Please read these books

I know I know more advice. I just often go on the birth to one year thread and too many moms there are having sleeping difficulties with their babies. Most moms I know that have their babies sleeping well have read these two books and I've yet to hear anything bad about them. The problem is, if you wait and read them AFTER the babies are born, you just dont' have the time or focus to really understand it. I bring this up because I'm reading these books AGAIN because I have another baby due soon. (3 under 17 months)

So the first book is Happiest baby on the block --- great for the first 3 months. There is also a video which I'd guess is great for dads. I only read the book. The first couple months is just survival mode and this helps.

Then Healthy sleep habits happy child. --- this book respects if you want to breastfeed (bf), formula, family bed, CIO, etc etc and gives you choices based on your decisions. It is really based on sleep studies and it really works well.

I was very lucky and was sent these books before the babies were born and when you are on bedrest it sure helps you feel like you are accomplishing something. I hope you find the time read these books.

Heather

 

Heather, thank you for this post. :good:

 

I totally agree. I had the DVD for Happiest Baby on tbe Block...a great tool for soothing babies.

I then read "Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child". My boys are now 18 months old and are fantastic sleepers. They sleep from 6pm til 6am EVERY night (well...except when really sick) and still take great naps.

Every expectant mommy should have these. Absolute musts in my opinion.

Cary

 

I'm going to chime in that Happy Sleep Habits didn't work for me and I'm convinced it's because I didn't read it until the end of month 2! READ IT NOW...I'm up at 5:30 every morning and not b/c I want to be!

 

Happiest Baby on he Block saved my sanity! I read it after several sleepless nights and it worked like a charm.

Does Healthy Sleep Habits advocate crying it out? I've never read it and I'm interested, but I know that I won't follow it if it requires CIO.

 

Thank you! I read, "The No-Cry Sleep Solution"... also a very good book for moms who can't bear to have their kids "cry it out"

 

Yup, those are my bibles. I also followed a bit of the Baby Whisperer's advice.

 

Healthy sleep habits happy child --- allows the parents to make decisions on what style is best for them and then gives them how-to. I loosly used the term CIO but this is not the basis of this book, and it describes all the various methods like "soothing" "extinction method" and then you choose what style you want. You will find most twin moms on here don't believe in CIO in the first 3 months, but by 4.5 months we might consider 20 min. cry to allow the baby to learn to self - sooth. I guess that is why I liked the book and most moms do as well, because of there not being a hard and fast rules.

We all have our own mother instincts and we learn to get to know our child. We all have our ideas on how we want to parent. This is OUR chance to parent the way we think things need to be done. Everyone else has had their chance, this is OURS. At the same time, I did find in that first year that just when you think you know them, they change. I remember saying that just when I was about to give myself the "mommy of the year medal" the twins changed that week / month and I missed out on the ceremony. I would often go to the books and look up their ages to know what was on the horizon.

Heather

 

I guess I'm the odd one because I abhor parenting books. Every single book gives advice that may or may not work for your child and then tells you that ultimately all kids are individuals and you should do what works for you. It leaves me wondering why you need the book in the first place if what is truly required is experimentation and following your own instincts? So, I studied my babies rather than books. It worked great for us!

I did like What to Expect in the First Year because it gives milestone information so I didn't have to worry about whether they were on track developmentally.

 

QUOTE(heathertwins @ Mar 14 2009, 10:40 PM) [snapback]1228535[/snapback]
Healthy sleep habits happy child --- allows the parents to make decisions on what style is best for them and then gives them how-to. I loosly used the term CIO but this is not the basis of this book, and it describes all the various methods like "soothing" "extinction method" and then you choose what style you want. You will find most twin moms on here don't believe in CIO in the first 3 months, but by 4.5 months we might consider 20 min. cry to allow the baby to learn to self - sooth. I guess that is why I liked the book and most moms do as well, because of there not being a hard and fast rules.

We all have our own mother instincts and we learn to get to know our child. We all have our ideas on how we want to parent. This is OUR chance to parent the way we think things need to be done. Everyone else has had their chance, this is OURS. At the same time, I did find in that first year that just when you think you know them, they change. I remember saying that just when I was about to give myself the "mommy of the year medal" the twins changed that week / month and I missed out on the ceremony. I would often go to the books and look up their ages to know what was on the horizon.

Heather



Thanks for clarifying. I didn't mean to sound like I'm anti-CIO, it's just something that didn't feel comfortable to me in the past. Of course I've never had to deal with two babies at the same time so I might be singing a different tune in a few months. One thing I've learned about parenting is to never say never.

 

HSHHC SAVED MY LIFE.. DEF RECOMMEND!