Many parents still do "co-sleeping", so it's not as taboo as you think. It never worked for us, and I really like my own space away from my kids, but it does work for many breastfeeding moms as an option.
My 9 month old (who is bottle fed) was having terrible separation anxiety, starting about 6 months, and just wanted to be held at night. It makes sense, actually, and there may not be anything wrong with your grandson. My advice:
1. Rule out any medical conditions through pediatrician
2. Have parents read: No Cry Sleep Solution book and The Baby Whisperer
3. Write down the times of each feeding, asleep and wake times, as well as night awakenings...it is amazing that the little babies actually have some predictable schedules of their own, and it is helpful to see it in writing (they can then use this information to begin shifting some of the times/feedings to a more reasonable schedule)
I read five books regarding sleep, everything from the "let him cry it out" to "no crying at all", and it really is up to the parents what they feel is best for their family and their son. We tried the "let him cry it out" and it did not work for us; my other friends said it worked great. We followed The Baby Whisperer book with my first son and it was helpful; the book that helped us most with our second son was the No Cry Sleep Solution.
I know it is awful to be sleep deprived as the mom, and I have found the 9 month mark to be MUCH better at the "sleep training", although they do want to start good routines now. Much of what I have learned with my two boys: consistency with bedtime routine, consistency with nap routine, consistency with feeding schedule. It does not have to be rigid, but the more consistent the parents are (and it is hard), the better most healthy babies do with sleep. They may need another 4 months until they see real results, or they may see some improvement within a few weeks.
The only way my husband and I managed with the lack of sleep is to take shifts, so we knew we would at least get 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. The dad can give a bottle full of breastmilk for a few feedings. If she does not want to give any bottles, I would suggest talking with other exclusive-breastfeeding moms for advice on how they coped, what strategies they tried. Does she have any other mom friends, or belong to any mom's clubs? There are some great breastfeeding mom discussion boards online, if she would like those resources!
I hope she can hang in there! It DOES get better with each passing developmental mark (6 month is a biggie). The nine month mark has been the biggest positive change, and we are getting 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep...it will happen for her!
Is she worried about any medical conditions that she needs to talk with the pediatrician about? One word of caution about pediatricians: they only receive about 5 hours of training total for sleep issues, and as much as I love our pediatrician, he did not give good sleep advice to us. She can take all the advice and information she can get, and then apply it to her situation and her child and see what feels right, what doesn't.
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Many parents still do "co-sleeping", so it's not as taboo as you think. It never worked for us, and I really like my own space away from my kids, but it does work for many breastfeeding moms as an option.
My 9 month old (who is bottle fed) was having terrible separation anxiety, starting about 6 months, and just wanted to be held at night. It makes sense, actually, and there may not be anything wrong with your grandson. My advice:
1. Rule out any medical conditions through pediatrician
2. Have parents read: No Cry Sleep Solution book and The Baby Whisperer
3. Write down the times of each feeding, asleep and wake times, as well as night awakenings...it is amazing that the little babies actually have some predictable schedules of their own, and it is helpful to see it in writing (they can then use this information to begin shifting some of the times/feedings to a more reasonable schedule)
I read five books regarding sleep, everything from the "let him cry it out" to "no crying at all", and it really is up to the parents what they feel is best for their family and their son. We tried the "let him cry it out" and it did not work for us; my other friends said it worked great. We followed The Baby Whisperer book with my first son and it was helpful; the book that helped us most with our second son was the No Cry Sleep Solution.
I know it is awful to be sleep deprived as the mom, and I have found the 9 month mark to be MUCH better at the "sleep training", although they do want to start good routines now. Much of what I have learned with my two boys: consistency with bedtime routine, consistency with nap routine, consistency with feeding schedule. It does not have to be rigid, but the more consistent the parents are (and it is hard), the better most healthy babies do with sleep. They may need another 4 months until they see real results, or they may see some improvement within a few weeks.
The only way my husband and I managed with the lack of sleep is to take shifts, so we knew we would at least get 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. The dad can give a bottle full of breastmilk for a few feedings. If she does not want to give any bottles, I would suggest talking with other exclusive-breastfeeding moms for advice on how they coped, what strategies they tried. Does she have any other mom friends, or belong to any mom's clubs? There are some great breastfeeding mom discussion boards online, if she would like those resources!
I hope she can hang in there! It DOES get better with each passing developmental mark (6 month is a biggie). The nine month mark has been the biggest positive change, and we are getting 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep...it will happen for her!
Is she worried about any medical conditions that she needs to talk with the pediatrician about? One word of caution about pediatricians: they only receive about 5 hours of training total for sleep issues, and as much as I love our pediatrician, he did not give good sleep advice to us. She can take all the advice and information she can get, and then apply it to her situation and her child and see what feels right, what doesn't.
January 15, 2011 - 8:55pmThis Comment
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