Up until now Ellie has not been on a defined schedule. That is ALL changing! Ellie had been crying a lot and wasn't taking good naps. She would wake easily and her tummy was bothering her a lot. I made another pediatrician appointment for yesterday and saw a different doctor. This doctor told me that Ellie needed a schedule with specific sleep times and she also needed to learn how to self soothe. Whew! Hearing this was so hard. I had waited for this little angel for so long and I just wanted to spoil her as much as possible. I've mentioned previously that we've co-slept with Ellie since birth. She wouldn't sleep any other way.
After we got home from our appointment yesterday afternoon I began the transition into scheduling sleep.
E.A.S.Y.
Eat
Activity
Sleep
Yourself
The acronym is pretty self explanatory. Ellie eats. I then burp her and change her diaper if I haven't already. I sit her in the bouncy seat and we play with our toys and I read to her sometimes as well. (I actually read a Charlaine Harris book to her aloud this morning- haha.) When I see her getting a little sleepy, I get her up and swaddle her and rock her for a few minutes before returning her to the bassinet. If she wakes I check on her after about 15 minutes or so, hold her hand for a minute or two and then leave again.Surprisingly enough this is a great system. Until now Ellie had been eating every 2 hours! It left little to no time for me to do anything. I was a little concerned at the frequency of her feedings as was the pediatrician. Since yesterday, I've been able to stretch out her feedings as well as have her sleep in her bassinet by my side of the bed. Brandon slept in the guest room last night since he had to leave early to drive to Mississippi for the day. Ellie did so much better than I expected and was able to be calmed down by holding my hand during the night. I did miss my snuggles with my little princess, but I felt great knowing that she was safely swaddled next to me in her own sleep space.
It will definitely take us some time to completely adjust to this schedule and new sleeping arrangements, but we can do it.
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| Watching Mommy dry her hair and put on make up. She's mesmerized by the hairdryer! |
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| "It's a wonderful day to be nude!" At the pediatrician's office waiting for the doctor to come in. |
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| This may be one of my favorite pictures of her. I'm so in love with my little girl. |
So glad that this is working out for you. I love that picture of Ellie, such a doll.
ReplyDeleteJust remember, follow your instincts and do what you think is best. Doctor's don't always know best, and often times, suggest things that don't make sense. Doctors are medical experts, not parenting experts, and there are many different parenting styles. Do what feels best for you and Ellie! :)
ReplyDeleteHi :-) we're followed that schedule since day one. Its great. Read babywise. Its fantastic and follows that schedule. My boy is a great sleeper because of that book. My nap issues I had for a while we're solved when I started burping my boy every 5mins so wind didnt wake him at nap time xx
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