Getting 6 MO to Sleep & Self Soothe

I TOTALLY agree with Kristen, about Weissbluth's "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." It SAVED me. It does, however, advocate a crying it out method. I tried so many other ways ("No Cry Sleep Solution," etc.) and Weissbluth was the only thing that worked, after my pediatrician recommended it. She has to learn to self-soothe and crying it out is part of it. (There's different degrees of doing that, which Weissbluth discusses, and you can decide what you're comfortable with.) Good luck--we've all been there!
E.

I'm not a big fan of CIO either. We did eventually have to do it when my son started standing in his crib and throwing his paci out to try to get someone to come in. It was so so hard.

I haven't tried the book that was suggested, but I have heard lots of good things about it. You might also look into a soother that plays music like an ocean wonders aquarium. I have one that attaches to the crib, takes D batteries (son is 10 months old and I've had to replace them twice.. we use it every night) and I think the music plays with or without lights then has a "fun" setting on it for bubbles and stuff. it plays for about a total of 10 minutes I think. They're pretty nifty and might help.

For naps.. I have to kind of play it by ear. If I can get him to sleep in his crib for naps I go for it, but otherwise we still use the swing, sometimes the pack n play.

Good luck!

We co-slept as well. It made night nursing so much easier. And the baby slept much better with us than when he wasn't. I also can NOT do cry-it-out. Goes against all my motherly instincts..... So don't feel like you have to let her cry. We also nursed on demand. And when he needed anything, attended to him right away.

As for naps. I usually take one too (as often as I can...LOL.) so I would lay on the couch next to the baby and after he would fall asleep (or after I was done napping and if he was still sleeping) I would just sneak off the couch and put pillows around him so he wouldn't roll off. And then I would put a pillow or couch coushion on the floor so if he would somehow get over the first baracade that he would have a soft landing. PS> He never did fall off. I was always near and would hear him when he woke up.

Have you tried puting her in a crib right up next to your bed so you can reach through the rails and pat her back, touch her, talk to her??? That way it will be easy for night nursing yet too.

Our little guy is now 2 1/2 and he is SO much more content than his sister was/is. (Only nursed her for 6 months. She didn't co-sleep until she was about 18 months till she was about 4. And I was doing daycare so I was not able to meet her needs immediately as I did for our 2nd child.)

I just want to say I'm in the exact same position now with my 4 month old and I never did this with my other 2. I am so exhausted that I do what works and I know it'll be a hard habit to break. Oh well, just take it day to day. Sorry no advice...good luck to both of us :)

Get "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. It saved my sanity when I was in the position you are in now.

Hi T.,

This is what works for me: After feeding my son his night time bottle in a chair in his room with the lights off, I place him in his crib and try stroking his face and hair with my hand or his small stuffed puppy dog that stays in his crib; singing very softly (mostly ABCs and twinkle, twinkle); night light on; white noise on (we tune the radio in to static). I slowly leave the room at this point and stand outside the door so he can't see me. If he continues to cry past the point where I'm comfortable with it, I go back in and sit in the chair and talk quietly to him. If he is still really upset I'll pick him up, pat his back, sing quietly, etc and then try to lay him down again. For us, it's all about routine and when we are settled into our routine, we can put our son down to sleep after his bottle and leave the room straight away. Hopefully you can get to that point soon! Good luck!