Hi, Thanks to all of you who helped out with our dog!! I now have another dilemma on my hands...it never seems to end! O.K. My youngest is 7 months old. We had a bassinet playpen in our room that he used to sleep in before he got too big. And alot of the time I would bring him to bed with my husband and I. Now we have been trying to put him in his crib, which is in his sisters' room. The doctor told us he should cry himslef back to sleep, etc. But his sleeping has been so weird lately. He's crying and whining in his sleep. He never sleeps through the night. When he is fussing like that it wakes my daughter up and I feel bad because she has school. I never can let him cry it out. So I end up being up with him for hours (we were up from 2ish-5:30am this morn.) I take him to bed with me, but it is so hard holding on to him, trying to sleep myself. Now what I am wondering is if there is anything I can put him in to keep him in my room for a while longer without having to sleep holding on to him? I don't want to use the playpen because I can't get him out of there very well...I think I might be too short or something. I was looking at the moses beds, but I am not sure...Anyone have any ideas? Thank you for your help!!!
I agree with the other responses regarding a cosleeper. Since you already have a crib, here's a few links on how to convert a crib to a co-sleeper:
http://groups.msn.com/SteveandLishsF...decarcrib.msnw
http://www.littlewatkins.com/info-sidecar-crib.html
Sounds like you have an active little guy! I co-slept with all my kids and really enjoyed it. It's safe, so long as you follow "safe sleeping", the same stuff you do in the crib. I would do what gets you the most sleep: co-sleep, etc. Can you put the crib in your room? Why do you have to hold him when he is in your bed? Can you put a mattress on the floor? There are "co-sleepers" made by arms-reach that attach to the bed. How about a toddler bed mattress right next to yours on the floor?
I couldn't cry-it-out either. I would just keep trying different approaches. Chances are, he'll just suddenly grow out of it, that's what seems to happen!
Good luck.
We are a co-sleeping family, trust me, they don't do it forever. My seven year old was out of our bed at 5 and our four year old is still transitioning. I love waking up to a snuggly little one! When we had our second son, the bed became crowded so we moved the crib into our room, took the one side off and put it in between our bed and the wall, so that our older son was still in with us, but he had his own space and we didn't have to worry about him falling out.
As for the "crying it out", I have never and would never do that. There are some who feel that when they finally stop crying, it means that they have given up. I wouldn't want my children to give up on me, just my opinion. Some say that crying is good for the lungs, I say that smiling and being happy is good for the heart.
hello
i use a co sleeper it like a play pen or a pack and play exceptit only have three side the open side butt up to your bed and locks in place so baby is right there next to you so you can sleep and baby can touch you hope i helped
Have you looked into the Arms' reach co-sleeper?
I just went through this with my toddler. Almost identical situation! I ended up letting my older child sleep in my room while the adjustment took place. There's an author by the last name of Ferber that has a great book on just this problem as well. His method is sometimes called "Ferber-izing." We had to let my little one cry it out ... which were quite frankly a few nights (2-3) of torture ... but now things are great and she's sleeping peacefully through the night with her sister in her toddler bed. It's been 2 weeks and she's only awaken in the middle of the night 2 times for a drink.
As far as mom's worrying about your child believing she's alone or abandoned by you ... that's not the way it works. I was in her room with her until she was peacefully sleeping. I just didn't talk to her and was only there to make sure she stayed in her bed. Her crying (as far as the "crying it out" theory) was out of frustration, not out of loneliness. She was frustrated because she wasn't getting her way. As mom's, we have to prove that we're in charge, and that nighttime is for sleeping. It's a struggle, but she only benefits from my guidance in the long run.
Good luck!
All three of my children where co-sleepers but I didnt try to get them in there own beds so young. I would bring a todler bed into your room in place of the playpin. This is what I did and it worked for all three. When they fell asleep I would move them over to their own bed in a differant room. When they would wake up in the middle of the night and come into my room I would have them lay back down in their toddler bed. When they get older then you can bribe. We made a calender and bought some stickers from the dollar store, every night that they sleep in there bed they would get a sticker to put on there calander. If they got a full week of stickers we would go to the dollar store after Sunday mass and they could buy any toy they wanted. This worked so well.
My advice would be to use a pack-n-play or a "co-sleeper" bed. The co-sleeper bed is a lot like a pack-n-play but it sits higher up so the baby is at your level next to your bed. I am not sure if it is designed for kids who are rolling over, so you may want to check with other moms who have used one. The side that connects to your bed is "open" and the other 3 sides are like that of the pack-n-play.
As for the crying in his sleep, if he is still sleeping when he is doing it, it may be night terrors. My son also gets them (he is 17 months). I would ask your doc though becuase 7 months sounds a bit young to be getting night terrors.
If he is waking up in the middle of the night crying, it could be he is hungry (if going through a growth spurt), teething (very likely at his age), or an ear infection.
If you think he is teething, I would try giving him Tylenol or Ibuprofen right before you put him down at night and see if that helps. My son had 4 teeth coming in at 7 months and we had about a week or so of nights like that. Then he would be fine for a few weeks and it would happen again. It seemed 4 days or so after the crying started we would notice one or more teeth trying to pop just under the surface. Your baby can experience pain well before you see the tooth.
I hope this helps,
M.
With limited space in our house, I had my daughter's crib in our bedroom when she was a baby. Although mostly she ended up sleeping with (on) me. There is also something called a side-sleeper that is like a cradle that attaches to the bed. That way the baby can be close but you still have enough room in your bed for you. Hope this helps.
First your Dr. is an Idiot and is reccomending advice that is against EVERY Medical associations advice on baby sleep care. A child should NEVER have to cry it out.
Is your Crib a convertable? If so you can take the removable wall off and get your mattress and the crib mattress on the same level so he will get used to sleeping in the crib but you can still be right there next to him.
An "arms reach co-sleeper" would work too since that is designed specifically to fit next to the bed, and actually attatches.
And as a Co-sleeping Momma...you don't "have" to hold on to them :-) Just snuggle them up next to you (our Kids slept between us) just be careful with blankets and pillows.
Would you be able to have your 6 and 7 year olds temporarily share a room until the baby is used to sleeping in his crib? It may only take a few days (maybe longer) for him to get used to his new space, then you could move everybody back where they are supposed to be. Does he use a pacifier at all? I used to take my daughter's pacifier after she fell asleep, but she started the same kind of crying/whining. I started leaving it for her and even if she would spit it out in her sleep, she can usually it herself and put herself back to sleep.
Good luck!!
L.
