second night doing CIO

So last night was the second night my girls did not see my face or get a bottle for the whole evening. Nothing - nada. I don't go in their room at all. Both nights one or both girls lasted about 45 minutes to an hour. It's not screaming crying - more whining and yelling. I know this needs to be done and there is light at the end of the tunnel, but how long am I looking at? 4 days? a week? It's so hard to hear them cry - even though I know they are okay. AND - will they STTN from now on after this? I mean I'm sure I will have some nights awake due to more teething, sickness etc. But can I expect my hard work and diligence to pay off as long as I don't give in? I've never read HSHHC - I've learned everything from you ladies. Also - I've weaned them from bottle pretty much. The only bottle they get as of yesterday is one before bed. sippy cups for the rest of the day. I know some of you Moms have weaned your babes earlier than this, but my girls aren't too young to not get bottles anymore right? I'm not turning my girls into would be serial killers :huh: from weaning them too early right? Sometimes I just feel so unsure of myself - and worry about my children's well being sometimes to the point of silliness. I guess it must come from being a first time Mom and not knowing what the heck I'm doing sometimes. Thanks in advance for any encouragement and advice!

 

HI KIM,
I HAD ALOT OF SUCCESS FROM CIO, THE BEST TIPS I CAN GIVE YOU ARE STICK TO A SCHEDULE, AND USE BATH WATER..

LET ME EXPLAIN. WE DO BATH TEETH STORY WITH MILK, THEN BED..
GIVE HUGS AND KISSES CLOSE THE DOOR,

TURN ON THE BATH WATER FROM THE ROOM RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THEIR BEDROOM.. GRAB MY CELL AND WALKED OUT THE FRONT DOOR.. MADE A PHONECALL, FOR ABOUT 10 MIN..

THEN CAME IN AND LEFT THE WATER RUNNING FOR A WHILE..

I DID THIS AT NAP TIME AND BED TIME.. AND WHEN MY KIDS WERE OLD ENOUGH TO GET OUT OF THEIR BEDS,
I JUST SAID YOU WANT ME TO TURN ON THE BATH WATER RIGHT??

AND IT WORKED.. I WALK OUT THEIR ROOM AND TURN ON THE BATH WATER.. FOR ABOUT 5 MIN..

I HOPE THIS HELPS..

MINE DONT EVER WALK OUT OF THEIR ROOM, THEY KNOW BETTER.. BUT THE BATH WATER HELPS
PM ME WITH QUESTIONS.

PS I EVEN GOT MYOLDER SON TURNING ON THE BATH WATER LOL.. HE KNEW WHAT WAS COMMING..
MINE NEW SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT, DONT COME OUT OF THEIR ROOM EVER, IF ANYTHING THEY GO INTO EACHOTHERS BEDS.. AND THAT IS FINE WITH ME..

 

At 15 months, my boys took a sippy for their morning milk and lunchtime milk but still did a bottle at night. At 18 months, they were done with that night bottle. I think you are totally fine with still giving that one bottle!

I did CIO at 5 months. AThe first 2 nights were the toughest. And they did sleep through after that but like you said, they wooke with the occasional teething and sickness.

Sounds like you are doing great! Keep us updated on now the next few nights go.

 

QUOTE(****mws**** @ Feb 20 2008, 04:55 PM) [snapback]631292[/snapback]
HI KIM,
I HAD ALOT OF SUCCESS FROM CIO, THE BEST TIPS I CAN GIVE YOU ARE STICK TO A SCHEDULE, AND USE BATH WATER..

LET ME EXPLAIN. WE DO BATH TEETH STORY WITH MILK, THEN BED..
GIVE HUGS AND KISSES CLOSE THE DOOR,

TURN ON THE BATH WATER FROM THE ROOM RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THEIR BEDROOM.. GRAB MY CELL AND WALKED OUT THE FRONT DOOR.. MADE A PHONECALL, FOR ABOUT 10 MIN..

THEN CAME IN AND LEFT THE WATER RUNNING FOR A WHILE..

I DID THIS AT NAP TIME AND BED TIME.. AND WHEN MY KIDS WERE OLD ENOUGH TO GET OUT OF THEIR BEDS,
I JUST SAID YOU WANT ME TO TURN ON THE BATH WATER RIGHT??

