[laurenjd]

I have a 9 mnth old baby girl who will not sleep at night!

She used to sleep great, but not anymore!

I have her crib beside my bed and that's where she sleeps.

I still nurse her, so if she wakes in the night, I put her in bed with me to nurse until she falls back asleep, then put her back in her crib. This used to work out great and the most she ever woke in the night was twice.

Now she wakes up usually around 12am, I nurse her, and she fights the whole time, with her eyes still closed. When she falls back asleep, I put her in her crib and she wakes up 30 minutes. Later, so I repeat the process.

This goes on all night until morning! If I keep her in bed, she'll sleep maybe 1-2 hrs before waking. Well, she doesn't open her eyes, she just fusses, like in her sleep.

So, I looked it up online, and it said to let her cry it out. Well, I don't have one of those babies. She'll cry until she has no voice left, and now she stands up in the crib crying for me!

Please help, I'm so exhausted!!

[tickle]

The good news is,it does get better! The bad news is you are going to have to separate baby from mom to acquire a happy medium, this doesn't have to be a war of wills, you are in control not she. Do you not have a separate room you can furnish as a nursery?

[laurenjd]

She does have her own room, but she wakes easily, and if I nurse her in the night, to carry her back to her room would wake her!

[Emland]

My baby girl woke up in the night until I put her in her own room. My mom said she could smell me and/or hear me and that was what was keeping her up all night.

I don't know if it was that or that she learned to settle herself - but I feel your pain. My daughter didn't sleep through the night until she was over 2.

[Myth]

I have made it a point to have the twins in their own room and now at just about ten months they are sleeping through the night for the most part. Some fussing during sleep is to be expected. You might just need to let her fuss for a few before jumping and going to her. This will help you realize that you don't have to jump up right away. It will also teach her to be a bit more independent. If I'm way off base with this then just let me know.

[laurenjd]

I just read from this doctor on the internet that if you let your baby cry and don't go to them, they'll loose trust in you. I don't think me or my husband could take the whole crying it out. BUt I'm definitely going to try moving her crib to her room. I'm just afraid of when I have to carry her back after feeding her, but, we'll see!

[Emland]

Why can't you feed her in her room?

[laurenjd]

Hummm, I do have a rocking chair in there. I fill silly. Ok, I'll try that too!

[Myth]

I wasn't saying to let her cry it out... I don't mean that at all.. just to make sure she's actually waking up. Sometimes kids just fuss a bit and go back to sleep on their own. You can also get one of those crib toys that has a remote to promote self soothing. It comes on when the baby cries. You might also try having her fall asleep to some music. They say that music sooths the savage beast... I don't know about yours but mine are little beasties when it gets down to it... lol. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[tickle]

My son was in his own room right away,with a baby monitor. That way sleep and eating were always separated because when you think about it, you don't sleep in the kitchen. Even when he started climbing out of his crib, he was put right back in, and after fussing, went right back to sleep.

In fact, I never fed my son in his room or mine, he and I were always in the kitchen in a rocking chair, or in the den in a rocking chair, and after he had eaten and dozed off, it was back in his crib in his room. He was a great baby and everything worked out well.

[buggage]

Here's my personal experience. My first son has always been a terrible sleeper. From the time he was born, he would only sleep in my arms, and the moment I laid him down, he would wake up. I would be so tired, I would fall asleep in bed with him while nursing. He got use to this and would not sleep anywhere else. It got so bad that I would have to walk with him for 1-2 hours before he would go to sleep)by which time I was about in tears from exhaustion) and then I would have to take another half an hour, just being extra careful to lay him down gently enough that he wouldn't wake right up. This would go on all night. Finally, completely exhausted and out of patience, I decided I would try anything. I researched several ways, and finally found one that worked. I put my rocking chair next to his crib, and laid him down in his bed saying " Its bed time, mommy is right here". He would get up and cry for me. I didn't pick him up, but would smile reasuringly at him and lay him back down. Eventually he tired himself out and laid down. Seeing that I was right next to him kept him from feeling he was being abandoned, but he also knew that I was setting the rules. Every night you move your chair a little farther away until you are out the door. If they cry when you are out the door, you can poke your head in the door and say something along the lines of "mommy's here, but its bed time now" then leave again. Refrain from doing it too often. Now the first week or two is rough, but once you get it down, it will be worth it. After that he would start to sleep through the night. Now, the important thing is to not regress, no matter how tired you are. This isn't to say they won't go through stages of not sleeping again. Toddlers often go back to not sleeping through the night, but it's a normal stage. My son started to sleep terrible again at about 15 months, and continued that way until my second son was born a month and a half ago.(he is 2 1/2) part of that is because we didn't have a bed with railing on it and he kept rolling out of bed though. HAH. My main advice, when she naps, YOU nap. Get the sleep where you can. Don't give in to her cries, stay calm, (she'll catch onto your mood if she sees you are upset) and just do the best you can. That's all any parent can do. Every child needs are different and they all react to different methods. You just have to find the right one. HAH. Good luck!(also, put her down BEFORE she is asleep. This will help her to learn how to put herself to sleep. And when she wakes, it will help her learn how to put herself back to sleep)