Originally Posted by Chronic Chrissy
Babies aren't designed to fit our scheduals. Your babe waking is a normal thing. I have a nine month old who has slept through the night for stages and walks numerous times during other stages. I don't believe in letting a baby "Cry It Out" to the point where they are screaming even for a few minutes, crying and fussing is different but still should not be ignored, it is your childs way to communicate with you and your baby is waking because he needs something from you or your partner, often to be feed cuddled and to be put back to sleep.
The transistion that takes place between awake and asleep is a huge change for your baby to learn to cope and ourselves as babies were taught. they need there parents help to form healthy sleeping habits as opposed to crying themselves to exhaustion. The best way to encourage your child to self sooth is to show him how to sooth and relax himself. It also helps to have a routine before sleep to signal to him what is about to happen, such as a swaddling technique or even a lullaby. If you have to fill the sink with warm water at 3am and give him a bath a clean daiper and a bottle to relax him then that's ok. Maybe try bringing him to bed an cuddle or nurse/bottle till he falls back asleep and can be moved to his crib again.
You can not teach your child to sleep through the night only train them like a dog to do it. Many of todays mainstream ideas reguarding parenting detach a child from a parent by forcing them to accept that it is the way it is. Babies cry because they have a need that needs to be met and nurtured, not reformed to meet an adults structured world. In other cultures parents follow the babies cues. Research has show that this sort of ATTACHMENT PARENTING(google it), results in babies who feel more secure and understood by their parents and are better able to communicate their needs so their is less confusion as to what the baby is telling you he needs.
Not to mention that baby tummy's aren't ment to go more than a few hours before needing to be filled up again.
I find that my daughter has many reason for her sleep schedual to be disrupted such are teething, developmental milestones(learning new skills), over stimulation, upset tummy, gas, temp is uncomfortable, or when she is starting to feel a little sick. All of these are good reasons to meet your babies needs and not let him cry.
We actually use baby sign language and my daughter uses signs to tell us she wants milk, needs, here diaper changed, or wants food, and we started right around six months. When we cant figure out what's wrong we ask her and she can tell us where as verbally she is unable to and gets frustrating as you play hit and miss.
I've also read an article on the idea that some babies cry to relieve tension. Yes there are some babies who need to cry or fuss in order to blow off steam and relax after wards. These babies tend to calm after a few minutes(like 2-3) of crying. The other type is where crying increases tension(my daughter), in which case a baby's crying will only grow in intensity 'till they are soothed, and the only way to deal with this type of baby is to take care of their needs promtly to let them know they can depend on you and allow them to use that security to gain independence with time and patience.
Please Please don't leave your babies in cribs to cry, they belong in Mom and Dad's arms if not all night then at least as they go to sleep.
