Today is a better day already.
I've decided to follow the sleep trainer's advice to stop following popular sleep guides on the Internet and follow her advice instead. I've been doing a popular 2-3-4 waketime schedule but obviously it ain't working for my baby. Instead, the waketimes are adjusted to 3-3-4 and bedtime can be pushed back till 8-9 o'clock.
I started this new schedule yesterday, a day after our Skype consultation with the sleep trainer. Tiffy slept better during her morning nap after we kept her awake for a longer time. We took a walk to the nearby coffeeshop to have breakfast and stimulate her senses a lot more. Afternoon's a no-go cos Tiffy slept during our grocery shopping in NTUC.
Last night's bedtime was pushed to 8.15pm (instead of the usual 6.30-7pm). She actually slept a lot better last night! She woke at 12 and 4.45. After quick feedings, she was back to sleep promptly. Yay! To me, not waking at 2-4am to play and not sleep IS a great achievement!
This morning I tried to drag her waketime to 3h but by 2 & 1/2 h, Tiffany couldn't hold out anymore. She was crying away and after quickly changing her diaper and clothes, she was alling asleep in my arms. After a quick feed and cuddle she was off to Lalaland! That was at 10am. Until now! It's 11.05am now. She's still sleeping. Yay! What an achievement!
Everything is still in the experimental phase. More updates and better news soon, I hope!
Showing posts with label Sleep training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sleep training. Show all posts
Monday, March 8, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Sleep Consultant Consulted
Today JD and I got my mom to come to our house to babysit lil Tiffany while we Skype with our newly hired sleep consultant, whose name I shall not reveal until her action plan is carried out and proven to work.
After the one hour consultation, here are some problems with Tiffany's sleep schedule and patterns that were highlighted to us:
1. Sleep associations (Namely nursing and carrying. She needs be given an opportunity to learn how to self-soothe.)
2. Overestimation of her sleep needs (12.5h in total including naps. We doing 12h for night sleep and 1h each for the 2 naps.)
3. Bedtime too early (Currently at about 6-7pm. An age-appropriate bedtime is 9pm.)
4. Bedtime and naptime routine not soothing and obvious enough (Currently just a bath, cd and nursing for bedtime. No proper routine for naps.)
Our sleep trainer is going to give us an action plan on Monday, which we will implement on 19th March, the weekend after our trip to Phuket. I'll have to dedicate 2 weeks of consistent sleep training to solve Tiffy's sleep problems. Wish me luck.
Till then, it's still me using one of the only 2 tools in my box, nursing, to put baby Tiffany to sleep. I won't write much as I have too little sleep every day dealing with Tiffany's multiple waking and inability to soothe herself to sleep. Maybe when she can finally sleep on her own, I'll have time to work on my lappy and do more blog decor like putting up pictures and videos and all.
After the one hour consultation, here are some problems with Tiffany's sleep schedule and patterns that were highlighted to us:
1. Sleep associations (Namely nursing and carrying. She needs be given an opportunity to learn how to self-soothe.)
2. Overestimation of her sleep needs (12.5h in total including naps. We doing 12h for night sleep and 1h each for the 2 naps.)
3. Bedtime too early (Currently at about 6-7pm. An age-appropriate bedtime is 9pm.)
4. Bedtime and naptime routine not soothing and obvious enough (Currently just a bath, cd and nursing for bedtime. No proper routine for naps.)
Our sleep trainer is going to give us an action plan on Monday, which we will implement on 19th March, the weekend after our trip to Phuket. I'll have to dedicate 2 weeks of consistent sleep training to solve Tiffy's sleep problems. Wish me luck.
Till then, it's still me using one of the only 2 tools in my box, nursing, to put baby Tiffany to sleep. I won't write much as I have too little sleep every day dealing with Tiffany's multiple waking and inability to soothe herself to sleep. Maybe when she can finally sleep on her own, I'll have time to work on my lappy and do more blog decor like putting up pictures and videos and all.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Sleep Consultation is Postponed
Thus, so will the actual sleep training.
Yay - cos I don't have to go through my dear baby's cries yet.
Boo - cos I'm still a sleep-deprived mom whose mammary glands are overworked and abused, and whose back is breaking from carrying and pacifying the 8.4kg to sleep.
Why is the sleep trainer's consultation postponed? She had an urgent trip back to the US. We've got to wait for her to come back to SG first. At the rate things are going, sleep training will have to be postponed at least till after our trip to Phuket in March. The procrastination has a valid reason after all. (The previous reason was CNY).
Yay - cos I don't have to go through my dear baby's cries yet.
Boo - cos I'm still a sleep-deprived mom whose mammary glands are overworked and abused, and whose back is breaking from carrying and pacifying the 8.4kg to sleep.
Why is the sleep trainer's consultation postponed? She had an urgent trip back to the US. We've got to wait for her to come back to SG first. At the rate things are going, sleep training will have to be postponed at least till after our trip to Phuket in March. The procrastination has a valid reason after all. (The previous reason was CNY).
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Facebook Application on my iPhone failed me so I Decided to Blog
I started this blog when the Facebook application on my iPhone failed me for the tenth time. I've been writing musings as a new SAHM on Facebook as 'Status Updates'. I usually do these when my dear daughter (6 months old as of 21st Jan 2010) is napping. I actually am stuck in her bedroom with her as she wakes in 15-30 minutes after falling asleep. My job is to be armed with my hotsling over the shoulder and pick her up as soon as she stirs (if I'm a tad too late, she'll be too awake to fall back asleep).
Yes, yes, I know this isn't the way to go. I've read enough Ferber, Weissbluth, Babycentre and Kidshealth.org websites to know that I should sleep-train her. Like NOW. But... (There's always a 'but', isn't there?)
Dr Weissbluth's EXTINCTION method of sleep training was carried out a month ago and failed miserably. Basically what went wrong was this:
After the prescribed 1 hour of crying, poor baby Tiffany was covered in puke and poop when JD and I went in to rescue her. It was a heartwrenching sight. I can still hear her pathetic sobs and whimpers. I, being a mother WITH A CONSCIENCE, immediately picked her up and hugged her as tears flowed freely. I was so so sad to have put her through it! For a good five minutes I just held onto poor little sobbing Tiffany, puke and poop and all, and didn't want to let her go. JD was also heartbroken so he hugged the two of us and we all cried together. It was so hard. But for the greater good, we decided to try again. After 1 hour of relentless crying, we went in to rescue our poor baby. She was again lying in excrement. THIS IS CHILD ABUSE! We decided to stop sleep training once and for all.
Yes, yes, I know this isn't the way to go. I've read enough Ferber, Weissbluth, Babycentre and Kidshealth.org websites to know that I should sleep-train her. Like NOW. But... (There's always a 'but', isn't there?)
Dr Weissbluth's EXTINCTION method of sleep training was carried out a month ago and failed miserably. Basically what went wrong was this:
After the prescribed 1 hour of crying, poor baby Tiffany was covered in puke and poop when JD and I went in to rescue her. It was a heartwrenching sight. I can still hear her pathetic sobs and whimpers. I, being a mother WITH A CONSCIENCE, immediately picked her up and hugged her as tears flowed freely. I was so so sad to have put her through it! For a good five minutes I just held onto poor little sobbing Tiffany, puke and poop and all, and didn't want to let her go. JD was also heartbroken so he hugged the two of us and we all cried together. It was so hard. But for the greater good, we decided to try again. After 1 hour of relentless crying, we went in to rescue our poor baby. She was again lying in excrement. THIS IS CHILD ABUSE! We decided to stop sleep training once and for all.
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