We would have been able to sleep a lot sooner than the 5 month mark, but 5 months was the month mommy decided to bite the bullet and do what I knew was best for baby and family long term. Hannah slept through the night starting at 5 weeks and never turned back. When I was pregnant with Hannah I read On Becoming Babywise, by Gary Ezzo. I followed that book to a tee and it worked beautifully. Maybe it was because I'm a pediatric RN, or being an older parent and watching other parents make mistakes, but I turned into a scheduling and routine machine! Daddy J was very surprised considering I was a footloose and fancyfree girl pre-baby, or, as my mom puts it, I would have been a hippy given the correct timeframe. Whatever the reason, I know the importance of sleep for children and know all the problems (ADHD/attention problems, childhood obesity, tantrums/fall-outs, etc.) the lack thereof causes. In Hannah's early weeks we let her sleep in our room in a bassinette and then in our bed in Daddy's arms when she had Pertussis. I will never forget a nurse at work telling me what I already knew, "She needs to sleep in her own bed. Sleeping with y'all is only good and convenient for you, not for Hannah." Around the same time I also mentioned to her doctor that she moved around a lot at night. She told me to push her cradle out of the room into the hall. I laughed and she said, "I'm serious." So I did and we never had another problem. WELL, when Ella Kate came along, my hippy days must have kicked back in. That, and my fear of disturbing Hannah and waking her up and worrying about Hannah not getting adequate rest. Ella pretty much slept with us, sometimes in her bassinette, mostly in bed with us. It just seemed easier and we thought we would get more sleep. Ha! We've been so exhausted. Ella would nurse, but then I was the human pacifier since she didn't like real pacifiers. So, our sleep was very interrupted. The same thing would happen for naps and I would never dream of putting her in her crib for fear of waking up her sister from her nap. When my sister in-law Melissa was visiting when Ella was 4 months, she suggested that we try to put her in her crib and let her cry it out for two nights. I joked that we should try it while she was here! Ha! Melissa came with me to Ella's check-up and my pedi said the same thing. She said she didn't blame me for having Ella sleep with us. She said that's how they got sleep at their house, BUT she did not suggest it. Whew! I felt much better, since I knew better, but hey, my Dr. was even guilty of sleeping with her children. So, husband and I let this sink in, and at 5 months, I did it. That was last Saturday, the day before Mother's Day and it WORKED! Not only did it work, but it worked for bedtime and naptime! It's been a week now and it only took 2 nights of crying. Now, life is so much better! My parents spent the night last night and it amazed my mom, knowing how much Ella cries for me and how spoiled she's seemed to be. Now, my children sleep at the same time every time for their nap and bedtime. A schedule and a routine is what babies and children WANT, NEED, and CRAVE!!! Why didn't I do this earlier?!? Mommy and Daddy time is BACK ON!!! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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We are horrible in this area. Caroline still wakes up 1-2 times a night and often ends up in our bed. We also don't want her to wake up Katherine. We had to wait to cry it out because of ear infections but have done it this week with mixed success. I hate it but know it needs to be done. We are making progress at naptime though.
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