The Great Debate

In addition to breastfeeding vs formula, another thing parents to tend to feel strongly about is letting your child cry it out.  Some people swear by it - Dr. Ferber.  Some people swear against it - Dr. Sears.

In case you aren't familiar and don't care to read their whole books, here is a quick summary of each.

Ferber

Sears and Other Similar Methods

This momma is currently in this predicament right now.  I did my hw (or so I thought) and read the raved about Babywise before Hudson was born.  For those that don't know me, I am a rule follower/by the book kind of gal.  I thought that the book was full of good advice, but honestly, it was a bit overwhelming.  If I couldn't get him to follow the schedules in the book, it would stress me out! Don't ask me why, but I often "sweat the small stuff" as Max Lucado would say.  I was doing this because I didn't want to have "that child" that would never sleep.  I was trying to do what was best to make my baby a happy, healthy baby.  

I personally do not believe in co-sleeping. If you do it and it works for you, that is great.  Doesn't bother me one bit.  However, I don't believe that is what's best for me and my family for multiple reasons: #1 It scares me.  What if I rolled over on my baby? What if he smothered in our fluffy mattress, pillows, and bedding? #2 I would be so paranoid about #1, I would never get any rest.  Alright, let's say they are big enough that #1 is no longer an issue.....#3 When do you kick them out of the bed? Isn't that going to be a hard, painful process for everyone?  #4 How do you and your husband have a normal relationship with a baby/child in the bed?  I feel like it is so important to have time alone to keep the relationship between husband and wife tightly knit.  

Here is what is currently going on: We have a great bedtime routine.  About 7:30 Hudson gets a bath.  We laugh, talk, and play (if he is not fussy).  After he is dressed for bed, he eats for the last time, about 8:00.  He is read a book, then rocked to sleep pretty quickly.  We put him down and he usually sleeps until around midnight/1am. 

Then, IT STARTS.
 
About once an hour - sometimes less, sometimes more - he wakes up.  I've tried letting him cry for a few minutes to see if he will go back to sleep, but when I'm sleepy and he seems to just be waking himself up more the more he cries, 5 minutes seems like forever.  So usually I go in, turn his white noise back on, put his paci back in, rub his face, and he is out.  Literally within seconds. 

Is this killing me? No.  Would it be nice to sleep a solid 8 hours for the first time in almost 4 months? Yes.  My biggest concern is I feel like he has become extremely dependent on someone to get him back to sleep.  How long do I let this go on? If I let it go on, will it eventually stop?  Or will this last and I will be cursed with "that child" that never sleeps.  I feel like he would benefit more, too, if he wasn't waking up so much.

I know he's not hungry.  As a parent, you learn your baby's cries.  Also, if he's hungry, the white noise/paci routine doesn't put him back to sleep. 

So, what advice do you have?  Have you been in a similar situation? 

Leave a comment with your experiences!