Sleep Transitioning Saga

Watching My Baby Sleep

As I lay here watching my baby sleep during our new sleep training efforts, I have to chuckle to myself. I love these sweet moments with my son.

Pantley’s Gentle Removal Plan

One of the several techniques I am implementing with my 4 month old son is called “Pantley’s Gentle Removal Plan” from Elizabeth Pantley’s book, The No-Cry Sleep Solution.

Essentially this plan incorporates gently breaking the baby’s latch so that he or she can get accustomed to falling asleep without this association.

Pantley recommends starting with bedtime. I did this successfully the first night and then excitedly went to use it for nap time the following day.

My son makes me laugh because even at this young age, I believe his personality shines through. At night we primarily use a bassinet that side-cars next to my husband’s and my bed. During the day, my son’s naps are co-slept with me. I’m not sure why there needs to be such a stark contrast for him at this time, but I’m letting it fly so that he gets very good naps which are said to beget better nighttime sleeping.

For bedtime routine ideas, click here.

Today’s Nap Time

So I’m laying next to my baby and he’s doing that flutter suckling that nursing Mama’s know all too well. Ideally I would have broken the latch while he was still awake but drowsy, but I thought “any training is better than none”, so I proceeded to unlatch my son.

As expected, he rooted around, so I let him find me and suckle a bit. Once it became a flutter again, I silently counted to 10, and gently broke the latch again. Same thing.

The third time, I counted 1…,2…,…7… and when I got to 8, his suckle all of a sudden became more vigorous. I smiled and waited for the fluttering, then counted again.

The fourth time was much like the first two, but then on the fifth, once I counted to 10, my son broke the latch himself, and before I could think, “That’s good,” he fussed in protest and rooted. I laughed to myself realizing he had just detached himself in anticipation of what I was going to do and let me know exactly what he thought of that.

Unfortunately, that also ended the nap as he was then too agitated to go back to sleep. So I learned not to mess with him during nap time just yet. (That was just the first 24 hours of our sleep transitioning adventure. We’ll see how tonight goes.)

One Smart Baby!

When I told my husband what had happened, he laughed and praised our son for how smart he is. Shaking my head and knowing the truth of his words, I realize that some things are going to be all the more challenging because he’s smart!

Cherish Every Moment

Even though times are sometimes difficult, I cherish how small my son is and how very helpless. I  know he’ll never again be as little as he was today, and he’s twice the size he was when he was born. I have to admit, I love watching my son sleep. I love watching him during his feedings. I even love that I get to teach him how to sleep because right now he is so dependent on me and he doesn’t know a better way, even when this means will get less sleep. These moments are so very fleeting and I want to take a mental snapshot of them and remember them always.

Share your story:

What special moments have you had with your baby or child?
Tell us how smart he or she is!

“Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah”
Psalm 39:5

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Scroll to Top