CIO...again...ugh

You can do it mama. Go back. It will go on like this for a while every time he feels under the weather. While he is sick you can give him all the TLC and then some. Once he feels better you go back to the routine. Trust me 5 years later and I still do this.
Even now when my girls aren't feeling well i bring them in with me for as long as it is needed. When they feel better they struggle with the fact that they 'can't camp out' in mom's room anymore.
You did it once, you can do it again

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1998/04.09/ChildrenNe...

Part of making the decision to be a parent is to be willing to sacrifice for your kids. Sacrificing sleep for 2-3 years is not that difficult. It seems like Americans always want to do what is easiest for them, without taking into consideration the human being they are responsible for. I think you should do some research on the harm that is done. My heart breaks at the thought of a newborn baby crying in their crib in a dark room waiting for a parent who never shows up. That must be terrifying for that baby - and it is all done so that the parents can get more sleep. It isn't your fault, it is the culture here. Dr's even say it's okay. So don't feel like a bad parent, just do your own research and do what your instincts tell you. Parenting by instinct is the best way to go. If your gut says it's wrong, don't do it!

MY son had little set backs every time he would get sick too. i endulged him while he was sick and tended him during the night as being sick it's a must to cater to their needs at that time. it may take a few days to get back on track with regular sleep again but he will get back into routine. CIO does not scar or harm the baby. you are teaching him to self sooth, normal sleeping patterns, and independance. There is a HUGE difference between abandoning a child during the night and teaching them that they can't have their way. Just because sombody lets there child CIO does not mean they are just doing it to get more sleep. You still get up when they are wet,scared,or sick and take care of them, you just don't let them get up out of bed because they feel like it and thats what they want. People give in to there kids so easy and then wonder why they reject routine,are bratty,throw tantrums to get what they want (cause YOU as a parent have let them know that inapropriate crying and nagging will get them what they want)and don't respect others. Honestly babies don't always cry because they NEED somthing,somtimes it's just because they WANT somthing. It is ok to teach them they can have what they need and not always gonna get what they want and a parent can tell when somthing is wrong and should get up or if the child just has woken and dosn't want to be in bed anymore so stop trying to make this mommy feel bad for her choices she used the ferber method which if YOU are educated about dosn't mean abandoning the child. you go in at time intervals and still let the child know you are there and love them but it's time for bed.So don't get high and mighty about peoples choices - she didn't ask what method you used or was better, she wanted to know what kind of adjustments could help getting back on track. HONESTLY, i bet some of you don't belive in keeping score during little league games either. This is why some of you have toddlers bossing YOU around all day.

So here's the thing with 7 month olds. They remember you. They remember familiar faces so being apart is difficult. Going in there without saying a word to reassure him that you are still there is a huge help. Just lay him back down without talking and go.

Know how much sleep he should be getting at this age. The older they get the less they will sleep. So make sure he's getting the right amount of sleep. Adjusting his nap times and bed times can help. Maybe he doesn't need that morning nap. Try to figure out his sleep patterns and keep a routine. Good luck.

My youngest (now 2) slept in our room for longer than his sisters. He was smaller and had greater needs. Around this age though I found him in bed a lot with us because the slightest move we made would wake him and he wouldn't go back to sleep. And of course having him right in the room with us made cry it out way too hard to do. So we finally moved him into his own room and he slept better than he ever had. So it was like he was a light sleeper and the slightest noise would wake him.

I know it stinks but I think since you did it once and not to long ago it probably won't be as bad this time. He has learned to self soothe so he just needs to realize that he has to do it again. It's really hard when they are sick to not resort to nursing or feeding in the middle of the night. We all need our sleep right!! I don't think it will be worse I think he is just going to be angry because he is used to being fed. The worst part is learning to self soothe and that battle is over. I think if you don't stay firm now you are going to be back up every two hours nursing. Stay strong mommy it will pay off in the end. Before you do though make sure he is feeling better, no ear infections etc. I know I would doubt myself doing CIO if I thought my baby was sick. Good luck hope you get some sleep soon!!!!

