I have hesitated blogging this because I don't want to jinx it. But Ayla has slept through the night the last two nights! Ayla started off her sleep journey by only sleeping and napping with mommy. After about 3 weeks she could sleep in her swing for naps and at night was in bed with mommy and daddy. We tried the bassinet and she did ok, but was still struggling. So for the last two months she slept with us at night and swing during day. About a month ago I realized this is not getting her enough sleep, the swing is great but she never was reaching a deep sleep. Sleeping with us, she became very squirmy and I was so aware of her I never reached deep sleep. All together a bad combo. She was also becoming very difficult to put to sleep, really fussy, squirmy and really fighting it. The poor thing would scream in the car because she would get sleepy and then not know what to do with herself. The up side is that she had a consistent schedule - asleep by 7 or 8, wake at 12, wake at 4, sleep till 6. Nap at 9, nap at 3, and sometimes another at 5. Knowing we had a pretty good schedule down, we knew we had to take the next step of crib sleeping, for Ayla's sake and ours. Baby's are not born with the capability to fall asleep on their own, especially when you allow them to learn by sleeping with you or in a swing :)
I said before that I swore off books on sleep advise because they were all so contradictory. I learned that every baby is different and never knew how difficult it would be to get my baby some undisturbed sleep. However I broke down and read two more: "The Happiest Baby on the Block" , "Healthy Sleep Habit, Happy Child" , these books along with a combination of advise from other moms, and constant prayer has helped Ayla become the ideal sleeping baby. Many moms struggle with the cry it out theory. Talking with moms who have well adjusted, loving, happy kids made me see that sometimes a baby truly needs to cry it out. We took on the mentality of not so much cry it out, but more of a learn to sleep mentality. Ayla is a strong willed little girl, this we learned quickly and honestly I have tried letting her cry it out before - but she didn't give up. But with the combination of age, schedule, and help from above she learned how to sleep! She now drifts off peacefully all on her own, well without me rocking, swaddling and her constant struggle. The set up:
1. drowsy but awake (when babies awaken they need to be put back to sleep the way they went to sleep - so this teaches them to do this on their own, this was the advise of Ayla's doctor) and consistency
2. white noise cd
3. home-made sleep sacks courtesy of Grandma Laura :)
4. A rainforest waterall machine in her crib
5. We cleared our schedules and the only time we left the house was: Brett work and me basketball
6. At night I feed her then Brett tops her off about an hour later with 2 oz of formula
Sunday night we put her down in her crib around 8 and we did check in and calm her by rubbing her belly and shh shhing her at 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and then every 15 until she fell asleep. She cried for around 45 mins. Awoke at 12 and 6 am.
Napping was the issue, as I knew it would be because she isn't near as fatigued. I didn't want her to cry for more than 1 hour. So at about 8 I put her down, she cried for an hour and by then she needed to eat, so I picked her up and she ate then we played. I tried again at noon, she cried for an hour, had a poopy diaper so I picked her up. Long story short, no naps all day. Monday night she fell asleep nice and easy in her crib and did her typical schedule.
Again Tuesday the naps didn't go well. Each nap she cried for about an hour and slept for aournd 20-30 mins. Tuesday night she was asleep by 6:30 and slept until 5 am - no crying!!! Holy cow. I thought it may be a fluke because she was so exhausted. Yesterday Brett took the day off to help me and Ayla took two one hour naps and one two hour nap - no crying. She drifts off to the waterfall and white noise all on her own! Last night she fell asleep at 8:00 and slept unti 7:30. Cried for about twenty minutes around 9:30 but all in all she slept through the night again. I got 8 hours of undisturbed sleep - I haven't had more than 4 in 4 months!
Letting Ayla cry was one of the hardest thing I have ever had to do, second to my dad's death. As I would pick her up out of her crib after a long hour of off and on tears she would immediately smile at me. Her demeanor was the same and she wanted to play, giggle, and coo just as much. I cried right along with her, in the car to practice, on the way home from practice, cried to my husband and many times to the Lord. I could feel God encouraging me every time I questioned our decision.
I am even worried about admitting we let her cry it out to people and on this blog, but as I sit here at my computer, Ayla is bright eyed and cooing as she she plays in her bouncy seat after a much needed 12 hours of sleep. I will soon put her down for a one-two hour undisturbed nap. This decision was the first of many as parents that in the long run is best for our child. In the end, it only took three days of crying it out. I know there will be set backs, but a huge weight has been lifted and now I know Ayla is getting what she needs.
