Has anyone successfully gone from swaddling & rocking to Pick Up Put Down?

[berri]

I really need to stop swaddling my ds and rocking him to sleep, my arms just can't take it anymore!

He's nearly 7 months.

I tried PUPD earlier for the first time, with no swaddle, and it took over an hour to get him to sleep, and I ended up holding him tightly so it was kind of cheating a bit anyway!!

I'm knackered now and his naps/feeds are going to be buggered up for the rest of the day

Has anyone please got any advice? I really would love to be able to just put him down awake and him just drop off on his own, but is this impossible??

It is definitely not impossible but it might take a bit of time!

Do you really need to stop swaddling him? I swaddled and rocked dd1 until at least 12 months when my arms gave out!

I didn't do PUPD with her though - don't think it was 'invented'!.

I started by laying her in her cot and stroking her back until she went off which was a start. Then I moved on to just laying my hand on her until she went off. Then I just sat next to the cot. This probably took about 6 weeks or thereabouts.

One day I was sitting next to the cot, she was messing about and not settling so I told her I was going to sit outside the door for a minute. She stood up, yelled, lay down and went to sleep. We didn't look back.

Maybe something useful in there

Hmmm I want to stop swaddling him mainly because it's getting a bit hot, and also when we're out I can't get him to sleep in the buggy....

So you put her down on her tummy? Haven't tried that with ds - he often just pukes if I lay him face down though!

Pick up Put down DOES work but you have to stick with it and not cheat in any way at all otherwise it will take longer. We did it when ds was 8 months old after cuddling/rocking him to sleep for all that time. First night I picked him up and put him down for 1 1/2 hours non stop until he fell asleep in the cot. During that night he woke up and I picked up etc for 45 mins until he fell asleep. Next day's nap time he fell asleep on his own in the cot without crying (I stood by the cot).
we then moved inch by inch towards the door over a period of about a month and finally could just pop him in his cot and leave. He's now 3 and has reliably gone to sleep alone ever since.

It is so hard but I really believe it's worth starting again tomorrow (weekend perfect as hopefully someone else can give you a lie in to get over it Saturday morning). Do say how you get on

Ok, we have people staying on Sat but I'm definitely going to start on Monday - argh, already dreading it. I honestly can't see him going to sleep at all even if I try to settle him, he thrashes around and gets himself in a right state

I'll report back next week!!

have faith. In the book she says she's sorted out even the worst non independent sleepers with it. I reckon if you have the resolve to stick it out you'll be sorted in 3 days max.

So do you think this works better than just letting them cry it out? I can't help but wonder whether it will just confuse him by picking him up?

Also, one more question! When I've left him before, even for 5 mins, he is in such a state that it takes about 15 mins to stop him crying, and I know that if I put him down he'll just start again unless he's completely asleep - so at what point do you pick them back up again? Straight away?

Thanks for your help x

we did controlled crying with dd but it is a much harsher method and I think I only coped because poor babe is my 2nd and I was sick to death of getting up at night with her and 5am starts with ds. both methods have worked equally well for us.
Don't wait until he totally stops crying. Just listen carefully for the really loud crying to start to reduce to more whimpering type sounds and then put down. He will then start up loud again but keep going. The first time with ds he started yelling on the way back down to the cot but the book tells you to put them down anyway and then immediately pick them up.
Don't leave the room until he's totally asleep. We started off standing by the cot, then put a chair next to the cot and eventually moved the chair further away until we were able to leave the room.
all this is upsetting and I remember feeling soooo guilty about any crying but my arms used to burn from trying to rock a huge 8 month old.

Ok thanks, will get back to you on Sun/Mon! Fingers crossed.....

By the way, I think it works by them totally knackering themselves out and giving up the 1st time and thereafter by their memory of the pupd experience. Hence no point starting if you don't see it through because he'll remember that if he keeps going you will give up and cuddle him. He has to fall asleep in the cot before you give up. Good luck

Yes, and it works. I did it with both of mine, both were 4 months old. I'd stopped swaddling DD (because of the heat) but still had to cuddle her to sleep, DS was still being swaddled & cuddled. They both cried virtually all the time they were awake, cried 5 mins after being settled etc.

It took 1.5 days with each of them, very tough at the time but YOU HAVE TO PERSERVERE!!

Don't give in/up, make it your absolute priority, I even put post-it notes around the house, next to the cot saying "you can do it", bought ready meals so I didn't have to think about getting anything else done etc etc

I agree that it should work if you stick with it in about 3 days at your DS's age.

DD and DS then literally transformed themselves into happy chilled babies after 1.5 days of PUPD, it was amazing.

Do it!!!

Thanks AW - have decided to start this weekend, I know it sounds silly but I've got so many days out planned this week I want to be able to give it a proper go!

Not chickening out, promise ;)

I've been reading up about it the past few days and I'm really determined so I've bought some sleeping bags (1.5tog) today which I'm probably going to just put him in with a nappy on so he doesn't get too hot thrashing around!

Good luck, better to wait til you've got time at home.

It will work!