ssh/p...wait or go straight in?

[Claudiamummy]

Hi all,

I am planning on "going for it" with DD within the next couple of days and start on the 4 hour EASY, .....

she is 17 weeks (on sunday) and a chronic short napper (30 mins)...W2S has helped get the morning sleep back (it dissapeared on holiday!!)we have followed EASY ethic, but have let ourselves slip into rocking to sleep and walking her around...I am currently working on this and have started a windown and into cot 20 mins B4 sleep time regime (have been doing this for a few days)

but next week, its time to try and sort ther short naps...I am preparing for the carnage when I try and put her back to sleep  after one of her lilttle catnaps but I wondered, should I start as soon as she wakes OR let her fuss it out a bit (she only ever put herself back to sleep in the morning, where has her ONLY decent sleep of 1.40mins, and I plan to try and extend this)

I am also a bit worried about "keeping strong" when she is screaming and wanting me to pick her up...

And finally, I know that all our little bubs are different and if this IS just DD's  pattern, at what point do I "give in" and work around her little naps (altough she is really OT by bedtime, she rarely wakes up crying...just loses it when its time to go for the next nap, although as I say BT is usually a screamfest for an hour)

I have been gently trying to go to the 4 hour EASY....we dont have a set w/u or BT yet but this IS going to start next week.....

All thoughts/advice appreciated

[deckchariot]

You will probably find the sleep training bit gets much, much easier once EASY is established.  Often the short naps are due to inappropriate A times, so sorting those out helps out naps.  With our dd2 (who we've just weaned from bfing and rocking to sleep), we do the wind down, put her down awake and head out the door (if she's quiet).  Then we wait.  If she's just fussing (not really crying, just a blip here and there or even a bit of a mantra cry) we leave her to it.  We've found that in 10 min or so all goes quiet.  If the cry is constant, not a mantra or escalates, then I go in and shh/pat (actually we just shh as she doesn't like the pat any more).  We plan to do it for 40 min, but only once have we had to, usually she's out in less than 10.  If she goes 40 min, then we take a 10ish min break out of the crib and start over.  For nap extension, I only do it for 20 min (I have another bub at home) and then consider the nap a bust and just shorten the next A time.

I know some moms who wear earplugs to cope with the crying or put on headphones and listen to music (that was my plan, but I always forget to bring the ipod with me in the room....).

Good luck!!!

[Claudiamummy]

Thanks deckchariot that is REALLY helpful....nice to have a bit of reference and someone's experience on this one

[deckchariot]

there are loads of us who've btdt and we are happy to support others!!!  We're still not all the way there on independent sleep with dd2, but we've come soooooooooooo far, and I can definitely say that it is worth it!!  Let me know how you get on!