12 Month Old - SLEEP

does she still have the breathing issues?
I am a firm believer of you do what you do that works until it doesn't work anymore...
that's what works for me & my 2...
a thought: put the bouncer in the crib?
maybe she'd get used to it?
maybe start with nap times...

Being a 1st time mom is the hardest. We spend alot of our time trying to do what we are "Supposed" to do. The best thing to do is what you FEEL is right for you and your child. I have two beautiful loving children and at first also followed all the directions with my first. Then my second came along and all the rules changed. I fell into becoming an fan of co-sleeping. My daughter was also born and had some breathing and other difficulties. He crib was next to my bed because she had to be monitored all the time. As she grew It then became much easier for me to have her sleep beside me so we could all get sleep. Mommies do much better with sleep you know. Anyway, she has grown to become comfortable with her own bed at her own time. I just feel as though some kids are meant to be close to us and some are more independant. It wont be forever that we will have them to cuddle and I just dont want to miss a moment. The decisions are yours not always the books. Follow your heart....

Play a quick game with her while she is in crib. peek a boo or tickle her. maybe put away her clothes while she is in it. then take her out. have you tried to play a lullaby cd? my lo knows when she hears the cd, its bedtime. you are showing her there is nothing wrong with the crib. Does she take a nap? I would start by putting her in for her mid day nap first. Let her get used to it. I also cannot stand to her my little one cry! I know how you feel. Just try putting yourself in her shoes....What would get you to sleep somewhere that is totally foreign? another approach may be to explain to her that she is not a baby anymore.
I know its hard, but I recommend being firm with her also. If you take her out when she cries....she now knows it works and she will continue to malipuate you. I am dreadng these days in my dd life, but if it is not a "hurt" cry, then try to wait it out as long as possible. My girl als o has a little soft "bath" duckie she cuddles with. I think when she wakes up at night, she finds it in her crib and plays til she falls back asleep. Making her feel secure is the key.
Good luck!
~S

Honestly, I'd just let her sleep in her bouncer/rocker. The important thing is that both of you are getting much needed sleep, and if that's where she gets it, that's where she gets it. Eventually she'll start wanting to sleep elsewhere, but where she actually sleeps isn't really that big of a deal. (My son went through a phase where he would only take naps in his car seat. Ha.)

If the problem was breathing difficulties, maybe she's hating the crib because it's uncomfortable for her? Either way, my best advice is to just be flexible and be willing to be a little unconventional if that's what works best for you and your baby :-)

One suggestion that MIGHT help is to try to elevate her crib mattress, you can do this easly by taking a few folded bath towles and placing then UNDER the crib mattress, on the bars that hold the mattress in the crib. We had to do this with our oldest one because he would get VERY conjested when he was an infant. Hope this helps.

Good luck.

Honestly, if you want to train her to sleep in her own bed, you're going to have to stop those strong urges to go to her when she cries. She has been doing something one way for her entire life and now you want to change that--so she's pissed!
You really have three choices here to train her to sleep in her own bed though:
The first recommended by most pediatricians would be just to let her cry it out. The first night will be hell but she will eventually fall asleep, and each night will be shorter and shorter until about a week when (and if you remain consistent) she will be sleeping through the night in her own bed. This does work and is the fastest way, but as a mom you may not be able to handle it.

Second, I would recommend getting and reading the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg
http://amazon.com/o/ASIN/0345479092/ref=s9_asin_title_1/1...
She takes a gentler and more intuitive approach by giving you This method could take a bit longer than the plain letting her CIO, but I found it's really about the same.

Finally, if you still don't think you can handle keeping with what the Baby Whisperer's plan, then I would then recommend you reading The No-Cry Sleep Solution
http://www.amazon.com/No-Cry-Sleep-Solution-Gentle-Throug...
This also works, but takes much more patience and time on your part...probably 2-3 weeks. Again though consistency is the key to any of these options.

All three methods work and NONE are at all harmful to your child and they all end up with a child who can soothe themselves to sleep and both parents and babies sleeping through the night--it's really a matter of finding the plan you are most comfortable with as a mother...

