13 month old flew out of his crib!!

[Costarican mom]

As some of u know, from previous posts, I started sleep training with my son when he was 9 months old, and within two weeks or so, he was sleeping thru the night, beautifully.  Sadly the bliss lasted only two months, since his mollars started coming in, and he caught a nasty virus... a lot of accidental parenting later, I have a toddler who is rocked and fed (bottle) to sleep, and who will wake up at least once during the night...at which time he needs me to rock him back to sleep..sometimes, not even that, he won't go down unless I bring him into our bed.  Sleep training the first time around was so hard on the both of us, that I've been dreading starting it all over again...plus, his eyeteeth are coming in, so it just doesn't seem like a good time.
Anyhow, 3 nights ago, I just hit an old time low, and yes, I'm ashamed to admit, I decided to let him CIO.  After an hour of trying to put him back to sleep, I told him I was sorry, but that I was going to my room... and I left for 5 minutes sharp...at which time his Dad went in to try and calm him down... and left the room again.  I was waiting for it to be 10 more minutes to go back in... but around minute 7, we heard this huge thump and ran to his room.... my child was so hysterical that he jumped from his crib!!!!!  To this day, we have no clue how he managed to do it, because the bars are pretty high... I guess he was just going ballistic and had some sort of adrenaline rush...who the heck knows!  Needless to say that after he was done crying, I started to cry, I felt so guilty and like such a terrible Mom for putting him thru that....  :cry:   Thank God he wasn't hurt...it was an absolute miracle.
He's too young to put him in a regular bed...but I'm terrified that he'll jump again.... so now, as soon as he peeps, I'm next to his crib... sadly, I think this only makes his waking habits, even worse.  I've been bringing him over to my bed the last 2 nights, when he wakes up... but I'm really tired, 'cause nobody sleeps well....
What should I do?  I dread sleep training once again...and he seems so miserable from his eyeteeth...should I wait until he's done with that?  How do I go about training him at this age?

[Private]

Since he is only 13 months, he is still very little. 

Unfortunately, my son jumped from his crib at 8 months....

You may have to slowly just stop letting him sleep in your bed, and stop going in their as much.

I know it is easier than done, but my son was a crier and a screamer, my daughter is easy...

One night of letting him cry it out....it was an hour! I know that's bad, but after that it stopped.  Sometimes the 15-30 minute rule isn't enough. Especially if you have a stubborn child.

Cold turkey sounds rough, but sometimes that is the only way.....

My son  is 4 and my daughter is 2.  My son now is the easy one!

Let us know how it works out!

[claytonsmum]

My son did this to me at just about a year old.  I had enough one day of his refusal to eat or do anything, and it was time for nap.  He was screaming, and I left him in the room in his crib, and I walked away.  He gave me this look like "How could you, mommy?" and then I shut the door.  A couple minutes later, I heard the same BOOOM - and I went into his room (I KNEW what had happened from the sound) and there he was, sitting on his bottom with his eyes as big as the moon  :shock:  :shock:  :shock: in utter disbelief about the fact that he was now on the floor.

We have wood floors... I think what could have happened...  and I went into silent panic mode, just holding him while he screamed a different scream than I had EVER heard.  I checked for broken bones, and looked for signs of what had hit first.  I will never know, but he did not have a scratch or a bruise on him.  Thank God, my husband was just pulling into the driveway about 5 minutes later, and I just handed him to my husband, told him he fell/jumped out of the crib.  I told him to use his skills as a former EMT to check for damage.  I went in the other room and LOST IT.  I was so devastated.  I felt the same way you describe BUT...

Please don't feel like a horrible mum - you are NOT.  I am not.  We all fall short of perfection, and you are trying your best.  Don't beat yourself up for this.  Love covers over a multitude of wrongdoings.

Bonus for you is you have a "teaching" opportunity.  Don't underestimate the power of what happened - the fear of falling out of the crib again should be enough to keep your little one from doing it again hopefully.  It did for Clayton - for months he was afraid to go near the side even.  Tell your little one about falling and tell them not to do it again and be careful.  They can understand more than we know, I think.  You can ease up on racing to the crib side I think.

