@denise777 It’s only an issue for the parent haha. A baby doesn’t care about what’s convenient for the parent. That’s so cruel to sleep train a 6 week old.
Shouldn’t do this, shouldn’t do that…
- Thread starter kittymeow1919
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@lm231 Agreed. 6 weeks is so fresh! My LO is 7 weeks tomorrow and whatever he wants he gets. He didn’t know his own body yet to be able to be sleep trained. His little tummy is so small if he’s hungry, he’s hungry. If he woke up it’s probably because he’s hungry or needs a diaper.
I feel like there’s two sides to this —
1) parents who try to sleep train that early are desperate. If I had to be back at work already I’d be desperate for “all night” sleep. Luckily I have 6 months off of work (paid, US) so I don’t have the concern of being a zombie the next day if we had a bad night.
2) some parents have unrealistic expectations due to being naive or gullible to what they hear from others
I feel like there’s two sides to this —
1) parents who try to sleep train that early are desperate. If I had to be back at work already I’d be desperate for “all night” sleep. Luckily I have 6 months off of work (paid, US) so I don’t have the concern of being a zombie the next day if we had a bad night.
2) some parents have unrealistic expectations due to being naive or gullible to what they hear from others
kittymeow1919
New member
@denise777 That is sick to try and sleep train a 6 week old and wean night feedings. Poor baby !!
@kittymeow1919 What is also sick is that parents can get so desperate for sleep in the USA because they have no choice but to go back to working at six weeks or even earlier. If parents had adequate support, I bet some would be much more able to go with the flow on this stuff.
@kittymeow1919 We did what worked for us until it didn't work anymore and found another solution. Thats parenting ain't it??? Keep up the great work.
kittymeow1919
New member
@kittymeow1919 12 weeks is absolutely tiny. It should be illegal to post that crap advice honestly. When they are so little you literally do anything that works (we also nursed to sleep constantly at that age). Over time they won’t need the “crutches” anymore naturally. Nursing to sleep is absolutely developmentally appropriate for 12 weeks. And I can confirm that my 6 month old has never been “drowsy but awake” in his life.. he is either awake and completely wired or overtired and angry lol
harmonyindissonance
New member
@harmonyindissonance lol when he starts yelling and yelling at me I know it’s naptime 
christian1724
New member
@limerick I do think some of that stuff is possible for some babies at 12 weeks but that shouldn’t set a standard. The things I am able to do with my baby my mother was NEVER able to do with me. And it’s not because I’m any more knowledgeable than her. Different babies require different strategies!
@christian1724 I started very gently phasing out sleep associations at that age with my first. I really just started with trying to break suction on nursing just before she fell asleep, then rocked her to sleep the rest of the way. Over time she nursed shorter until I was just rocking her, and then I gradually phased out the rocking, too, til she was able to go in the crib awake and fall asleep by herself.
@christian1724 That’s definitely true! Some unicorn babies are better at sleeping on their own and can be put down drowsy but awake. I just think it’s so disheartening for new parents to read that all babies should be this way, when I bet the majority are not.
innerfire89
New member
@innerfire89 Lol story of my life for the last 6 months
katrina2017
New member
@kittymeow1919 Yeah I’m fairly certain throughout the history of humanity they weren’t worried about rocking or nursing their baby to sleep. I, too, felt guilt about this until I realized it’s BS. I love the Instagram @heysleepybaby for normalizing short naps, contact naps, cosleeping, night feeds, and all things that babies do. Just like adults, there is such a spectrum and I’m willing to bet most don’t fit into the ‘drowsy but awake’ boxes we try to put them into.
Does your baby get to sleep? Are they happy? You’re good, friend.
