I'm so excited that LM is rolling all over the place now. It seems so weird to think about how much he's changed in the last week. I was JUST posting last Sunday about him rolling over back to belly for the first time and now he's rolling everywhere. It's fun to watch him attempt to get where he wants...sort of the opposite of the saying about the shortest path between to places is a straight line!
However, an unexpected (though it shouldn't have been!) complication is his crib. First off, we had to lose the mobile (*sad face*) and lower his crib--both were sad mommy milestones for me. As you know, sleep has always been the one area where my super easy-going baby has been a challenge. Even with these obstacles, when he couldn't go anywhere, he always eventually fell asleep--on his back--and was usually in the same place in the morning (minus a few wiggles down and arm/leg positions). But now--you put him in the crib awake AT ALL and suddenly he's rolling and moving all over the place. He rolls, rotates, wedges himself against the side of the crib, plays with sticking his arms and legs out the side (did I ever tell you the breathable bumper doesn't fit our crib??) and various other non-falling asleep things.
He gets mad when he can't go where he wants or gets stuck. I think he is exploring how to get comfortable and find a position that makes him happy----something totally new. I know we all have our favorite positions to sleep in--why shouldn't he? I, for one, cannot sleep on my stomach to save my life. It's only natural that it would take some time for him to figure out how he likes to sleep. BUT OMG LM....you're killing me with the hour+ going to sleep thing developing. I've found that once he's on his stomach, if I pop his paci in and rub his back--he'll conk right out. But, this can only happen after he's decided he'll stay on his stomach long enough for this to happen.
*Sidenote--I've always thought he'd be a tummy sleeper--he loved to lay on me and sleep like that*
I want him to explore positions to learn how he likes to sleep. But--I'm scared of what's to come. I can't handle the going to bed routine taking forever---the quick start part was the only thing we had going for us some nights. I get so frustrated not knowing how to help him but, at the same time, feeling like he should be able to deal with it on his own. I can't handle CIO---especially now since the few times I've let him cry for a few and then picked him up, he's give me big salty kisses on the cheek. So, I'm stuck up there with him until he figures it out. I also don't want to start a new "bad habit" by rubbing his back to get to sleep.
AHH! How can one aspect of motherhood be so hard?? One step forward, two steps back.
Oh and of course, I now keep worrying he'll suffocate in his sleep because he's on his belly--even though he can put himself there and back. I know, I know! I should've never let TH convince me we didn't need a video monitor----@katery I envy you and your monitor!!
Anyone out there know anything about how long kiddos tend to take before they find their sleeping position favorites? Or have any tips on this transition?
louise has been exploring every inch of her crib since she was about 8 weeks old, she's a little traveler. eventually i had to stop thinking about it because what can you do? they're gonna move in their sleep whether we like it or not. when she really started moving, i tried to take the bumper out (also not breathable) but she kept bumping her head and waking herself up at night, so i put it back in. i finally took it out for good about a month ago because she started pulling it off all the time while going to sleep or waking up. she is almost 2 now, we dropped her mattress quite a while ago and she hasn't crawled out of her crib yet (thank god). she has gotten out of her playpen a couple of times at daycare, maybe because it's closer to the ground? i don't know. the video monitor is fun, it's nice to see what they're doing, but they are pretty pricey.
ReplyDeletewe didn't do cio either, at a certain age, it seems cruel, they don't know where you are or if you're coming back, so when louise cried at night (when she didn't need to be fed in the night anymore) i would go into her room and soothe her back to sleep, sometimes rubbing her back, sometimes rocking her. for us, it doesn't seem to have created any bad habits. once she got a little older i was more willing to let her cry a bit and learn some self-soothing. she USED to go to bed so good but over the past several weeks there's been some serious fake crying, it's super annoying because even though i can tell it's fake, i still hate to listen to her cry. so anyways, blah blah blah, i hope this helps a little.
Hi there, here from ICLW.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I can't give you any hints on how to help your little one sleep. Just wanted to let you know that I hope he'll find out the "what kind of sleeper am I" thing soon, so you won't have to worry about this anymore (and he'll have an easier time going to sleep).
This could be a really good thing once you get over the transition phase. Bean started sleeping SO much better once she could roll onto her belly. When I think back to what our nights were like before that, it's so much better now. Not perfect, but a lot better. Hopefully once your little man gets used to it, it will get easier for you too. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteThanks ladies!! I appreciate the stories and feedback. We'll keep slogging forward in hopes that it get better. Hopefully, being back in daycare and with his structured days back, he'll get back into a better sleeping routine and the positioning won't matter so much. It is funny watching him trying to figure out where to put his arms when he does get comfy though! I have to make myself remember that while this may be frustrating--it's an important part of his journey and I should lock these memories away safely!
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