I've tried all the "gentle" approaches. I've read books on gently getting baby's to sleep through the night with no crying...bottom line, they didn't work!!!! One method was to still bring him in bed with us, but to just refuse the breast. Yeah ok, that would work, NEVER.
It's so hard to write this, but I am having to let Reece cry it out. Breaks my heart so much. But he's sooooo attached to me, and doesn't sleep unless in my arms. For my health and the health of our new baby, I have to make a change, and now.
I am literally in tears right now. He's in his crib crying, and his nap should be over in 30 minuets and he's cried for an hour, and not slept at all. I hear it gets better. I am praying it does soon!!!
I know many moms are super against crying it out, and I was too. And I pray I am not messing my baby up by teaching him to sleep on his own. I just CAN'T and don't want him to only want me, to only sleep with me, to only be happy with me....and in 7 months we will have another baby and I can't have TWO that nurse every two hours. My body just can't handle that.
So, here's last nights recap...
9:30pm I nursed him, he didn't fall asleep.
10:00pm I put him in his crib awake, he cried. Daddy comforted him for 15 mins, but when he left, Reece cried. And cried. And cried.
10:45pm I want to go to bed, Reece is still crying. I go hold him, hug him, kiss him, he cuddles me, and I let him rest on my shoulder for a few mins, then put him down in his crib again. He cries.
11:15pm He's quiet for a while, then whimpers. I fall asleep {I closed his door, my door, set some soft music on, and the humidifier so I couldn't hear him as well.
11:30pm Davey comes to bed, I'm asleep, he said Reece was crying on and off.
2:00am I woke up to him crying, I went in and hugged him. I rubbed his back for a few minuets while he laid in his crib, then he finally fell asleep.
5:00am He wakes up crying, I bring him in bed with me, he nurses back to sleep, and he nurses on and off until we wake up at 7am.
Because he got such little sleep last night he was super tired and wanting to nurse all morning. Finally I just put him in his crib at 10:00am and he's been crying since. Still crying, and I am about to cry again. I am so frustrated, and sad, and stressed! I know it's not his fault, I trained him like this for 15 months. All my friends say it should only take 3-5 nights, but man that seems like forever. I am losing this battle right now! I have to go to Walmart & I know he will fall asleep in the car. Then be super crabby when I wake him up to get out of the car.
Prayers are appreciated. I know this is such a controversial subject, and you may not agree with it. I didn't either, until I had a non sleep monster.
5 comments:
Don't give up! It is hard I know. My second son is super attached to me and is 15 months also. I established a routine each night with him so he didn't always need me. Bath (every other night), book reading, get sippy cup & two stuffed animals and go to bed with them. He doesn't fight me now but trust me. 4 months ago I was in your position.
www.gratefulwithtwo.blogspot.com
Girl, I feel for ya. Maybe instead of putting him down for naps and bed, get him still when you know he's sleepy. Then give him a sippy of milk and maybe a favorite cartoon DVD. My son will fall over sometimes when we do this with him (minus the milk, no sippy cups past age 2 here). As long as he's moving or being treated in a way he doesn't appreciate, he's a nightmare. But if I just let him THINK he is getting his way and get him still for some cartoon time and sit with him, he falls out pretty quickly. I do let ours come to bed with us, but he's way past nursing so it doesn't upset/confuse him. I let our oldest cry it out. She would cry for 2 hours solid. It never seemed to help. I would just get either pitiful or angry, and she would be horribly sweaty and nearly puking sick. I'm not AGAINST crying it out, but I know for some kids it really doesn't work. If you are saying no to nursing, you need to stick with no. By giving in, you are only going to reinforce him acting a certain way to get what he wants. I know you are at your wits end, though. My son is 4 and still doesn't sleep through the night without waking and disturbing us in some manner. Ugh. He's my only kid that's like that. Maybe Reece is yours. I'm sorry.
Thanks ladies! All he wants to do today is nurse..sigh...he knows I'm weaning him and he's fighting it! :(
You may already know this, but the cramping is from your uterus contracting which is not something you want during this stage of pregnancy. As far as weening your 15 month old, I suggest you devote the next few days to REtraining him. Give a sippy cup, whatever. It's a matter of his will versus yours. Above all, keep praying, asking for the Lord's strength and guidance.
Blessings
He'll be okay, A. It will make this process quicker if, once you put him down, you don't go back in throughout the night to keep trying to comfort him. It's like giving him a few minutes of what he wants only to take it away again, which will make him MORE angry! The first few nights are rough but if you stay consistent, he should be sleeping on his own in a week or two. Prayers!
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