Difficult Wind-Down Period!!

[Ladybird]

We have been doing the same routine with our dd now for a couple of months for bedtime which is supposed to be bath/story + bottle/bed
however the story/windown bit is very difficult

She only tries to grab at the book I am reading and so my aim of having a quiet 10mins never works (and i know that Tracey stresses the importance of the S's for bedtime) if I dont let her have it she screams and has a tantrum

Tried putting her in crib and giving her the bottle there while reading the story but she pushes the bottle away and tries to roll over,

Any suggestions on how to get her to have 10mins wind down/relax with me prior to sleep. I would say in most ways she is a spirited/touchy baby as she likes to be with me etc and is very happy most of time but she is not a very cuddly baby, doesnt like too have a nice quiet cuddle

[SEP's Mom]

I had a very similiar question/post, but you put it more eloquently.  I tend to blab on and on and never get to the point.  My son isn't the cuddly type either.  He's always alert with eyes wide open taking everything in.  If I hold him, he's playing with my hair or clothes, giggling, and looking behind me, to the left of me, and to the right of me trying to see what he's missing out on.  Today for the first time I resorted to trying the swing.  He was quietly taking everything in.  I stepped away and when I came back he was playing with the straps.  Everything is a game to him.  Before bed I read to him and he plays with the pages.  We've always let him somewhat.  Maybe we shouldn't.  Us holding him or him sitting in our lap doing nothing will lead to him being fussy.  We have sat down on the floor with him and only allowed him to have one teddy bear.  Maybe we'll try that again.  If he gets bored of that, he fusses.  If he doesn't get bored, he's playing with it.  Is that really unwinding?  When we put him down, he plays with his feet and rolls around.  We swaddle him to keep him contained.  Sometimes that calms him, but sometimes he fights it.  With him being 7 months old, he's too old for that, and we are constantly reswaddling him, which isn't too calming and he often thinks of as a game.

Question:  What are you referring to when you say Tracey stresses the importance of the S's for bedtime?

[Ladybird]

In Traceys first book she talks about the four 's's for bedtime,

setting the stage, swaddling, sitting and shush/pat. 

Setting the stage is all about getting a routine going like
getting some nice music on, closing blinds etc.  Then
you're supposed to swaddle your baby (which I dont as she fought that one from the age of about 1 month!!!! liked to sleep with arms outstretched and would wriggle and scream til she got her arms out!)
and sit holding him/her for up to 5 minutes till they are calm. 
Finally you put him in his cot on his side and pat his
back and go 'shhhh' to help them concentrate on
something.

The last bit is different for our babies as they are older so its just the hand on the back and no shhhing, just words. I say 'its ok mummys here, its just time for a sleep' but looks like for you and me the setting the stage is going pearshaped..lol

we do bath etc but Autumn sounds exactly the same as your little chap, maybe they are going to be geniuses all the info they must be taking in!

[micah'smom]

i am laughing out loud at this post b.c my ds is the same way! i had always pictured my baby sweet and serene in my arms but instead he likes to arch his back, look at the world upside down, turn his head side to side, etc. when i fed him in the middle of the night last night i fell asleep (Bf'd him on our bed) and i woke up to him staring at the red numbers on our clock.  :shock:

i've been adjusting our wind-down - i sit him on my lap and massage his feet slowly, or rub his legs a little. after 10 minutes of doing that with no or little talking i THEN go into our wind-down - dark room, put him on my shoulder, no movement, soft singing, then total silence for a couple minutes.

our spirited babies keep us on our toes!

[Mrs Pickers]

Hi Guys

I am new mum to Beth, 3 months. Reading your posts with interest. Beth is def. touchy/spirited where sleep is concerned. I still haven't quite mastered the wind down bit as Beth too, is always fidgeting or looking around, not one for cuddling!  Let me know if you've got any tips for getting spirited babies to sleep once calm. Beth always seems wide awake as soon as I put her in the cot, arching her back, head up with eyes popping out of her head!!

Thanks
Rosie

[Aarismom]

Wind downs for bed are supposed to take ten minutes?!......... :oops:

Actually, ours takes up to a half hour, occasionally more if she's overtired. We have a 10-15 min bath time (she LOVES the bath...spends all her energy kicking, splashing, laughing, etc. no matter how tired she is). Then we spend another 10-15 with a light massage, getting into jammies, swaddled, and finally, while she takes the bottle, we read to her. She usually fusses right before the bottle because she's pretty tired and a little hungry. Then whoever decides to feed her holds her against the chest, locks down one arm to the side (we keep both arms unswaddled, she likes it that way), and she starts sucking her thumb. We sing 3 quiet songs to her, rock her during the songs, and pop her in the crib drowsy but awake. Sometimes she fusses a little before drifting off to sleep, other times she goes right to sleep.

This ends up being more daddy time than anything...her bedtime is 6 pm, and he gets home at 5:30.

So we have a long wind down period...I think we like it this way because during the week we're both home during this time, and it's more personal. She's pretty spirited around bedtime, and the long wind down really helps calm her down.

*HUGS*
Sonya =P