Sleep training??!

[MeAgain91]

My gorgeous DS2 is 17 weeks tomorrow and never a great sleeper. Likes to nose around in the day and BF all night. It’s like he’s a baby or something

I received a “development” email from Pampers today and it mentioned something about “sleep training”? What the bloody hell is that? Because it seems like leaving a tiny baby upset until they go back to sleep alone. And that can’t be right surely? I’ve not done the newborn thing for 10 years but I’ve breastfed and co slept with both. Not intentionally, they always started off in their own cribs.

Can someone explain this to me please?

It’s each to their own regarding sleep training I think. You’ll get very very different views on here. For some people it’s been the holy grail and saved them from the edge, for others it’s cruel. However, there are different forms. I think the general assumption is that it means leaving baby to cry/get a bit distressed however it doesn’t always mean that depending on the method you choose. At the core sleep training is about removing your input and teaching baby to totally self sooth.

Personally- it’s not for me. Id certainly never be able to leave my son to cry. I’m a firm believer that it is developmental. I found the easiest way to cope was adjusting my expectations and realising that it’s infact totally normal for babies to wake well into the first year of life.

But at the same time I’d never judge another for their choices- were all just trying to muddle through

The main thing with this though- if pampers are sending you developmental emails then they must have an idea of your babies age? In which case it is absolutely ridiculous to even mention sleep training at 17 weeks. They are just doing what babies do!

Thank you! I absolutely agree, people parent their own way and that’s none of my business nor would I want it to be as every person and baby is different. But yeah this was based on 4 month development and that’s what I couldn’t get my head around most! He’s so tiny still, he cries because he needs me and I couldn’t have him think I’m not coming to him.

He’s far too interested in squealing, pitching my eyelids and laughing at me in the wee hours of the morning for that lol

People are mental about sleep OP

Both mine have co-slept and breastfed. DS1 is 5 and is only just going through the night in his own bed. I don't give a shit, he needed me and I was there for him.

Definitely ignore.

Co sleepers here, mostly through necessity because we were travelling all over with DH’s job (wanted to make the most of being with him in the years before school started and he flits from office to office worldwide!) and it was easier to put DS in with us than request travel cot etc.

He’s 3 now and sleeps like a dream in his own little bed.

An early sleep trainer here.

I agree it makes perfect sense to do what feels right to you and what works for your family. I personally found that in my case it was much easier to "sleep train" a younger baby. The process is not cry free but it does not have to involve leaving the baby on their own. The most frequently recommended method for babies between 4 and 6 months is pick up/put down (it may become overstimulating as the baby gets older). It works for many babies but it does require a lot of effort from parents. I remember asking myself in the middle of the night whether I should persist with cuddling/shushing/patting or just feed to sleep and be done with it.

The big positive of early sleep training (again, for me personally) was the fact that DD learnt to love her sleep and her cot. It has been so much easier to parent a baby who actually wants to sleep during the night. DD used to giggle whenever I put her into the sleeping bag. Now, at 18 months, DD may drag her bedtime slightly by asking for a few goodnight kisses but she always goes to sleep in a very good mood. Benefits of early sleep training for us have turned out to be long lasting.

Thank you, it’s nice to have some opinions from different views and I definitely think it seems to be a different thing to each person. My baby has only ever really fed to sleep so I would always appreciate different methods. What do you mean by the pick up and and down please?