I'm not sure if I'm using props which are going to backfire for me someday, and that is something I certainly do NOT want to do. Could you help me out?
My LO is 3 months, and spirited/textbook/reflux (but not terrible reflux). I got
The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems when he was about 2 months! I was losing it b/c I couldn't get him to go to sleep. He is so "spirited" that he has a hard time winding down, no matter how tired he is. He just wants to look around, move, etc... So I started using the strategies of routines and SP. His nap routine is this: darken his room, loosely swaddle (arms out now), paci, turn him on his side with face in my chest, rock vigorously until he relaxes, and SP (but I pat his little diaper butt
) His is his bedtime routine: jamies/diaper change with soft music, bottle/dark room/still music, and if necessary (meaning he's not sleepy and calm yet) paci, side, rock, and SP. (I got the book,
Happiest Baby on the Block
, and that is where I learned swaddle, side position, suck, swing (rock). It was working for me a little, but not enough. Anyway, I got Tracy's book and started the routine AND I TRIED to have his sit quietly in my lap like Tracy suggests, but he goes crazy. So that is when I started the routine I wrote above. It seems the only thing that will relax him is to rock and do the other things I mentioned. Usually it only takes 2 minutes and he is calm and sleepy. Sometimes if he is overtired/overstimulated it takes longer, but if he doesn't calm within 10 minutes i give up and try later (meaning I get him up). Reason is that I can sit there for an hour, and that kid is not going to sleep. Either he is not tired enough or TOO tired. So when he is calm and sleepy, I stop rocking, but continue SP. Then I put him in his crib, ut in the paci and SP if needed. (If I don't use a paci, he will wrestle around endlessly) It used to take me 30 min to an hour to get him down, but now it's usually less than 10 minutes unless he is OT/OS. When he falls asleep, the paci can fall out, and he won't wake up, but at the 45 min mark, I usually have to put it back in and SP. And sometimes he won't go back to sleep at all at 45. So my question is... are the rocking and paci a prop? What about anything else I am doing? I do want to wean him of the paci within the next month. I am just scared to do it!!
That kid loves that paci!!! He only uses it to fall asleep, but boy if we are out, and I forget it, he usually won't sleep. Also, when we are out, at someone else's house, at church w/him in the nursery, he usually won't go to sleep UNLESS we are in the car and he is wiped out. What do you think? Do I have issues that I need to post in a different topic? I wasn't sure if PROPS is the right place. I have talked to someone in NAPS about the 45 minute thing. I know this is long. I apologize. Just wanted to make sure I explained thoroughly. Thanks for your help.
