hard to put down

hi any tips on how to put my 3mth old boy to bed - he is calm and quiet and fed, burped bathed etc - but as soon as you put him down he screams....wakes himself up totally so have to start the whole calming down process again

bit young i should think to cry it out? any other ideas? thanks!

3 months is quite young and kids this age don't try to "play you" yet. You can certainly pick him up but if he's fine otherwise it seems a bit of "attitude adjustment" is needed.


"Try letting him cry it out for 10 mins then go in and pat him while calmly telling him its time to sleep. Ten wait another 10 and go in again..... etc. The hardest part is staying calm yourself! Goodluck."


I agree with this advice but would revise the time to 8 minutes (on the advice of a pediatrician). Don't just abandon the baby until he stops crying. Use a watch since those 8 minutes are going to be the longest in your life! Keep going in every 8 minutes even if you feel that doing so just sets him off again. When you go in, don't turn on the light and don't pick him up! Very briefly give him a kiss and a pat and calmly say good night. You need to be in and out within 15-20 seconds.


Eventually baby will fall asleep on his own. It may take a few days/weeks but he will. Take notes every day so that you can watch your son's progress.


If you keep picking him up he will feel that the crib is a place to be "rescued from" instead of a place of comfort and safety.


Our older girl could keep this up for 40-50 minutes when she was 7 months. Quite hard on the parents. After about 20 minutes her pajamas would be so soaked with tears we had to change them, but that's only a problem if your baby is standing up.

Have a look at Elizabeth Pantley's website for some ideas. Please don't let your baby scream. If you meet your baby's needs, they will go away faster and your baby will be more secure in its knowledge that someone cares. Even Richard Ferber(who wrote the book on it!) does not believe in letting a baby of this age cry it out.

"Please don't let your baby scream"


Under six months this is typically valid. I did mention that they don't "play you" before this age. But on the other hand in this situation maybe getting used to sleeping while down is a good idea.


Then again I would agree with Ruth that there is a reason and you should try to find it.

3 months is still tiny, they are only small for such a short time, make the most of it and cuddle them as much as they want or need. Time enough for them to sleep by themselves when they're bigger.

Hi


When you put your baby in the cot, try and tuck baby bolsters at his side and maybe a soft light blanket on his chest or tummy for the first half an hour...typically babies wake up when the feeling of snugness that they are experiencing in your arms or lap gets replaced by the feeling of being in the cot on their own.....by doing this they get a feeling that they are still being held from all sides and this feeling is very comforting


Also definitely swaddle while baby is in ur arms...makes the transition to cot easier


All the best