I read a lot. Too much sometimes. I’ve spent the last week with my nose in four (yes, four) different baby sleep books.
Baby J is 3.5 months old and. She wakes up 45 minutes into her naps.
It wasn’t always this way. She used to nap for an hour and a half several times a day.
Where did I go wrong?
Too much sleep? Too little sleep? Hungry? Is my supply dropping off? Too much activity? Too little activity? Am I holding her too much? Am I not holding her long enough? Is her wind down nap routine not sufficient? Is she tired of her swaddle? Should I have one arm in and one arm out? Both arms out? Ditch the swaddle completely? Or, should I just make the swaddle a little bit tighter? Is she addicted to her pacifier? Would she be more comfortable on her side?
I made myself eggs & toast this morning for breakfast.
Just before I sat down to eat, I opened the microwave.
There sat a cold bowl of instant oatmeal that I made for breakfast thirty minutes before.
I accidentally made breakfast twice.
I laughed at myself and did the only rational thing left to do.
I ate them both.
I’m calling off this day.
No more sleep books.
No more theories.
Forget the shush-pat method. Forget the P.U./P.D method. Forget C.I.O. Forget control crying. Forget attempting to dissect the mantra cries from the real cries.
I’m obviously overthinking it.
We are going back to the pacifier, back to the one arm in the swaddle and one arm out, back to the old nap routine and that’s that.
When she wakes up 45 minutes into her nap (and I’m certain she will), I’m going to hold her and give her the pacifier and put her back to sleep.
That’s wrong (according to my books) but it was working good enough.
I’m declaring today a sabbath of sorts. A personal day.
I’m going to quilt, watch four episodes of The Good Wife and eat popcorn.
Hopefully, tomorrow, I’ll have the presence of mind to make just one breakfast!
Good for you!!!!
Best advice anyone gave me was from my husband. I got a non-sleeper and I also read lots of books. One particularly stressful evening both baby and I were in tears (baby was inconsolable). I said, “but the book said this would work.” To which he told me, “She’s a baby not a book.” Touché!
That is so true & so helpful! I’m glad to know its not just me who gets stuck on books occasionally
The only baby sleep book I read was “Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child” by Dr. Marc Weissbluth; I purchased it after my firstborn was waking 3-6 times a night at 7 months old. He goes through methods of putting the baby to sleep, but the most useful thing in the book to me was that he outlines infant/child sleep patterns from birth to teens (he’s spent his 30-some year pediatric career studying sleep in children). I have 3 kids (my youngest is just days younger than J!), and I have referenced that book with each one. Not sure if this one is in your pile or not, but it was useful to me! Best of luck to you!
Hi! It’s funny you mention that book, out of desperation I just ordered that one! I’m looking forward to reading a little more
I hope it can help in some way! Some days you just need to throw the “plan” out the window and do what works! My little one seems to be extra needy lately, too. 🙂
I hope you had a great personal day! You guys look so cute!
We did! Thank you! By the way, joslyn loved her valentines book…we read it twice!