Sleep Training!

Month 1:

When Esha was born - she started off in the pack and play next to the bed.  Friends warned me, once you bring her into bed, she never leaves till she is FIVE! So pack and play it was.  With nursing every 3 hours and countless waking moments, my broken back begged me to bring her into bed - night feeds would just be so much easier.  So the shift was made.  Esha got on my bed, Priyank got out of the bed, and the king bed search began. I would like to add - I would never recommend this on a spring mattress.  Our foam mattress allowed us to move without having her being affected.

Months 2-3: 

I thoroughly enjoyed co-sleeping.  I was all about the family bed - it just worked.  I could feed her without moving much .. she was next to me .. I could watch her all night long.  It was heaven. 

Month 4-5: 

Our king mattress/bed was ordered. I went back to work.  People started asking the annoying question - Is she sleeping through the night? At first, I was like - I hope so ...soon! And then as weeks went by and my work got crazy, instead of improvement, I noticed a sleep regression.  There was a week or two where I saw her sleep 6-7 hours at a stretch .. but not anymore. She was up every 3 hours and some times every 2 hours!  I was getting NO sleep. I was also using the boob to pacify (folks warned me about this) - but in the middle of the night and in the state of my extreme fatigue - it was my easiest option! 

Month 5: 

Sleep training reading begins.  Of course I couldn't bear to hear her cry for even a second.  So I read the No Cry Sleep solution. Then I got Healthy Sleep habits book. The books went on and on about suggestions - but couldnt find anything that I already wasn't doing.  I already had a bed time ritual set - feed, massage, warm bath, lullaby, cuddle time, bed time. Only issue was instead of putting her to bed awake, I was rocked her to sleep and then placed her quietly down and tippitoed out. I knew that was the issue - but the books provided me no solution.  Finally, I decided that a change needed to happen - So I read "Solve your child's sleep problems" by the defamed Dr. Ferber or commonly known as the Cry it out (CIO) guy!  This might be horrifying to many of you .. but P and I made the decision to Ferberize our lil baby! 

Month 6:

So one fine week .. after she turned 6 months, and while Priyank was away at work, I decided to give it a go.  I had read that once you make the decision, you can't go back.  Cause then the baby learns your breaking point and knows how much to cry before you give in. I had to do it when Priyank was away as clearly, I am the stronger one and he is a total softy when it comes to the darling daughter. Night 1 was horrible - horrible horrible!! But it also was the 1st night she slept from 9p to 7a EVER! I blamed it on the fatigue from crying.  Night 2 .. was not half as bad .. but still more crying than I would ever have wanted.  Night 3 was pleasantly better.  By Night 4 .. I hardly heard a peep.  

It's now been nearly 4 weeks since we ferberized - and the girl still sleeps through the night!!!!! 

So yes - I will recommend this method to my friends if they say they have a similar issue, I will do this on my next child, and I don't have any regrets. I know there will be plenty more opps in the future where she will have to be retrained (vacations, sickness etc.) ... but hopefully it won't have to  be this bad!