Thank you for all your comments on my post sleeping through the night. It gave me the courage to get Hallie sleeping on her own.
Here's how I did it:
- Nursed Hallie until very sleepy yet not asleep.
- Put her in her bed with a Silky blanket that smelled like me.
- Let her cry it out.
- Went in and reassured her with a kiss and a pat on the tummy.
- Had an amazingly supportive husband.
After reviewing some books and your comments (for the fifth time) we started Thursday night. She cried for only 40 min. before falling asleep. However, she woke up about every hour and a half to two hours crying. It was a long night, but it could have been worse. Every night since then she has gotten progressively better. She is still stubborn and cries but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is GLORIOUS!!!
My advice for any mom who has a baby that will only sleep in her arms. Read the comments on this post and pray, pray, pray! :) Find out what you feel most comfortable with and go with it. I cried like a baby the first night, but it has been soooo worth it.
Sleeping on her own has not been the only benefit. Hallie has also shown improvement in the following ways:
- She is not as clingy
- She plays better on her own.
- She is happier when she is awake.
- She goes to Ben and plays/snuggles with him. (She always wanted me instead of Ben.)
In Hallie's defense I realized that if I depended on someone for my food and sleep then I would be clingy too. Now she doesn't depend on me for sleep. Hallelujah!!
