Disclaimer: I’m not a sleep coach or consultant, just sharing my personal experience raising two kids.
Firstly, we don’t practice co-sleeping, which I believe contributed to the reason why both my babies started sleeping through the night around 2 months in their own room (first baby around 3 months). This arrangement provided them uninterrupted sleep, free from noises or disturbances like bathroom visits or my nighttime alarm set for pumping. Plus, avoiding my scent around her bassinet might've helped too.
This method might not suit everyone, but here's what I did:
1. Before bedtime, I ensured the baby was fed, burped, and had a clean nappy (so if she cried, I can be assured it wasn’t due to these issues).
2. Then, I established a simple routine: entering the bedroom, placing her in a sleeping bag, singing the same song, drawing the curtains, and gently closing the door.
3. Initially, she cried, and I waited around 10 minutes before soothing her and repeating the routine. Consistent repetition led to her gradually stopping the crying and sleeping through.
4. If she woke up, I waited 5-10 minutes before feeding her (especially early on). The key was delaying picking her up when she cried. I know… not everyone finds it easy to hear their baby cry, but we trusted the sleep training process.
5. With persistence, our baby learned to self-settle. By 3 months, she slept for 12 hours; I even had to wake her in the morning!
Most importantly, each baby thrives uniquely, irrespective of their sleep patterns.
Remember to trust your instincts and be kind to yourself, mama and papa. You're doing an incredible job!
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