Baby Whisperer v No-Cry Sleep Solution

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DD is coming up to 4 weeks now and I am wondering whether to try and read up on sleep techniques and routines, or if it's too early?

From what I can gather these two books both seem to be favourites, but not sure which to go with?

At the moment I am completely following her needs and BFing on demand (anything from 30 mins - 4 hours between feeds and no sign of a pattern). Ahh, more sleep would be lovely. Is this just fantasy!??

I would recommend reading up (if you can find the time!) and at least you'll be able to make the decision whether you want to start trying to implement some structure to the day, or leave it a bit longer (or entirely!)

If you're undecided, it might be worth reading/researching some more attachment parenting techniques as well? I feel (based on my vast experience of one 8 week old baby) the more research you'll do the more confident you'll feel in the parenting decision you make, and the more likely to make a success of it and not end up miserable in a few months time.

FWIW I am a complete routine queen, and do a kind of Gina/baby whisperer hybrid that works very well for me, but I have a big healthy baby and no supply issues at all.

good luck with whatever you choose!

I think its personal preference. I hated Baby Whisperer but loved NCSS. Its probably worth reading both and seeing which one fits in better with your gut feeling on which is right for you.

I would say its too early to start going down the route of stressing about sleep 'training' or routines, they change so much and it takes a while for patterns to emerge and for you to get used to the individuality of your baby. But, I'm sure there will be plenty who say its best to start early!!!

NCSS is worth reading early though, as there are some good tips on gentle ways to help encourage good sleeping patterns from an early age.

Sorry, lots of 'early's there!

I love the NCSS because it doesn't have unrealistic expectations. The focus is on helping your child feel secure, rather than just getting them to sleep. The methods are gentle and work over a period of time.

I didn't get on with BW, I just couldn't do the EASY routine (Eat, Activity, Sleep, You). My ds always fell asleep at the breast so I had a sense that I was 'failing' for not being able to get him to sleep without it.

I would agree that it's too early to start implementing a sleep routine, but it's never too early to read up on it!

We did BW with DD1, co-sleeping/attachment parenting with DD2. Its a choice only you can make in terms of what bing a parent means to you. Do you expect to have most evenings (eventually ) to yourself, will you resent if your evenings, when your child isn't asleep n you,that you might be back with them every 10 mins? With DD1 we got ALOT less sleep through the night with following the book to the letter, and she started to sleep through about average for my group of 5 friends with same age babies.
With DD2 I needed better nighttime sleep, so I don't have evenings alone with my DH very often yet, though DD2 is only 6 months old (but we sleep well from 10-6 ish).

Oh, and at 4 months both my girls had similar sleep/feed patterns, only with DD1 i spent hours over her cot shushing her, trying to put off a feed until later, and with DD2 she did it anyway (i was a bit gutted in hindsight for the extra sleep i could have had!). I had read nncs, but preferred the specific advice of BW back then- I hadn't read around attachment parenting or found www.iwantmymum.com !
good luck whichever way you manage to get almost enough sleep (there's NEVER enough!)

4 weeks is definitely too early to have any success implementing anything. They don't start to discern night from day until closer to 6 weeks and there are so many closely-spaced growth spurts right now that it's hopeless trying to figure out feeding patterns. There's no harm in using all that nursing time reading up, though. I'm sure you'll find it more useful than all the Middle East history I read while I was nursing.

I'm a bit of a non-conformist so am more of the read-it-all and take-what-feels-right persuasion. Gayle Pryor's Nursing Mother, Working Mother was probably my most seminal text as I had to return to work PT at 4 weeks, FT at 12.

I agree with Ches, probably a bit too early. Always good to read up though.

There is no harm in thinking about a good bedtime routine even if you don't implement it until she is 6-8 weeks. I found the teach yourself baby sleep book very helpful.

For me it is still coming together (DD is 20 weeks) and a good bedtime is as much about daytime naps as anything else.

Cheers for the comments all!

I have borrowed the BW book from my SIL and although I like the EASY theory I find her tone a bit patronising. But I think I'll finish it and read NCSS as well, for a comparison - and thanks for the tips on trying attachment parenting websites as well.

Doesn't sound like there's any point trying anything too soon, so will do some more research and then probably just ignore the lot of them and do what feels right!