no-cry sleep solution...

We are currently reading this book and trying to implement the things in it to get all of us some sweeter and much needed sleep. Except Elanor, of course; she always gets a solid (at least) 11 hours - lucky bugger!

Maggie has been getting worse with sleeping, both at night and napping. I won't bore you with the specifics as I know for a fact that other Mamas have it worse, but I realized it was becoming a problem for us (and in turn for her) as we hadn't done this before - Elanor has been a badass sleeper from about 6 weeks old. Not this time..Not Maggie...

So I picked up Pantley's no-cry sleep solution on the way out of La Leche League on Thursday and have been recording Maggie's sleep as shown in the book since Thursday night. Basic gist so far - she doesn't sleep enough. I could have told you that before...but seriously, she is getting around 3 hours less a day than she should" be and a big culprit is the nap, or the lack thereof. Maggie will nap for around 45 mins max, if I'm lucky and the wind is blowing in the right direction etc etc. I have been trying over the last two days to help her extend her naps and thus (hopefully) improve her night time sleeping. So far we are making baby steps (!) - she is asleep now and has been for an hour, but I'm not holding my breath.

As far as the book goes I am loving the ideas and coping/changing strategies in it. I also love the fact that the author is a mother of 4 (2 good sleepers and 2 not so much....hence the book) and that she includes anecdotes from real life test Mamas. I think the most important thing I have taken from the book so far is a strategy to help the babe get out of suckling until they are completely asleep and that change takes time.... I have never been and never will be part of the cry-it-out camp (cry what out exactly?) so Pantley's methods appeal on a number of levels. We are going to give it another night or so of recording then look at the situation and decide which changes we're going to put in place over the next 10 days or so. The from there...I'll keep you updated. 'Cos you so care...maybe you do, if your baby (current or future) isn't sleeping that well either and is leaving you looking and feeling like a trackpanted, muss-haired undead.

here's hoping for a bit more of this...