Robbie and I recently got into a discussion about "crying it out." He said that according to other parents we shouldn't pick up Naomi every time she cries. We could be spoiling her, she's not learning to comfort herself and we should let her cry it out, he said. We didn't come to a consensus on the subject, so we agreed to research it.
The Ferber method, better known as crying it out, was developed by pediatrician Richard Ferber. He is the author of Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems. Basically, Ferber recommends putting your child once she reaches 3 or 4 months to sleep following a warm, loving bedtime routine and then putting her in the crib awake. Then, you leave her, even if she cries. You let her cry for one minute before re-entering the room, gradually increasing the time increments to 10 minutes over seven days or longer. Parents can pat and comfort their child upon re-entering the room, but should not pick her up. This is what I read about on Baby Center.
I am not a fan of crying, period. I don't even like the sound of phones ringing. So, I guess some might say I'm bad about picking up Naomi when she cries. It just breaks my heart to see those tiny tears well up in her eyes. Not to mention the ear-piercing screams.
The Ferber method, from what I have read, is a technique to encourage your infant to soothe himself or herself to sleep. I didn't find anything that said we should try this in the daylight hours, which is what my husband seemed to suggest. I am trying not to pick up Naomi at the first whimper, instead I'm trying:
- Talking to her without picking her up
Offering a new toy (she gets bored)
Patting her on the back
Getting on the floor and interacting with her
These are things I'm doing in the daytime because, honestly, she sleeps through most nights. She doesn't soothe herself to sleep. I rock and sing her to sleep. Sometimes I read to her. And I don't mind doing that. I just always have Twinkle Twinkle Little Star stuck in my head.
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