Someone told me to play 'Ring Around the Rosie' with my daughter when she was at the pull up but can't get down stage. It teaches them about falling on their butt. It really works.

Also, yup, if CIO worked well, it will work well again. Just keep in mind that if your little guy can't sit back down, nothing will work until he can get down by himself. It's a very fast stage - so hang in there!

please don't CIO.... =(

your little one cries for a reason. His cry is his way of telling you, he needs something.

hugs mamma

When my son learned to pull up in the crib, he did not fall asleep well for almost 2 weeks & my son was sleep trained from the beginning. Give it some more time and patience. He will do it! I tried going in and putting him down. other times I just let him cry. Try to cut back on the frequency of nursing at night. Try to get him to self-soothe, give him a "lovie" in the crib.

I hope that this passes quickly!

C., I don't have a lot of advice, but I wanted to let you know I'm going through the exact same thing with my 7 month old. We had him sleeping through the night (using a pick-up, put-down method) at about 2 months. Unfortunately due to teething and a few visits from family by 5 months he was back to being up 2, 3 or sometimes 4 times a night. Pick-up, put-down did not work for us the second time around, he just got too overstimulated when we would pick him up and then would be hysterical if we tried putting him down. CIO was a last resort and I was very opposed, initially, but tried it at my husband's urging. I really think it resulted in a lot fewer tears than if we had used any other method. He cried for several hours at night when I tried a "gentler" method, but with CIO I think he only cried about 45 minutes total. A couple of weeks after that he got sick and then we went on vacation with family and to visit family at Thanksgiving and everything went out the window. Last night we started CIO again, hoping that by Christmas when we have to visit family again he will be able to sleep well at night, nap well and be a happy little boy at Christmas.

I just wanted to say to other mothers who might make you feel like a bad parent that you have to do what works for your family and your baby. I feel like a worse mother right now for letting him regress to a point where he isn't getting sufficient sleep and is cranky 1/2 the time. Plus when you are sleep deprived I think you can't tell which end is up well enough to follow your instincts. You just want to do whatever it takes to get some sleep for you and your baby and that isn't necessarily what is best for either of you.

Good luck. I hope for your sake and ours that it isn't harder the second time around.

Not napping at 7 months old? Poor mommy and poor baby! It sounds like he does need the CIO method -- from my hazy memories, we had to do it after each illness or family vacation -- though it wasn't always dramatic (sometimes 45 mintues, usually more like 13). Our guy is 20 months old now and we still have to let him cry on occasion (though that's part his personality -- being held animates him rather than soothing).

My idea would be to try CIO at naptimes -- in the Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child book (incredibly poorly written by an arrogant doctor, but some good ideas), I think it suggested doing the bedtime routine (minus bath) for naptime, then letting them cry for up to ann hour. After an hour, get them up if they're still awake, but try again the next time he shows signs of sleepiness.

It sounds like he needs to learn to put himself to sleep, both at naptime and night. As for the standing, I would go in at 10-15 minute markers (give him a chance to learn to get down, but give him a break too!) but not talk other than muttering "time to sleep" and actually yawning. Show him by your actions that it isn't time to be awake.

Good luck. Sleep is so important for everybody!

Unfortunately, that is the biggest problem with the CIO method! Go with your gut, if it doesn't feel right then CIO may not be for you. Your son is only 7 months...he's not trying to manipulate you. He's trying to communicate his needs. Strong advocates of this method or other methods seem to forget that all children are different, have different needs, and respond in different ways. My son, who is now 18, always slept well alone in his crib. My daughter who is 20 months is the complete opposite. She has much greater needs at night, co-sleeps with my husband and I, and is a snuggle bunny! I also think the nursing plays a huge part. I did not nurse my son but nursed my daughter for 16 months. I agree with an earlier post, try to cut down on the nursing at least during the night. They say that nusing is the strongest sleep association and the hardest to break. Good luck to you.