I can't speak enough about the Babywise sleep method.
It's controversial, some people love it. Others, hate it. We're on the LOVE side. It's hard, so don't assume you can do it without some serious dedication and commitment, but if you do Babywise, I think all that's required of parents is worth it.
Because they SLEEP.
On cue.
A lot.
And all night.
For 12 hours.
Starting around 12 weeks.
It's a beautiful thing. But I'm worried about how we'll do with Lily and LG in the same bedroom when it's time for LG to cry it out...
Lily had the advantage of being an only child for those difficult weeks (it took her nearly 3 weeks to get a hold on the schedule firmly, once we implemented it around 9 weeks). LG won't be. Do I keep him in our room for naps until he's sleeping through the night? Normally we would keep baby in our room for the first maybe 8 weeks or so... but this would add another month to that - though just during the day. I don't love this option, but I feel like there's no other choice.
One thing I'm looking forward to is the predictable sleep schedule for both kids. If Lily stays on her current schedule (it may change and I'm fine with that, she's growing/aging and napping slightly less now), she would nap from 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm. Then go down to bed at 7pm or max 7:30pm.
When LG gets "wise" he'll be napping from 8am-10am, 11am-1pm, 2pm-4pm, 5pm-7pm. The bed around 8pm, or 8:30pm max. That's the first schedule for Babywise. As they grow/age they begin staying awake for 2 hours instead of 1 (maybe around 5months? I can't really remember, each kid kind of sets their own pace) and then eventually there are 3 hour awake times too (Lily's in this zone now, not napping til 10am in the morning, and staying up from 4pm-7:30pm in the late afternoons).
Just in case you missed that, BOTH OF MY CHILDREN WILL BE NAPPING FROM 2pm-4pm.
Probably not for long, as Lily will outgrow her current schedule and LG will take time to get into his, but still.
The awkward room switcheroos during naptimes and Lily and I listening to LG cry it out to establish his routine will be worth it for those glorious 2 hours to myself. Even with 2 kids under 2.
Moms who have done Babywise with more than 1 child, I'd love to hear your experiences!
this is SO fascinating to me.
ReplyDeletepardon my ignorance..now is babywise a...piece of equipment? a schedule?
have i mentioned how proud of you i am?
Ditto to Afro-Chick - also... I've heard mixed things about baby's room / mummy's room - some people say that the baby should stay with the parents for about a year, but obviously that's no hard & fast rule. Is that where the controversy is?
ReplyDeleteI'd love more info on Babywise! I may be needing it (or something like it) in about 6 months!
Sam- best bet is to read the book but then ask me any questions you have and I'd be happy to answer! There's just a LOT in there and I'm going to re-read for LG in the coming weeks.
ReplyDeleteIt's controversial because you reinforce a schedule for your baby instead of feeding them whenever they cry or letting them sleep whenever they're sleepy.
They actually eat and sleep more than non-scheduled babies oftentimes, but some ppl fear you're starving your baby (you're not). Lily gained weight like crazy when we started Babywise, and before when I was feeding her on demand (as she cried) she was very under weight because she was just snacking all the time instead of getting big full meals, reinforced.
But hearing them cry is tough. I've blogged a ton about sleep training from when I went through it with Lily, you'll find those posts helpful I hope! Just use the google search bar :)
I've never heard of keeping baby w/ you for a year, but to each their own! Parenting isn't about one right way- there's a lot of styles out there!
Emily. i think it's so cool that you guys subscribe to babywise also. i have loved it and have the same thoughts as you, with us expecting our 2nd also. (i'll will be checking back for tips ;) ) we want our kiddos to share a room.. so it will be interesting to see how that looks with 2.
ReplyDelete-melissa