My daughter slept with me always and is now 13.  She wanted her own bed in her room when she was about 4 or 5.  It was never an issue since she was such a great baby.  My son is a different story - crib right from the start.  Never brought him into bed with us, never will.  He is a touchy/spirited/grumpy...   :roll: 

My thoughts are this - you should go back to the principal of start as you mean to go on, as Tracy said.  I would go back to sleep training - it will work and it will perhaps help make teething easier on all of you.  Do it gradually, help your little one through the rough spots and teach to self-soothe.  We did sleep training very early, and refused to do the accidental parenting things much while he was sick or teething, but if we did a few things for his comfort, we always tried to go back as soon as possible so as not to set up a bad habit.

If you do it right and with consistency, the first week can be bad, but it should get better each night.  The first night you have to expect it to be horrid.  Whatever you decide, know we are all thinking of you and that you are a loving, wonderful, beautiful mum.

Hugs...

[Costarican mom]

Thanks so much....although I wish nobody would have to go thru the panic of seeing ur baby fall from the crib, it is kind of comforting knowing that others have been in my same exact situation.  It's just that at 3 am you don't seem to be as patient as u might be during the day I guess.... who knows...thing is, I don't think I'll ever try CIO on him...I'm just too afraid he'll jump again, or get that hysterical, even if he doesn't jump.  Truth is, I can't go back to sleep anyways when he's screaming that way... so if I'm going to be up, I'd rather be by his side, teaching him how to go back to sleep.  Although I'm sure he was quite scared by the experience, judging from other situations, I'm not so sure he wouldn't do it again... or that he'll be afraid of it all together... he's kind of a "no fear" baby at times... which is scary sometimes.
Anyhow, I guess I will have to start the sleep training which I am so much dreading right now... maybe it won't be as bad this time around?!  Who knows...  :?   I do think though, that I'll give him a couple of weeks to see if his teeth are finally out...just to eliminate that one factor and maybe make it a tad easier on the both of us. (maybe I'm just stalling.... )  :shock:   Thanks for the advice.

[claytonsmum]

One last encouraging thought - when we've gotten off a routine or away from "proper" sleeping techniques, once we go back to it, it's actually easier than what I remember it being like the first time.  I think you'll have an easier go of it this time.  The best part is that he's been through it already, and hopefully will remember.    I am not an advocate of CIO - it just does not sit well with me - we do PU/PD or go in and out of the room, staying close by. 

And, us too!!!  No one can sleep (except our daughter) when he is crying!   

Whatever you do, keep smiling and know that your love for your baby will help.  You're a great mom!!!

[evanskimberley]

I know it goes aginst some of the 'rules' but does he have a dummy? I know at this age you may not want to introduce one, but it may be what he needs to help his teeth pain.
I weaned DD off the paci at 4mo, but gave it back once her top teeth started to hurt cos it was the only thing that would calm her down. So many of my friends say they couldn't have coped with teething if tit wasn't for the paci. It doesn't stop her ability to self soothe, she can do that and some nights doesn't have the dummy at all, she jst has it when her teeth are bothering her.

[Costarican mom]

When I led the first sleep training process, I switched his old pacifiers for new ones, and he hated them, and dropped the habit completely, on his own.  He was addicted to that thing!!!!!!  I don't know if I want to reintroduce it, to be honest.... Nevertheless, the other day he found an old one I hadn't thrown away, and inmediately he was going to pop it in his mouth!!! I swept it from his hands and threw it away inmediately 'cause I dread the thought of going back to that! 
At this point though, I am quite desperate...last night he woke up twice... the first time, it took me like a half an hour to get him back to sleep... the second time around though, it was like an hour and a half...plus, he was running a high fever!!  :cry: So now I guess there's sickness added to the equation!   I did notice him sucking and sucking on this medicine bottle that has a top that very much resembles a pacifier...maybe I will go back to it... I don't know!!
I'll keep u guys posted.