Nathanael turned 5 months old last week. I know it's cliche to say it, but his time with us sure has flown by. It seems like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital. He continues to be a delight...so smiley, so easy (during the day, that is). This month he had his first cold---thankfully a mild one. He has rolled over both ways a few times. He has mastered the art of eating mush, but still has not mastered the art of sleeping. He actually seems to be regressing in that department, much to my dismay. He had been sleeping a 4 or 5 hour stretch at night, and now he's back to waking every hour or two. I thought it was just a growth spurt, but it's been going on now for a few weeks. He nurses for just a minute or two and falls right back to sleep, so obviously he's not waking from hunger but rather out of habit or for reassurance. I'd be all ears for tips! I know the goal is to teach him to comfort himself when he wakes up instead of needing to nurse for comfort, but I'm not sure my heart can handle the "tough love" (a.k.a. crying) it might take to teach him this important lesson. Please pray for my parenting wisdom, patience, and perseverance to function joyfully during the day on very little sleep...I'm especially in need of joy...I seem to have run out :} Thank you!
Do you want to borrow my copy of the No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley? It is absolutely awesome, it helped with the E and the B. Both kids still have their moments (such as Benedict waking up at 4am for no real reason, lol) but it is oodles better where we were. Elise was by far my worst sleeper (pacifier/big-time comfort nurser)and Pantley's book really helped.
ReplyDeleteI also remember having to move E out of our bed into a crib around 14 or so months because of impending brother arrival. She had her naps in the crib and I sat there - right next to her - for a whole week, holding her little hand. The next week I stayed in the room but didn't hold her hand. The week after, I could stay until she fell asleep. We still do that - in fact, E is falling asleep right now and B is laying on my chest, also falling asleep. Not sure how you can do that with your situation but maybe you can?
B's night sleeping got oodles better when Maria O suggested we give him a bottle of milk at night. Granted, Nathanael is most likely not ready for cow milk, but can you pump some milk into a bottle and give him that? Over the last month I've successfully gotten B down from nursing on demand to nursing once a day - he's nightweaned now, he nurses to go to sleep in the evening and that's about it. Hopefully that will help with the NFP front (wink wink, prayers!) but we all have been getting better sleep. B went from waking up at 9a to 0547 every.single.day. and we (Greg, B, and I) are all so much more AWAKE, even at that hour. So I know we're getting good sleep. Benedict still sleeps with us and despite being next to the milk bar, he no longer NEEDS to nurse all night long.
Obviously you may need to adapt to Mr. Nathanael's needs, since 5 months is quite different from 13!
Sending prayers your way. :>