My daughter has always been a good sleeper. When she was just a newborn she would sleep three (3) to 4 hours at a time and wake up screaming because she was hungry. All my friends tell me they all went through it and most didn’t get in a full nights sleep for months; one person was still doing the three (3) A.M. feedings into the toddler years.
Eventually, my little one just moved into sleeping from six (6) to 9 hours at night and with the occasional night of back to three (3) to 4 hours. I don’t know if this had anything to do with the fact that we were co-sleeping with her or if she just loved her sleep. Sometimes I do think that my daughter just loves her sleep because anytime that I try to wake her from her slumber she’ll ignore me, wake up and go back to sleep or will be very cranky.
We finally got to a point, at about two (2) months, where she would sleep every other day or so for on average 12 hours straight. I thought we were making great and early head way to us finally getting in a full nights sleep as well. Than a turn of events, possibly another growth spurt, and she was back to four (4) A.M. feedings. One thing that did change, she used to need to be cuddled and rocked back to sleep before putting her back down. I decided to lay her back down in her crib and go back to bed myself to try to allow her to self-sooth herself back to sleep. Within about 15 minutes I heard nothing coming from the baby monitor and of course I had to go check on her. Success! She was back to sleep. So every night from than onward, we would put her down to self-sooth when she woke up for her morning feed.
After a couple of weeks of the early morning call, I than decided to try and let her self-sooth herself again back to sleep without me intervening. First night I had no success, her coos got louder to a cry so I knew she needed a feeding. Second night was successful, she cooed for about 15 minutes or so and than quiet, went in to take a peak and she was sleeping as if she never woke. The third night she needed the feeding, I thought my luck had run out. I did continue to see if she would self-sooth every night, I was successful every other night or so. By the time she was three (3) months, it seemed so out of the blue to me but she was sleeping all through the night. No waking up just would sleep right through with no problems.
About a week before she was four (4) months she did wake up for a few four (4) A.M. feedings. After only a few days she was back to full nights. I don’t know if our “work” with trying to get her to self-sooth has paid off or she just naturally changed her sleeping habits. We will never really know but I like to think the work did pay off, it gives more of a sense of accomplishment as a parent in my humble opinion.
I am very happy that she is sleeping through the night and giving us more mommy/daddy time, I mean I don’t really know any parent that wouldn’t be happy about that. I do feel like her schedule will change again when she comes to another growth spurt, but I can at least see some light to going back to full nights again. Now just to get more sleep of my own… I value my me-time and sometimes need to take advantage with a sleeping baby.
When did your little one(s) starting sleeping through the night? Did you do anything “special” to get to that point or just went with your little ones schedule? If so, what did you do? Do you have any tips that may help other readers?
Showing posts with label full nights sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label full nights sleep. Show all posts
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Bedtime and Diapers
My latest struggle was with diapers over night. My daughter, who is three and half months, is feeding so often and so much I wonder where she puts it. Well to state the obvious and other than digestion and using the essential nutrients for her very so fast growing little self, it all as to come out eventually and, of course, babies aren’t potty trained to get through the nights without soiling themselves. Ok enough of stating the obvious and to get back on track.
My daughter takes in any where between six (6) to 8 ounces of “tea”, as we call it, otherwise known as formula in at each feeding. Also, she sleeps through out the night for about 10 to 12 hours and sometimes I can get away with 14. BUT, 10 to 12 hours on a single diaper is a lot urine, so every morning she’d wake up with her bed and clothes wet. I was doing laundry every other day if not every day, which was down from once a week. One that I did just to help slow down the laundry was I had these left over bed pads from the hospital, laid that on top of the fitted sheet in her crib with a swaddling blanket on top. That was helping with changing the crib bedding every morning, but hated the idea of her sleeping in wet clothes. Tried changing her diaper when I went to bed around midnight or so, but there was still at least another eight (8) hours to go. If Sachiko doesn’t wake up in the middle of the night, than I don’t either; so again her clothes and the top blanket were wet. I decided to try a bigger size diaper, so a stage three (3) size, in the same brand. The bigger sized helped a little bit but she was still wet and so was the top swaddling blanket.
