The Baby Whisperer

[MichelleM]

Just wondered if anyone else has read and followed any of the advice from "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer". I have just spent a week applying her pick up/put down method, and my 5 mth old DS has changed beyond all recognition!!

Before last week he was waking several times in the night, and would only nap when rocked in the pram during the day. For the last two nights he has slept through from 7pm-7am, and is napping in his cot during the day.

Just wanted to recommend this book to anyone trying to sleep train. I am always on Mumsnet looking help for one thing or another, so thought I would share something I felt useful for a change

Yep Im a follower - I read the book and while I dont follow it to the letter I always bear it in mind and do the EASY stuff and Ive found it really helpful while not being too regimented.

The pu/pd method is good for anyone who doesnt want to do full on controlled crying I would imagine.

Hi Beccarollo,
Sounds like your doing well with EASY etc, Just read your message on the other sleep post.You must have natural persistant qaulities or is it u have ANGEL baby!!!!! must check our last thread on this.

It doesnt seem to be working that well for me. Although she has started to have MUCH bigger feeds and get herself off for day naps. I still cant seem to get the PU/PD thing working though. As her worst time for not wanting to sleep starts at around 4:00 am after 3:00 feed & I cant face doing the PU/PD thing at this time after only a few hrs sleep. She just wont sleep properly beyond this time and its now 9WEEKS!!!!!

I do have an angel baby (thank you thank you thank you)

He is now going to bed at 7-8 and feeding once then up at 7-8 if I do the dream feed he goes to about 5am before I need to feed him but with no dream feed its about 3.30am - 4.30am - Im crap at that time in the morning too and if he isnt settling straight back down I just have him in bed so I can get the sleep! Im not worrying about pu/pd until he is older and is only waking out of habit.

Glad to hear some things are improving for you

I think the EASY routine makes great sense, within reason. But in the evening I tend to go AESY instead - bath, breast and bed. Not good, I know, but it's a nightmare giving dd a bath after feed and equally stopping dd falling asleep on boob. Have compromised by making sure she's at least half awake when put into cot. Now goes to sleep on own, stirs at 10.30ish for feed and then till 3/4am for another feed - each time easily settled. Would love to go all night without feed, and sometimes DH (a star) is able to settle her without calling on me, but at least we're getting into more of a routine, and I have some idea of how long we'll get asleep. It was the not knowing that was a nightmare.
Have you seen the Baby Whisperer on TV? Tracy looks like she's had a few sleepless nights too! Also in 80's fashion time-warp. Miaowwww....

Ive done EASY within reason since Harvey was born (give or take a few weeks) and at 10 weeks he started going 10-12 hours at night, normally 7-7 (Yayyayayayawoohoohohwyayayayahohohohohhahah) Im so thrilled, not sure how much babywhisperer has to do with it but Im just glad!!

Susanna, LOL at your description of Tracey....absolutely spot on!!!! But have to say that after watching a couple of her tv programmes I was just 100% convinced that her Pick Up/Put Down technique worked, and this really motivated me to apply it to all naps and during the night. It is amazing how quickly it worked for DS. I think half the battle was just being confident in myself, as I really believe your baby picks up on your mood

So what is exactly is the pick up/put down method, before I buy the book?

Beccarollo, my DS is the same age as yours and although he has gone 10.30 to 7 with no feed a few times, haven't tried not waking for a feed at 10.30 yet. How did you manage to get 10-12 hours!!!???

BR

BR

I used to wake him for the "dreamfeed" (baby whisperer term for 10.30/11pm feed. A few days ago I couldnt be bothered to get him up so I though oh sod it just let him wake up when he is ready and he didnt!! Since then he has gone down between 6.30-8pm and slept for 10-12 hours, last 3 night doing full 12 hours!!

Great Innit! Try leaving him at 10.30 see what happens - you can always start feed again if it doesnt work but its worth a try?

Bunnyrabbit. Pick up/put down is Tracey's approach to sleep training. The gist of it is that you never leave the baby the cry themselves to sleep, you pick them up until they've calmed down, then put them down awake as soon as they're calm. This way the baby learns to put self to sleep, safe in the knowledge that you're they're if they need you. Sometimes, on the tv programme, it's taken more than a hundred pu/pd's to get baby off to sleep, but the key is that they're not "put" to sleep, but get there themselves.

MichelleM - think am going to try missing the 10.30 feed. As you say, dd can always be fed if wakes up. Probably will, but if wakes at 1amish should then be able to get to 6am ish without another feed. She says confidently!!!!!

BR if you want to have a look at www.babywhisper.com website first, you can read up a bit about the author Tracey Hogg, and her methods, and see then if you want to buy the book.

