To let the baby cry to sleep (lighthearted!)

[Booboostoo]

This is a lighthearted thread people, do not bite my head off!

Before DD was born I knew nothing about parenting theories. I did have smug ideas about doing better than friends who had misbehaving children but that was about it. Then DD arrived and within two weeks I was co-sleeping, had discovered slings and was generally attachment parenting the hell out of her. This was not because of some sudden conversion to the truth of attachment parenting, but out of pure necessity. If I put DD down she screamed (she didn't just cry, she screamed), if I gave her to anyone else she screamed, if I did not breastfeed her she screamed, if I left the room she screamed...you get the idea.

3.5 years later DS has arrived (now 3mo). I was prepared, armed with lanisol, slings, co-sleeping mattress, etc. does he care? Does he fuck! He wants to cry to sleep. I try to stick a nipple in there, he bites it, I try to cuddle and rock him, he head butts me, but give him 10 minutes of a good old cry and he goes to sleep all by himself. Give me strength.

This gives me faith for no 2!

Ha! I could have written the same post about my DS, when he was a baby I tried everything to stop him crying through the night, boob, cuddles, dummy, music, musical lights....at 7 months I left him to cry. He slept through almost immediately, he now sleeps 12 hours solid.

It's all about trusting your instincts really isn't it? That's what I learnt with my first. I was all up for baby wearing, spent a fortune on a sling and she didn't like it!

Luckily dd2 likes it though, so maybe I'll get my money's worth. Except for the fact I also bought a pram (gave dd1's away) which is sitting in the corner gathering dust!

DD hated the Leaf, DS loves it
DD loved the Cocoonababy, DS hates it

Need I go on?

My 7mo DD sounds like your DD... dare I ask what she's like now at 3.5yo?! (Does she sleep?! )

JuniorMint don't freak, every child is different, but my DD co-slept and woke up every 2 hours to bf until 2yo. At 2yo I tried the Dr J Gordon sleep training method (over a longer period than he recommends) and managed to get her to sleep through and by herself for a year (she would wake up and call me in the middle of the night about once every 10 nights). Then I went into hospital to have DS and DD moved into DH's bed and that's where she is now!

employs night nanny for next 3 years

Dd1 was like your dd.
So is dd2 (6weeks) so far but WORSE.

Junior, if it's any help my non - sleeping dd1 has been a great sleeper since 12 months, now nearly 3.

My dd was like that. It was as though she just needed to get it out of her system. She didn't want cuddles, feeds, anything except to be left alone and have a little cry. She's now a happy and healthy 19mo so I don't think it's scarred her! But these things are so worrying when it's your pfb...

I think I remember reading in the Baby Whisperer book that some babies cry as a way to shut out all stimulation. She even said there was a particular cry.

DS was a cry to sleeper whether on his own in his cot, in his pram or in the car. Very few non crying sleep moments.

He stopped at about a year old and only kicks off for other reasons now, mainly procrastinating.

Sounds good to me. Probably my PFB wouid have been happier and settled quicker if we'd left her alone! From 3/4 months anyway, I still couldn't have left a younger baby to cry

My dd does this! She gets herself all worked up headbutting and smacking me and i can't do anything for her. Stick her in her cot, a couple of minutes of grunting, sleep.

My kids just like a grumble before they sleep. Do anything (rocking etc) just prolongs the grumbling. Dd1 grew out of it after a few weeks, dd2 (10 months) still does it if over tired, but she doesn't seem overly distressed. Just go with it, your back will thank you!