I felt stuck with leaky diapers and having to set an alarm to wake up every three (3) to 4 hours. Didn’t like the idea of setting an alarm for “morning calls” when my daughter was sleeping all through the night! I am so thankful that my wise and wonderful cousin suggested trying a different brand. Well really, what did I have to lose, nothing really! Out shopping I went and with a little surprise that the diapers were the same price so I wouldn’t have to worry about a cost difference if they worked. Night one: full pat down of her back, clothes and bedding – SHE WAS DRY!!! What a relief! I felt like I still had to keep my eye on it for a few days just in case she had a “lighter” night. Night two: again full pat down and again SHE WAS DRY!! Night three and 4 were the same and I am happy to report that just changing the brand of the diaper made a huge difference. I’ve completed a full week on the new brand and am VERY happy to report that she has been dry ever since.
As for the remaining diapers, I will be using them up for the daytime only as I am around to change her often enough so she’s not wet. I figured since I’m around all the time its more cost effective than ditching and getting all of the next brand. Remember from some of my previous posts I’m frugal but only when its ethically ok.
So a little advice from the mom with the daughter who had leaky diapers (really who hasn’t), if the diapers you have aren’t working for those long sleeps try another brand you really don’t have much to lose. I’m certainly happy I did saved me time from doing laundry all the time and gave me that little extra time back with my girl.
What worked for you with your leaky diapers at night? What steps did you go through to find what worked?
My daughter takes in any where between six (6) to 8 ounces of “tea”, as we call it, otherwise known as formula in at each feeding. Also, she sleeps through out the night for about 10 to 12 hours and sometimes I can get away with 14. BUT, 10 to 12 hours on a single diaper is a lot urine, so every morning she’d wake up with her bed and clothes wet. I was doing laundry every other day if not every day, which was down from once a week. One that I did just to help slow down the laundry was I had these left over bed pads from the hospital, laid that on top of the fitted sheet in her crib with a swaddling blanket on top. That was helping with changing the crib bedding every morning, but hated the idea of her sleeping in wet clothes. Tried changing her diaper when I went to bed around midnight or so, but there was still at least another eight (8) hours to go. If Sachiko doesn’t wake up in the middle of the night, than I don’t either; so again her clothes and the top blanket were wet. I decided to try a bigger size diaper, so a stage three (3) size, in the same brand. The bigger sized helped a little bit but she was still wet and so was the top swaddling blanket.
I felt stuck with leaky diapers and having to set an alarm to wake up every three (3) to 4 hours. Didn’t like the idea of setting an alarm for “morning calls” when my daughter was sleeping all through the night! I am so thankful that my wise and wonderful cousin suggested trying a different brand. Well really, what did I have to lose, nothing really! Out shopping I went and with a little surprise that the diapers were the same price so I wouldn’t have to worry about a cost difference if they worked. Night one: full pat down of her back, clothes and bedding – SHE WAS DRY!!! What a relief! I felt like I still had to keep my eye on it for a few days just in case she had a “lighter” night. Night two: again full pat down and again SHE WAS DRY!! Night three and 4 were the same and I am happy to report that just changing the brand of the diaper made a huge difference. I’ve completed a full week on the new brand and am VERY happy to report that she has been dry ever since.
As for the remaining diapers, I will be using them up for the daytime only as I am around to change her often enough so she’s not wet. I figured since I’m around all the time its more cost effective than ditching and getting all of the next brand. Remember from some of my previous posts I’m frugal but only when its ethically ok.
So a little advice from the mom with the daughter who had leaky diapers (really who hasn’t), if the diapers you have aren’t working for those long sleeps try another brand you really don’t have much to lose. I’m certainly happy I did saved me time from doing laundry all the time and gave me that little extra time back with my girl.
What worked for you with your leaky diapers at night? What steps did you go through to find what worked?
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