What are your opinions of cry it out?
ByI just don’t know what to do.My 5 month old still wakes up every 3 hours at night to eat,and I just don’t know what to do.Everybody tells me I should let her cry it out,and I tried at and it broke my heart and she didn’t stop.She was a preemie,but is pretty big now(she was 4lbs2oz at birth,and is 13lbs now).Opinions,mommies?
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10 Comments
January 31st, 2010 at 8:48 pm
babies cry for a reason, and mothers are hormonally wired to respond for a reason. If you weren’t supposed to respond for your baby’s cries, it wouldn’t make your heart ache so much to leave them crying and alone.
January 31st, 2010 at 8:51 pm
i am a mother of two, and trust me, as hard as it is, its what you have to do. when she wakes up, dont get her out of bed. you can go to her, calm her down, sing, pat her back, but get her used to being in bed all night. also, try feeding her baby food before bed or thickening her bottle with baby cereal. this is how i trained both of my kids to sleep through the night. everyone sleeps better on a full stomach
January 31st, 2010 at 9:49 pm
I’ve never thought CIO was a good thing and certainly not with a baby as young as yours.
January 31st, 2010 at 10:36 pm
My opinion? CIO= Disgusting. I wouldn’t do that to my baby. My ten month old still wakes up twice a night to eat. It is no issue. He will sleep through when he is ready, just like your baby will sleep through when she is ready.
January 31st, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Crying it out is not in the baby’s best interest. I believe that all that crying it out advice came from someone who was trying to make money from publishing a book. It is something that makes it easier for parents to go about their lives as ‘normal’, meaning ‘before children’. I could not just let my baby cry it out while I went and read a book or went to bed. If your baby is crying for you, do what feels natural and go and comfort her, if it is breaking your heart, it can’t be the right way.
Don’t listen to ‘everybody’, listen to your baby.
EDIT: Just read the other comment. Never put anything in a baby’s bottle except for formula. Adding cereal is for parents who put their need for sleep ahead of baby’s needs.
January 31st, 2010 at 11:19 pm
Everyone else tells you to do it.
They are not her mommy. They don’t have her best interests at heart. They don’t have to listen to the hours of screaming while their heart is breaking.
Do what’s in your heart. If it’s breaking your heart, you’re doing something wrong. You’re baby is young. At that age, out of sight out of mind is very literal. She needs you to comfort her, and she may actually be hungry. Always remember these times don’t last forever. Someday you will desperately miss when you were her everything.
If it feels wrong to you, it probably is wrong.
January 31st, 2010 at 11:45 pm
My opinion.. dont do it.. for one your baby is WAY to young to CIO.. They are crying because they need you, if you feel that she does not NEED those feedings then try to teach her to self sooth or find something else that works.. 5 months is not bad at all.. my little guy is 6 months old and also wakes up often.. but he wakes every 2 hours!.. he did sleep very well until he was 4 months then he started to sleep horrible, waking every hour.. after weeks of that I talked to the dr and we both felt he was ready for solid food.. and he was.. he sleeps better now and wakes every 2 hours which is better than every hour.. he also just cut two teeth and now is having times where he will sleep 4 hours but its not every night.. he usually wakes up often but has good nights so i know its just a stage and also your baby is growing a a rate you wouldn’t believe.. I am not a fan of CIO, I will say that now, but i can see the need for it at the right age. With that said, 5 months is NOT the right age, your baby is still VERY young and NEEDS YOU.. I’m sorry sweety but it is just part of being a parent. Just remember in time this too shall pass
Please dont leave her to cry, it sounds like you dont want to.. She is to small in my opinion for this to be healthy for her physically or mentally..
I also wanted to say I have twins who are now 4 and woke every 2 hours for a long time and not at the same time and I survived and it passed eventually.. so hang in there and hold your little one..
Also, if she if breast fed this is not uncommon.. and if she is formula fed have you tried to increase her feedingsin the day?
February 1st, 2010 at 12:29 am
I think that there is a middle ground between crying it out and continuing to get up several times a night to feed the baby. But then again, my son is only 3 months and has been sleeping through the night wonderfully for a few weeks now…if only I could get back to sleeping…
Anyway, when your baby cries go to her. But instead of picking her up sooth her from the side of the crib. Giver her a pacifier, sing a little song, rub her tummy. Try a few strategies like this before you pick her up to feed. On the occasion that my son does wake up in the middle of the night, all that I usually have to do is give him a pacifier and rub his tummy a little and he will go back to sleep.
I would just let my baby cry while I was sipping a cup of tea downstairs, but she is probably old enough to learn how to start relaxing herself.
February 1st, 2010 at 12:58 am
i also think its to young to use CIO, shoot my son is two and still randomly wakes up once or twice.
babies cry for a reason, not because they are bored, or because they want you in there just because, they usually need comfort, assurance, new diapy, etc…. at 5 months and even beyond they still eat a lot. so 3 hours is ok. i like the suggestion of not feeding immediately, but trying other soothings. and see if you can feed a little more a little longer before you put her to bed, that might help it last.
also grab the what to expect in the first year book. it will help and gives you non-bias info on what to do for each age.
February 1st, 2010 at 1:24 am
I don’t like the cry it out thing at all, esp. with young babies. I never tried it with my son and never will, cuz i know it’ll break my heart as well. If she’s still waking up every 3 hours, she obviously needs to eat, as frustrating as that may be, and as tired as i’m sure u are that’s just how it is, lol. How much does she drink every 3 hours? Cuz maybe try increasing it just a lil at time and see if eventually giving her an ounce or more at a time will help her sleep longer, cuz now that she’s 5 months old i think trying to get her to sleep longer is fine, but it doesn’t work with every baby.
So yea i’m not big on the cry it out method at all, and for younger babies who are waking up cuz they are hungry i really not big on that.
I would say ignore the people telling u to let her cry it out and go with ur instincts on what u think is right for ur daughter, ur her mommy and mommies usually know best.
I hope this helps and good luck,
.