do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep?

[rancher hicks]

I've had four and at that age, I don't think you can spoil them.

On the other hand if they're clean, fed and dry, AND your at you wits end so to speak put them down and let them cry til you get it back together.
I don't know of any baby who ever cried themselves to death. So if your losing it put them down and take a break. Yes I know the OP is not losing it but someone who reads this might be. It does not make you a bad parent.

They grow up to fast not to hold them.

 

[Highlander]

Personally I would never let a baby cry themselves to sleep either, however having said that, I would be cautious about letting them fall asleep on me every night also. I would be concerned about them getting into the habit that mum's chest is the only place to fall asleep and setting yourself in for a long hard road later on. Now is the time to teach them (because they do need to be taught how to do it IMO) that their cot is a safe place and its OK to fall asleep in there. Tracy Hogg, the Baby Whisperer wrote a fabulous book which I followed with my daughter and I would recommend it to anyone with a new baby.

But, as another poster said, this is YOUR baby, and you do whatever you are comfortable with. This is just my opinion. Good luck

 

[Karrie13]

Congratulations!

When my two were infants I didn’t let them cry themselves to sleep but as they got older 8 months or so, I gradually stopped going to them when I knew they were clean, fed, and safe. Sometimes they would cry for a few minutes but went right to sleep. They are both really good kids now so I don’t think any harm was done to them.

Whatever you decide, she is YOUR daughter. Do what YOU feel is best for her. They don’t come with instruction manuals (even though we wish they did) so you take care of her as you feel best. You are bound to make mistakes along the way, but they are mistakes you will learn from and if you do have another child you wont make the same mistakes. You will make new ones!!

 

[pokey]

ok, i just was wondering what you guys thought. she sleeps like a charm during the day, not holding or rocking her, i think she is just fighting sleep at night still. during the day she doesn't want a pacifier but sometimes at night it helps soothe her. she just wants to spit it out 3 minutes after i lay down to sleep so i wind up getting back to her to give it back to her about 6 or 7 times. i am thinking this stage will pass, (dear GOD PLEASE) lol, i just want to do the best method to help her get into a good pattern of sleep. she has the eating and pooping down pat already.

 

[Lucky Ducky]

You should always do what feels right to you in regards to your baby. The best advice that could be given to any new parent is to block out ALL advice and do what feels right and good to you.

I personally never let my babies cry themselves to sleep, except for one 24 hour period with my first daughter when we tried it on advice from our doctor. NOONE got any sleep and when my husband came home from work to me crying on the porch and the baby crying in the house, he said enough of this crap. We never tried it again.

I breastfed ( still nursing one ) and my babies slept/ sleep with me. I tried sooo hard with our first to do everything right according to all of the information that I was reading but with my second child I did things my way. My oldest was put in her own bed and I'd get up in the night to feed her and put her back in her bed. My other two I kept in the bed with me. Not one of them slept entirely through the night until they were weaned either.

When weaning them, they went to Granny's house and spent the weekend because even after reading ALL of the books telling me how to wean them, it did not work for me. My oldest ask for me one time the whole weekend!!!! My son was the same. When it's time my youngest will go there too. It was alot less stressfull on everyone.


Dr. Sears and his wife have written several books on attachment parenting. I have one and it does contain some good info. I would reccommend(sp?) their books over most of the other ones out there.

These days are different from when you were a baby. Heck, my mom was knocked out to have me and woke up to a baby on her belly. No one breastfed then either. My mom chose what was best for her then and I made the my choices for what was best for me and my kiddos. My mom was nice enough to leave me alone about my choices because if she questioned them, I told her this is what I am doing and why. Maybe if you arm yourself with info to show her she'll see things in a different light.


ETA: It could be that she is hungry because they go through growth spurts around 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 9 weeks and 3 months. When they do they seem to want to eat ALL the time.

 

[texaschickmama]

Oh, I forgot to add, that you are welcome to bring her to my house so you can get some sleep, I PROMISE I won't spoil her, PROMISE!!!!

 

[wohneli]

find and watch "The happiest baby on the block" dvd

 

[Bring]

I have three children. 3 weeks is too young to be letting the baby cry to sleep. Especially if you are nursing. They will usually go to sleep while nursing. I wouldn't allow the baby to cry to sleep until a sleep pattern is established. Babies that young cry for a reason, not just to cry. It also establishes trust between you and the baby. Baby will learn she/he can depend on you. Enjoy everything about having a baby. even the stinky diapers and sleepless nights. THey grow up so fast you will miss it.

 

[shelleyd2008]

It's not possible to 'spoil' an infant, but they can become accustomed to doing things a certain way. Personally, I would not hold the baby to put her to sleep. Setting her on your chest helps her sleep because she can hear your heartbeat. It's comforting to her because that's what she is used to.
I did that with my first son, held him to put him to sleep. I was forever with a baby on my hip, until I had to 'replace' him with the new baby. It was so bad with him, that if I would try to lay him down, he would wake up.
With my second, it was the exact opposite. I almost never held him. With my third, I found a happy medium (though he still won't sleep in his own bed

).

Make sure that she is fed and dry, and try gently patting her back (or chest) while she is in her crib. This way, she knows that you are there, but she is not getting used to being held all the time. That's my two cents.

ETA: Tight swaddling helps too.

 

[briana1975]

I rocked both my boys to sleep. Yes it is spoiling them. I set myself up for sleeping problems in the future which at age 6 and 9 they are finally over. But I was still in their room each night singing them to sleep until they were 4 and 7. I would honestly do it the same way again. They will never be babies again.