Bed Time Battles: Baby 129- Parents 2

Another celebration we have to our credit is the sleep battle is slowly turning in our favor. After many nights of 3 hour stretches of sleep sprinkled with the occasional 5 hour stretch, we have started to get at least 4 hours in a row consistently, which is still 2 feedings per night but in bigger blocks. The last two nights the little man gave us seven straight in a row….they say three times in a row makes a pattern, so lets pray for a third night here tonight.
First, I’ll tell you my dirty little secret. Formula. Lactation Consultants worldwide are cursing my name as we speak. I don’t care, it’s my baby, and I’ll do it my way. We started giving Carson a bottle of formula for his last feeding of the day and boy did that work. He immediately started sleeping longer. Formula digests more slowly and as a result he wakes less. After a 2 week period of sleep regression, we were desperate and tried it and there’s no going back. Four ounces a day isn’t going to hurt this big 15lb baby one bit, and as they say, if mama ain’t happy, aint nobody happy.
In addition, we have been working hard at the sleep routine lately. All the books say you have to create a routine starting at about 3 months, so I started last week and boy does it take patience. The goal is to put the baby down while drowsy but not asleep so they learn to soothe themselves to sleep, a valuable skill when they are older. This helps so you don’t have to resort to the very painful for all involved “Cry It Out” method. So, we’re starting now, at the advice of a friend who called to give the warning after her first “Cry it Out Session” with her 6 month old. I heard her loud and clear.
So started the routine; or the trying of the routine, the first night I think between Andy and I we put Carson down 5 times in an hour before he finally fell asleep. But low and behold the second night of “Bath, Bottle, Book and Mobile in the Crib” he fell asleep immediately. Andy didn’t even know I put him down when I came bounding down the stairs high fiving myself on my highly esteemed success. If you’ve never seen the Happy Dance, it was out in full force last night and of course this morning after the 2nd seven hour stretch. Somehow I found it inconsiderate to wake Andy at 4am to let him know that he had just had 7 straight hours of sleep without being awoken. I really wanted to but I’m sure he was grateful that I practiced restraint.
And all this was just for bedtime, the naptime routine is a whole other beast and I’m still workin’ on that one.