Good luck!

I understand your frustrations. My daughter is 16 months old, and at 12 months had to start wearing a brace at night for her hips. So I had a terrible time

I understand your frustrations. I too am a first time mom. My daughter is now 16 months old, but around 12 months she had to start wearing a brace for her hips. I just couldn't leave her alone in the crib because I didn't know if she was crying in pain, or because she wanted me, so I would let her lay with me to fall asleep. It got to the point where I felt she was ready to sleep on her own, I double checked with the pediatrician, and we started this routine- we do a bath, put on pajamas, brush teeth, read stories &sing, then I put her in her crib. The first couple of nights were hard, those nights after about 5 minutes of crying I would go in, lay her back down (because at this point she would be standing and crying) and leave the room. I keep the room dark, and I don't say anything more than " I love you, it's bedtime" when I have to go in. She also sleeps with her favorite stuffed dog. Now bedtime is much smoother. My advice would be have a night time routine (if you don't already) and be very consistent with it. I hate to hear my baby cry, and it was about three nights of no more than 20 minutes total crying,and that was with me going in periodically. Now she goes and gets a book after bathtime and when I hand her her stuffed dog before I put her in bed she says "night night". So I really think they start to understand routine and can stick to it. Follow your heart though, you are her mom and you know her best, so make sure to do what works and feels right for you. Good luck!!!!

Hi there, well I can relate w/ your issue. My daughter had the same problem. The best advise I can give is: If you were putting the bouncer on the florr in your room or elsewhere; try placing it in the crib for a bit to get her used to the 'surrounding' feeling of the crib. Remember, she was in the wide open in the bouncer and it might be just scary for her. Otherwise I might suggest making a 'nest' under the mattress to raise up one side like the bouncer had her positioned. Good luck, but please also do what you feel is also SAFE! I also do not agree w/ what Kelly said about just letting her cry herself to sleep. When my daughter was in the hospital (she was preemie, and got RSV at the age of 9 months) I could not be down there all the time because I had a 2 year old at the time. Everytime I came in she would be crying, it's heartbreaking......and I strongly feel like she came away from that with a feeling of abandonment. Of course-you will be in the other room if she does get too upset, you can reach out to her.

You said you want to "rescue" her... If you really want to get her to sleep in her crib, you have to change your mindset. She does not need rescuing. As long as she is fed and changed, if you wait until she is sleepy (but not overtired) the only reason she is crying is because she is sad and/or mad. But otherwise, she is FINE! I don't recommend you let her "cry it out" for a long time. But letting her cry for a few minutes is difficult, but OK. I promise that she will not only NOT be scarred for life, but if you can stick it out, you are teaching her good sleep habits that will last for years-- and she will be healthier if she sleeps well. If she is screaming for a few minutes, go in and gently tell her it's night-night time and you love her, lay her down (she will pop back up, but walk away) and leave the room without looking back. Let her cry a few more minutes, and repeat. You will need to repeat a zillion times the first night because you are teaching a new behavior. Eventually, she will get too tired to protest any longer and she'll fall asleep. If you cave in and "rescue" her, you are teaching her that all she has to do is cry loud enough and long enough and you'll give in. Each night, it will get easier. Depending on her temperment, it could take 3 days or up to a week. But consistancy is key. Trust me, sista! I'm on child #3 and I made serious mistakes with the first one that took YEARS to undo. Child #3 sleeps like a dream! He plays in his crib until he falls asleep!

My son didn't like to sleep in his crib at first too. He liked to sleep with me. I found that giving him a soft blankie on his cheek helped him feel safe. Also, I sang to him in my arms for a while then would put him in his crib when he fell asleep. Mind you, I sang the same song over and over and as I sang my voice got lower and softer to kind of lull him to sleep. He loved it and sometimes now I still do it. It became routine and my songs put him to sleep easily. He awoke in his crib and didn't really fuss about it. It was just the puttin him to sleep part that I had to do that for. I think its time to start a different routine for bedtime.