have tried to put her down after feeding her and rocking her...where she was sleepy. I tried to let her cry it out and comfort her from the side but stopped and picked her up. She will get so upset, she will throw up so I have been worried about this. I have been co-sleeping with her since she was born and am breastfeeding. I have successfully put her in a bassinet in my room a handful of times but only when she was fast asleep would she stay in there. I am hopeful that by the time I go back to work that I will have her sleep a long stretch on her own in her crib. SUGGESTIONS PLEASE - anything will help :)
08/06/2011
Thanks moms for all the advice!!! I decided to transition her to her bassinet in my room next to the bed this week instead of the crib because it is bigger and further away from me. So far she has slept in it the first stretch 3 times this week (first long stretch). Last night she was really upset and I talked to her to soothe her and picked her up and laid her back down. She cried for a LONG time with me right there with her and eventually went to sleep. She slept 7 1/2 hours!!! I would have slept this full time, only if my other 2 1/2 year old didn't wake up haha! She didn't nap well that day either. Tonight I am on the computer with both girls in their beds at 8:00!!! My baby fell asleep after breastfeeding and I swaddled her and took her to the bassinet and she was still out! This was over an hour ago and still sound asleep! Will update you all in another week or so. Thanks again!!! Will check out those books.
My thoughts would be to sleep on her blankets for a familar smells.... then let her sleep in the bed with the blankets. IDK but it might work
As you've discovered, babies are all different. It doesn't sound like your younger daughter is ready for the crib yet, and she might not be ready in three weeks.
You might check out "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" for useful ideas on how to maximize the sleep you both get.
Get and read the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Weisbluth. This book seriously saved my life!
You might consider picking up a copy of The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg RN at the library.
It has amazing sleep solutions for babies - worked like a charm. I understand what you meant her by cry it out, meaning allow her to blow off a little of her steam and relax. If she's getting so mad that she vomiting, it's too long. At 9 weeks, she is far too young for the babywise style of "cryitout". Right now she just needs your help to learn how to sleep in her crib. Baby Whisperer has all those suggestions.
Things that worked for me:
1. put her into her crib at non sleep times so that she can look around, see the room, etc. Need to run to the bathroom? Put her in her crib with some music, a mobile, etc. Then when you are done in the bathroom, if she is happy, leave her be for a bit, if she is fussy, slowly and quietly walk in and pick her up. Don't say anything.
2. Lay her down in her crib right after she has fed, but when she ISN'T quite asleep yet, just drowsy.
3. If you are feeding in a chair, don't rock. Just sit there rubbing her back. When you rock, they begin to think that they "NEED" that to go to sleep. They don't.
Put your pj shirt/night gown in her crib during the day so when you lay her down at night the crib smells like you.
She just might not be ready to stop co sleeping just because your first was in a crib by 12 weeks oesnt mean she will follow
Try letting her play in her crib during the day. I know 9 week old babies don't play much, but put her favorite blanket and toys in there. (You also might try putting something of yours in there like someone else already suggested.) Spend time with her while she is awake in her crib. It's a big world out here and she just needs to get used to being in a different place and still know you will be there if she needs you. Is she ok if you are not in the room while she is awake? That might be the first step you need to take. When it is close to bedtime give her a bath, dim the lights and just hang out with her in there. I thank the nurses at the hospital. They warned us that this might happen, so we didn't co-sleep (well, not often), but their crib was right by the bed. We had similar issues when we moved them to their own room, though and these things worked for us.
My third child hated the crib for the first several months. She slept in her infant car seat on the floor next to my bed during that time. It wasn't too bad, when she started to fuss I could usually just reach down and rock her seat back and forth a few times until she settled down again.
I think we all do what we need to do to get a good night's sleep, good luck!
I feel for you and WISH I had some good suggestions! I just wanted to tell you that some babies are more difficult than other in this department, and it sounds like you got your "easy" baby first! My first daughter literally slept in my arms (usually with me in a rocking chair) for the first EIGHT months of her life. It was a nightmare. I tried everything. I don't want to scare you, but just want you to be realistic. My second daughter was a little better. She slept in her car seat, on the floor next to my bed, until she was 4 months! Then she slept in her car seat, in her CRIB, for another month or so. Finally at 6 months she was in the crib for real. I know you're going back to work so I really hope she cooperates for you real soon!!! But hang in there if she doesn't :)
What I did-
I got this amazing sleep positioner for my baby when he was born. I wrapped him up like a little burrito, rocked him to sleep, then tucked him into the positioner. It holds onto the baby around the waist and just above their legs, so it feels like they are being held. It totally worked for me and he has been sleeping in his crib happily since he was 2 weeks old!
Some people say it is a choking hazard, but if you use it correctly it works miracles. Good luck!
