An alternative pat/shh technique that worked miracles for me!

[koe2moe]

i wish i had known this a year ago!! hehe thanks for sharing  

[pixelbox]

Hi
For those who have successfully used Poole's method on side sleepers, do you push the bum towards the baby's back or towards his side?
I propped my LO on his side (at around 45 degrees), but the "bum-push" seems a little awkward. Would really appreciate some description for those who had done the "bum-push".

[aidenmc]

I have had a little success this morning with ds on his back (can't easily put him on his side as he is swaddled in a miracle blanket). I find that if I put my hand on his left hip and kind of push in towards his body he seems to respond okay. Really it is a kind of jiggle. I wonder how much the movement is what soothes them. Anyway, I have managed to get ds fall asleep in his crib for the last 3 sleeps doing it this way (I'm sure it mostly has to do with timing and darkness, etc., but I will go with this). Granted i am pushing a bit long (even while he is quiet and drifting off), but I figure if it eases the transition to falling asleep in the crib I will go with it and gradually reduce it over time.

This is our first string of successes so I think it might be the jiggling aspect that works? On their side I would imagine you would push towards his head, otherwise he might get tippy iykwim? However, I figure if you find something that works with you go for it!

[NetMouse]

I tried it on my back sleeper too today, with a very rough approximation of the movement, and it was very successful. I just put a hand on her chest and sort of patted/pushed her thigh/crotch area with a rhythmic "shshsh". That seemed to be enough to calm her down. I slowed it down when she was calmer then escaped as soon as poss. For two naps I had to go in several times, and at bedtime not at all. I hope it lasts! This is a definite improvement on shh/pat for ages, which was actually starting to annoy her... She seems to go to sleep better without me, at least today!!!

[aidenmc]

Netmouse - that sounds like just the way I am doing it. I am too scared to leave the room or even his side yet though. I am still keeping a hand on him until he is pretty much asleep.  . But I just got him down in his crib for the third nap today this way and without any crying either! Up until last night I was patting and some rocking in my arms usually until he was asleep.

Am hoping I can gradually move to the point when I can escape.

[Schweethart]

I just starting trying this the past 2 days.  I've got a baby who rolls from side to side though while she settles herself.  She also gets up on her knees and hands to rock and is generally all over the place while I'm trying to push her bum!  LOL  I find I have to get her more settled in my arms so that she's not so active once I lay her down.

[*Jo*]

there is another way to do pat/sh that we did, as Caleb was a refluxer and didnt like being patted on his back we patted the mattress instead, so exactly the same as doing it on the back, firm and rythmic but just did it on the mattress near his head. we found this worked just as well and because he was sleeping on his back we didnt have to move him. perhaps you could try that as well?

[pixelbox]

Aidenmc and Netmouse: how long were your kids' naps using this method? Were you able to extend naps past the first sleep cycle? I was able to get LO to sleep using the bum-push (or a variation of it on my side sleeper), but was not very successful at extending LO's naps. Will try again later.

Thanks OP!

[aidenmc]

pixelbox - both the first two naps were 1.5 hours each. I went up for the first to httj but didn't really need to. The second nap I didn't go up. This is a definite improvement over the usual 45 minute to 1 hour naps we normally get. I can sometimes extend using httj, but only every couple of days or so.  I also sometimes extend by nursing and/or holding and rocking and patting. Have not tried to extend using this method or real s/p.

So, I thought I was doing so well. Third nap was a little harder to get him down but no actual crying. However he woke after I left his room and i tried for 1hr 20 to get him back to sleep and no go. So, he basically had 20 minutes sleep from 1:40 to bedtime and he was pretty hard to settle at bedtime (I couldn't get close to the crib with him awake as i had enough trouble getting his feed into him). Guess tomorrow is another day.

[alethiaperry]

OK, this is working brilliantly for us!  Thank you for sharing.

[*Amy*]

Leath did you use this for nap extension as well? did you wait for Wylie to cry constantly or did you go in before this happened?

[alethiaperry]

Amy- yes, I used this for nap extensions as well and yes I waited for a constant cry.  Really working for us.  Especially when he's on his tummy.

[j9mchn]

Oh wow this post has bumped up again!!  So glad to hear people are having some great success like I have.
My lo is now 9 months and I can still use the technique.  I recently had to do some settling "retraining" after he was sick where I was feeding him all the time to ensure he was gettign the fluids he needed.  Inevitably this became a habit when he was well.  Two naps doing this technique and we're back on track again!

Sorry to those people I did do a video all that time ago - but could never get it uploaded to youtube - I have even tried again just recently and no joy!

[*Amy*]

I think I am going in too late - resulting in OT!
When you say a constant cry do you mean - wa wa wa wa with no break?
My little one does cry but stops for a few seconds and then starts again??

[NetMouse]

I just do it on the "Does she need me?" instinct and it seems to work so far. She doesn't cry as constantly as when i'm sitting by her doing ssh/pat.