Crying Out...

[Christian Mother]

Please tell me I can use the "Crying It Out" with a 4 month infant. I started it this week and it seemed to go great but on top of that my little precious one is teething. Teething tablets work great but she's so tired and fighting her naps. This morning she would not sleep in her pnp but I have one of those Fisher Price Rock n Sooth Sleepers and as I put her in that she cried for a couple min and then feel right to sleep but afternoon nap fought both. I've went in every 10 min and got her up to check diaper, maybe a little more bottle-nope, rock....generally not a happy camper so I layed her back down this time in her pnp and I let her cry it out on her own for 10 min. And then there was quiet...!!! Is this a appropriate age to start crying it out with a infant? She seemed to do just fine but she sure did scream and put up a good fight...!! What is the norm...if there crying ck on the little one every 15min and pick up and sooth, then back out the door..then repeat...? Her schedule here in the mornings seems to be 9:30am - 11am then back down 1:50pm til dad picks up around 2:30pm. I think she wakes up at 7am...forgot to ask what time she got up this morning...

[Breezy]

IMO 15 minutes of crying is too long without going in there to soothe.

I usually listen to see if it is a full out screaming cry and then every few minutes, maybe 3-5? Or less go in and sooth and then back out.

If it is just a fussy type cry: I leave them and they usually go right off to sleep.

Usually crying it out isn't used until 6 months but occasionally if all other needs are met I do it if I know thats the only way they will go to sleep.

I think you are on the right track here just go in a little more often than 15 minutes for a proper screamy cry

[Heidi]

I would go in after7-10 minutes, but do NOT engage her. I would pat her gently, whisper "it's nappy time, go to sleep sweetheart" or something along that line, and then leave again. The next time in, I would wait an extra 2-3 minutes, then do it again. Basically, don't let her think she's been completely abandoned, but she needs to be able to fall asleep independently.

I would never use anything but a crib or playpen. The jiggly thing might get her to sleep one time, but then she'll need that the next time, and what will you do when she outgrows it? You'll just have another battle, now with a baby that can sit up, or stand up, thereby prolonging the whole event. My feeling is once they can sit or stand, the battle is lost!

[youretooloud]

I'm one of those "no crying it out" kind of people. I realize my way might not be the right way, but, I don't leave babies to work it out alone. I'll carry them the whole day if I need to. They never cry. LOL... OK, that's a lie...but, honestly, babies rarely cry here.

But, i'm not one of those who believes it causes brain damage. I think if I am at the end of my rope, the baby is much better off crying than with me and a bad attitude. Babies can sense when you are really not like them right now...so I'd rather put them in a safe place to cry than to be frustrated with them.

[Christian Mother]

Thanks for all your advise!! The first time I put her in her pnp she started out whining and then started screaming...I don't even think I lasted 3 min before I went in to sooth. But I ended up picking her up and changing diaper, then seeing if she might be hungry...which she wasn't...played until she started to cry again and nothing soothed...so then I tried again but this time I put her in that rock n sooth thingy and she whined but then feel right to sleep. I could even go in there and move the thing in the middle of the room and she didn't budge. But around 1:30pm same thing happens she indicates she's ready for a nap but starts fighting it. That time I put her in the rock n soother and forget it she worked her self to a good cry so I went in there again and got her up ck'd diaper which was dry and tried giving her a bottle but she was already cranky and sleepy. So I put her in her pnp and she just got good and mad..!! I walked out and stood by the door but didn't go in for 10 min. I talked to her but she just seemed upset seeing me there that it didn't sooth her hearing me. She instantly is fine when I pick her up but this time I just came in and talked to her and then left again..she was mad. But she instantly fell a sleep on her own and was wonderful...dad came though 15 min later and I had to wake her to get her in her car seat. Poor guy he was hoping she'll take a good nap for him when he gets home he is at a loss as to what to do when she's teething and she won't nap for him the way she will for mom and I. Mom works later so he has her later in the day.

[thatdivalady]

I think it depends on the reasons the infant is crying. With my own daughter, I taught her how to sleep at night by herself when she was 4 months and let her cry it out. But I was also assured that she was fed, changed, and good to go. I also have a baby monitor with a screen . Gradually she understood when it was naptime or bedtime and her crying lessened from spurts of crying for an hour down to 45 minutes down to 30, etc. This took me about a week. Yes, there were times I wanted to go in, but in the end it was sooooo worth it!

However, in a setting with children who are not my own I suppose I would need some info and I would alternate the cry it out with a suggestion from someone who posted earlier, let them know you are there, pat them and quietly exit. Rinse and repeat.

Good luck!

[Christian Mother]

Today was better. She is still teething but not I had her for longer then I normally have and I think that really helped me get to know her routine. Today she slept from 10am til 10:45 and then another 45 min nap at noon til 12:45. Each time she woke up of course I'd change, feed, and play w/her. By 1:30pm she was back down but this time til 3pm. Each time I put her down the first 2 times I think she was already to fussy and beyond tired so she cried for 5min. I'd go in and sooth/talk to her then walk out but by 7-8min out. Same thing with the 2nd nap. By the last nap I ashually put her in her swing to play and she started to fall a sleep so I picked her up out of that and layed her in her pnp and she fussed for a min. and then was completely out! All my dck's wake up at 3pm so I wasn't surprised she'd be up at the same time. She was in a good mood though for dad when he came at 4pm to pick her up so I was happy with that!! We shall try again tomorrow!!