For anyone wanting to try the Pick up/Put Down method, there is a really useful interview with Tracey on the website, which can be found under Messages, then choose Sleep Category, then Pick Up/Put Down category. The sleep interview is the first posting. (Sorry dont know how to do links yet). This is a really detailed conversation and made all the difference in helping to apply the method in practice, as it deals with real situations, and common stumbling blocks.

I used Baby Whisperer for DD1, but stupidly, I gave the book away after DD1 started to sleep through the night. I'm now due to have DD2 in 1 month. Can someone remind me when I can start doing EASY and PU/PD? I can't remember anything about how frequently should be feeding right when she's born, although I know with DD1, I breastfed every 2 to 2.5 hours, which seemed excessive to me in the beginning. She didn't really sleep for long stretches until at least 6 weeks. . . .

Thanks for your comments everyone.....

MichelleM, couldn't find the website www.babywhisper.com. Are you sure you got corret URL?

BR

sorry! forgot how to spell!!
www.babywhisperer.com

Tinyfeet
I have to admit that I only really loosely followed the EASY routine in the early weeks, and just let DS eat and sleep when he wanted. I just tried to give him some little break in between feeding and sleeping. I know that Tracey Hogg recommends you follow her routine right from the start, but I think this is harder when you are breastfeeding on demand. Her guideline on breastfeeding was between 2.5 - 3 hours, but I found DS had to be fed every two hours.
I think that PU/PD could definitely be started earlier though, and should really help get baby into good habits early.
Hope this helps.

Thanks, MichelleM. I fed on demand also during early weeks and will probably do same again.

I've just got the book out of the library tinyfeet so you may be able to do that to just flick through as a reminder, and it might cost 50p or something to reserve it. I'm due my first in Mar/Apr so I'm hoping that by reading a few books like this it'll make it a bit easier on me later on. Good to know that this one has been so successful.

Thanks, Udar. There is another simple version of the EASY method, which is in a book called Baby Wise. That book is a bit controversial, as I understand it. But you may want to look at that book as well. It is a quick and easy read. I found Baby Whisperer much more complex, but a similar theory to Baby Wise (which is a much older book, as I recall).

Just read some reviews of babywise on amazon......tis very contraversial, wonder what it says that upsets people

As I recall, it focuses on the parent. In other words, I think that it advocates an EASY-type method, but essentially states that the purpose of it is to make the baby fit into the parent's life, not vice versa. I think most books suggest what is best for the baby, not what is best for the parent and therefore best for the baby. I could be completely wrong on this, or oversimplifying. Actually, EASY could also be viewed similarly, in the sense that the 'Y' is for You- to allow you time for what you need to do. Right?

Babywise, its author & recommendations are extremely controversial .

That's a good site, Zebra. Thanks. I recall not being able to follow Babywise since I essentially fed DD on demand. But I think that the principles were pretty good. Of course, I can't remember exactly what they were. . . This was just last year, but my brain was mush during the first months of DD's life - lack of sleep and constant breastfeeding.

whats so controversial about babywise then? Am curious - tho have never read it but am off to WHS for Baby whisperer now, ANYTHING to get 3 wks old DS to not scream for 5 or 6 hours everynight

Ds2 (3 months) is now able to fall asleep by himself in his cot for 12 hour stretches at night thanks to the pick put down method. Its difficult for a few days but well worth it. I'm really glad I spent the time reading through the book.

Ezzo (who wrote Babywise) advocates very strict schedule for breastfeeding, I think 4-hourly, and this is widely accused of leading to Failure to Thrive in many infants. My impression is that his entire philosophy is about how to raise your child to not be a brat (and therefore a good Christian). That's why there are so many statments disowning him by Christian groups on the website. The only other thing I remember is that he advocates you put reins on babies as young as 4 months old when they are sleeping in their cribs. The impression I got a long time ago was, "This guy is nuts!" You can learn more from the website set up by Ezzo's former supporters .

Dear All , I am following the GF routine for feeds and sleep but most definitely not for sleep training ... DD is a gorgeous happy 2. 5 mth old BUT BUT BUT , cannot get to sleep on her own. She can in a car seat and buggy (60% of tiem when tired) but otherwise has to be "drunk" after feed before bed. You would all think me CRAZY when you saw the method I use to get her to sleep ... she has to be patted and shhhhh'd to submission as she is sooo tired but cannot relax and sleep. If I leave her , she cries so so angrily that it is not bearable and she does not relent.

Can s'oen tell me how PU/PD cacn work if e'time I put her back down she screams again ?

I started a thread earlier abt sleeping on tummy , and it does work if I put her down on tummy half alseep ., but continue patting and shhhh'ing hard in her ear (pls do not laught !)

\I also do not do the dream feed and DD wakes only once (usually ...) during the 12 hr bed time period ... I have freinds who say that their babies wake at 10 pm out of habit rather than a need ....