I am still awake.

Top 7 Baby Sleep Myths

After having read so many books about baby sleep with Shnook, I've been much more relaxed about Fuzzball's sleep, despite the fact that he is also not necessarily a champion in this department (yet).

I posted on an article on Babble about the top 7 baby sleep myths-makes me want to give Weissbluth the finger, but I'm a little (just a little) too polite for that.

http://blogs.babble.com/babys-first-year-blog/2011/04/21/top-7-baby-sleep-myths/

Book Review #4 - Happiest Baby On The Block

Happiest Baby on the Block

by Harvey Karp, M.D.

My baby is one, but I have to at least give a shout out to the one book that actually helped us through the first three months. Dr. Karp's 4th trimester theory made the most sense to me, especially as we were shell-shocked from early parenthood.  

In summary, his theory states that babies aren't emotionally ready to be born at 9 months,  but instead 3 months later. Therefore, since physically they MUST be born at 9 months (or thereabouts)  it becomes necessary to mimic life inside the womb as much as possible, so they will be 'the happiest babies on the block.' When thinking about this logically, of course, it makes zero sense- at least imagining babies staying in the womb for 3 additional months, that is.  'The shnook' was 15lbs at 3 months, to start. However, Karp's techniques really worked for us- the 'cuddle cure' composed of the 5 s's (Shhshing, swaddling, swinging, side lying, and sucking) definitely calmed our boy and if they didn't make him sleep, they sure made him happy, and quietly alert. 

Sleep Review #3 - The No-Cry Sleep Solution

Sleep Book Review #3 The No-Cry Sleep Solution:

Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night

by, Elizabeth Pantley

 

This was the first book I read. I was really having  a hard time with the idea of "the shnook" crying, and if he doesn't have to cry, why should he? That's what the book says, right? "No-cry" was handed down to me, and was also being passed around my group of mom friends. It seemed like everyone was using it. Despite the fact that I found Pantley's tone a little crunchy for me, and the description of her home having a "family sleep room"  was a tad bizarre (is there also a 'sex' room?), I figured I should keep reading to see what was so great about this book.

 

So when I first read this book, I think "the shnook"  was around 2 months old, and I was headed down a steep slope that would probably not level off until he was really 5 or 6 months, but of course I didn't know that at the time, and thought I was already at the bottom. I was fully aware that he slept less than other babies, even the ones that woke up every 3 hours slept more than he did. This is around when I realized that his naps were basically non-existant.

 

What I liked about this book is she made me feel like it was OK that he was waking up this much and that more often than not, babies wake up a lot more than many parents are willing to admit. In fact it is the exception when they DO sleep through the night, not when they don't. So again, I didn't feel alone, but ok lady...where are the solutions?

 

After reading the first few chapters and seeing all the logs and crap I was supposed to fill out, I kind of glazed over. I was way too tired to fill out some logs! No way, dude!! I know he sucks as a sleeper, I'm going straight to the solutions. In this way, I may have done myself a disservice because already I'm not fully invested in the process, but I digress. Back to the solutions.

 

Solutions solutions solutions, where are they? hmm...

Sleep Book Review #2 - On Becoming BabyWise

On Becoming BabyWise 

Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep

 

by Gary Ezzo M.A. and Robert Bucknam., M.D.

 

Did I say I hated HSHHC the most? I lied. This book totally sucks ass.

 

At first I thought the premise seemed realistic and doable. The authors tout Eat, then Play, then Sleep, so your baby doesn't fall asleep while nursing and has a predictable 'routine.'  That sounded pretty good. I felt like I always used nursing to get "The Shnook" to fall asleep and I really wanted him to fall asleep on his own.

 

However, from the getgo something about the tone of this book really bothered me.  For one thing, the term 'infant management' seemed bizarre to me. Consider other conjunctive uses of the the word 'management:'  

 

Anger Management 

Crisis Management 

Asset Management

 

Do you follow me?

 

The authors make it clear that their method, called 'Parent Directed Feeding' is a far superior method of parenting to the Attachment Parenting method, which uses demand feeding. 

Sleep Book Review #1 - Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child

I'm going to start with the book I can't stand the most:

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

 

Oh Marc Weissbluth, how I love to hate thee.

 

This seems to be one of those books that people either love or hate. Really, I can't understand people who love it, kind of like I can't understand people who are Scientologists or BAC. My feeling is the people who love it are people whose babies already 'kind of' slept pretty well from the get-go and just needed a little push in order to get them to sleep through the night. I could be wrong about that, but obviously it didn't work for me. For the most part, sheer mention of this book makes my blood boil.

 

Imagine you have a 4 or 5  month old baby that seems not to sleep...at all. Barely naps, like for 20 minutes at a time, and only if you jiggle him non-stop in order to make him fall asleep. Taking him on walks helps, he sleeps in the stroller and in the carseat and this is the only time you feel good about yourself b/c you actually got him to sleep, even though you're exhausted b/c you haven't rested at all.