Requesting help and advice for numerous issues with my 4.5 month old

[deb]

It's Winter and germs are everywhere - don't jump to conclusions! 

I'd say as long as she's at a 3 or below on a "sick scale" of 10, go ahead and keep on trying if you can. We found that Day One was hard, Day Two was even harder, and Day Three we really started to see a turnaround, so I'd at least give it another day if you can (or if she lets you  ). If she REALLY is resisting, like going backwards instead of holding steady, then go ahead and APOP - Accidental Parenting On Purpose LOL - and then start again when she's feeling better.

That's what I'd do, anyway.

[Nikkirod]

Thanks for the advice. She's at a 3 so I'm going to follow your advice.

I am really needing her to give in to this, I can't take much more crying. It is getting easier but still difficult. It's day 5. How old was your LO when you did this?

[deb]

We were probably closer to 7 months with my older one; I remember quite the kerfuffle over getting her off her pacifier/soother. We wouldn't have bothered had it not been waking her every couple hours at night.

Anyway, if it's getting "easier," I'd give it another day just to see if it doesn't help. And again, if she needs more comfort to get her thru the time she's sick, you've gotten this far and know more about her and you and some tricks of the trade, so not as hard to get started after she's feeling better.

[Markrod]

Hi this is Nikki's husband.  I've been hearing about your advice and have really appreciated it.  I've actually been urging Nikki to push ahead even when it's tough at times.  But then today I had a really tough day and read through the posts and decided I really want advice too.

I started a thread with a question about Nikki nursing between pick ups and put downs.  Here's the link: Nursing between PU/PDs

If you have the chance to read it, I would be really interested to hear what you both think.

[becj86]

That will make it much tougher on them both. I've posted on your other thread.

[deb]

I'd be inclined to NOT nurse between pu & pd's. If nursing before nap to calm, that's one thing, can be a sleep prop, but then on days when Mom can't be there and it's up to Dad, then what? I'd work on breaking that association gradually but surely.

How is she feeling? Any better with the cold?

[Nikkirod]

Deb--so sweet of you to ask about her cold.  She is just fine.  Some coughing but it's mild for sure and didn't get worse today.

I appreciate the advice about nursing.  We did it without nursing today.  It was god awful.  She caught on pretty fast.  Ultimately she ended up laying down, babbling, and going to sleep.  I felt like the worst mother alive.  I sang a short song to her while she was in my arms after the pick up, about ten seconds.  I figured it would help her feel like she knew what was going on.  She would get antsy at the end, going what was happening, but it did work.

Question:  DD has started getting very worked up during the nap/bedtime routine.  DH found that as soon as he put her pajamas on her she would cry (during naps today) and I found the same thing at night.  It was startling.  Is this normal?  Will this wane?  I was proud that she had a great relationship to sleep before.  Granted I was nursing her like crazy.  But she liked to sleep.  Now it seems she's traumatized.  Will this go away?

[deb]

Can you switch it up by not changing her for sleep? For first A time when i kept J in her room for the whole time, i was able to give her a low-key A time and then when she got sleepy it was an easier transition, in part I think because there was less routine for her to get worked up over.

BTW, laying down, babbling herself to sleep? That's huge. Babbling may turn out to be her way of self-soothing.