Sleep Training

It officially begins tonight. Dot had her four month doctor's appointment today. She's really four and a half months, but with the move and all we got a little bit behind schedule. We've got the doctor's go ahead to slowly cut out the nightly feedings, and hopefully begin the full nights of rest.

We'll see if it works.

I've been trying (with out eliminating feedings) to get her to sleep through the night for the past two months. When I go in her room she nurses, and that's it. I don't make eye contact, I don't rock her, I don't speak. I literally stand over her crib and wait for her to finish. When she's done she gets a binky and I lay her back down. This has helped with getting her back to sleep after she eats. She used to try and stay up to play after the 3 am feeding. So we're definetly headed the right direction.

Now, taking the next step, we're going to start slowly moving back the feedings. Instead of 12:00-2:00-4:00-6:00, we'll push back 12:00 and hopefully just have 1:00-3:00-5:00 for the first week. Then push back the 3:00 leaving us with 1:00-4:00. and continuing until we're making it through the night. The idea is just to condition her stomach to go for longer periods without food at night. We'll still be doing the every two hour thing during the day.

The pediatrician said that if we stick to it she should be sleeping all night in a month, right around the time of my birthday. That would be the best present Dot could give me.

Hopefully it will work. I need it to work. Wish us luck!