Does your baby get to sleep? Are they happy? You’re good, friend.
innerfire89
New member
@katrina2017 yes hey sleepy baby is so good! so many other similar good instagram pages too like littlenestsleep on instagram too.
my story - i was totally determined to do sleep training, i couldn’t coz he kept crying and wanting to be carried. it stressed me so much it definitely worsened my postpartum depression till i nearly went crazy. a doc told me “babies aren’t animals they don’t need training” and that helped to wake me up. plus, my husband was begging me to stop trying to make him sleep on his own. then i gave up and started rocking him and carrying him to sleep and…. the world did not collapse. he slept. so did i. it was way less stressful, he slept faster and deeper, yes we have to deal with wake ups maybe once or twice a night but it’s usually efficient quick milk drink then sleep. he’s now 10+m and sleeps for at least 4-5h stretches at night (initially it was 2.5-3h in the newborn days). so he can link his sleep cycles on his own without any training. on days when i feel so stressed i remember that throughout history humans have always slept and sleep training is a recent thing. so humans CAN sleep without sleep training! no 15 year old kid is having their mom rock them to sleep. if you try they’ll push you away as if you’re crazy, i guarantee it. so please don’t stress and it’ll all be good! we will miss the rocking days one day!
my story - i was totally determined to do sleep training, i couldn’t coz he kept crying and wanting to be carried. it stressed me so much it definitely worsened my postpartum depression till i nearly went crazy. a doc told me “babies aren’t animals they don’t need training” and that helped to wake me up. plus, my husband was begging me to stop trying to make him sleep on his own. then i gave up and started rocking him and carrying him to sleep and…. the world did not collapse. he slept. so did i. it was way less stressful, he slept faster and deeper, yes we have to deal with wake ups maybe once or twice a night but it’s usually efficient quick milk drink then sleep. he’s now 10+m and sleeps for at least 4-5h stretches at night (initially it was 2.5-3h in the newborn days). so he can link his sleep cycles on his own without any training. on days when i feel so stressed i remember that throughout history humans have always slept and sleep training is a recent thing. so humans CAN sleep without sleep training! no 15 year old kid is having their mom rock them to sleep. if you try they’ll push you away as if you’re crazy, i guarantee it. so please don’t stress and it’ll all be good! we will miss the rocking days one day!
katrina2017
New member
@innerfire89 This is lovely to hear! We ended up doing safe cosleeping after I was losing my mind with bassinet wake ups. Now we can nurse lying down and everyone gets more rest.
After learning more, I’m personally not able to consider sleep training. I’m so lucky that I have good mat leave that affords me extra tired days as I know that’s not the case for everyone. I’m so angry that people ask new moms all the time ‘is she sleeping through the night?’ Girl, no. Most adults don’t even sleep through the whole night, that’s not how sleep works. I’m glad you found something that works for you! (I’m writing this currently nursing my little one to sleep! Lol)
After learning more, I’m personally not able to consider sleep training. I’m so lucky that I have good mat leave that affords me extra tired days as I know that’s not the case for everyone. I’m so angry that people ask new moms all the time ‘is she sleeping through the night?’ Girl, no. Most adults don’t even sleep through the whole night, that’s not how sleep works. I’m glad you found something that works for you! (I’m writing this currently nursing my little one to sleep! Lol)
katrina2017
New member
@innerfire89 This sleep cycle linking thing really had me worried at one point. My daughter is a real catnapper, although she will have longer afternoon naps now and then. I was convinced she wasn’t developing properly because she wasn’t having 3-4 longer naps per day, but 6-7 shorter ones. We contact nap and co-sleep and I felt like I was failing her, even though she was going to sleep with ease and sleeping for 4-5 hour stretches at night.
There is nothing wrong with what she is doing at all, but all this “developmentally appropriate” slant knows exactly how to play on your parental concerns. Our health visitor, paed, physio, occupational physio, and osteopath (she has some ongoing issues which need monitoring) have all said that nothing we are doing is inappropriate at all!
There is nothing wrong with what she is doing at all, but all this “developmentally appropriate” slant knows exactly how to play on your parental concerns. Our health visitor, paed, physio, occupational physio, and osteopath (she has some ongoing issues which need monitoring) have all said that nothing we are doing is inappropriate at all!
kittymeow1919
New member
@katrina2017 I love @heysleepybaby too!! There are such great tips and information being shared on that account !