AND IT WORKED.. I WALK OUT THEIR ROOM AND TURN ON THE BATH WATER.. FOR ABOUT 5 MIN..

I HOPE THIS HELPS..

MINE DONT EVER WALK OUT OF THEIR ROOM, THEY KNOW BETTER.. BUT THE BATH WATER HELPS
PM ME WITH QUESTIONS.

Actually - the girls go DOWN to sleep great. (knock on wood!) If you can believe this, they follow me into their bedroom and stand at their cribs at bedtime! If they make a peep for 5 minutes, that's long. I've ALWAYS put them down awake, but sleepy, so they fall asleep really well. It's the 1:30 am wake up wanting a bottle that I'm having trouble with. Carley cried from 1:30 am until 2:15 and then Natalie cried from 2:15 until 3:15. yuck!! I think running bath water at that time of night may keep them up etc. Did you do this when they woke in the middle of the night?

 

YIKES, MINE NEVER WOKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.. I KNOW WHEN THEY WERE TINY LIKE 4 MONTHS THEY WENT DOWN AND WOKE AT 4 FOR NURSING.. BUT I PUT THEM RIGHT BACK AND WHEN THEY WERE 10 MONTHS I JUST PUT THEM IN THE BACK BEDROOM, SO IF THE WOKE UP I DIDNT HEAR THEM..

AT THAT TIME I WAS ONLY GETTING AFEW HOURS SLEEP, THE BIG THING I CAN TELL YOU IS MAKE SURE ITS COMPLETELY DARK, THAT WAY THEY CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DAY AND NIGHT.

I HOPE THIS HELPS.
M

 

QUOTE
It's the 1:30 am wake up wanting a bottle that I'm having trouble with.


I know you know that at this age, it is totally out of habit so I think you need to continue to ignore them when they cry. Remember that if you go in, it kind of starts all over again because they know that if they cry long enough, they will get what they want...you!!!!

 

I did CIO very late too. My guys were about a year. I am a first time mom too and didn't know i was doing anything wrong by picking them up everytime they cried. Well, until i realized thet everyone else was sleeping fine and I was the one not sleeping! It does work and they will sleep through the night. It took mine about 5 days. They are not starving, they are eating out of habit. We cut out night feeding around 6 months and they have been fine. I think yours are waking up out of habit.
Unfortuantely, i can tell you that you will probably have to do it again. We have gone through it a few times now. Just did another round about two weeks ago. All it takes is one night of going in and picking them up and its all over. You'll be doing CIO again. So, if you are the kind of mom who will go in when they are sick, teething, etc, then be prepared. (We had the stomach flu a few weeks ago and that ruined everything! We had to go in to do the check for vomit, diarrea, yuck!) My best advice is if you feel you HAVE to go in and check on them. Don't pick them up, just pat and reassure.
Hang in there. It DOES get better!

 

We did CIO at 11 months, mine also went down without a fuss, but then woke several times thru the night to bf. We did extinction CIO also. The first night they both cried pretty much ALL night, the 2nd night ds cried for most of the night and dd didn't cry much, the 3rd night ds slept thru but dd WAILED all night, I thought we were doomed, but on the 4th night they both STTN and have ever since.
We have not had to CIO again, unless you call letting them fuss for 1-2 mins if they wake. We DO go in an comfort if they wake when sick, and when they are better they go right back to STTN again.

HTH

 

We have been lucky and not had to do full blow CIO or I think I would have caved. Now if they wake during the night I go into see what is wrong. I usually make sure they appear ok(no stinkies, puke, etc) then hug them and tell them to lay back down so I can cover them up. Sometimes it works and sometimes they still protest but I say night night and walk out of the room. My guys will fuss a few more minutes(2-3) and then go back to sleep. I learned long ago that if nothing was wrong with them that I could see but I still got them out of the crib it took me 3times as long to get them back in it.

Since they have been used to bottles during the night it might be harder for you to break. Mine gave up the night feeding on their own. Maybe you could keep a sippy of water handy. Go in, offer it, tell them night night and leave. They probably will get mad but they will eventually figure it's not worth it to scream for water.

Also do you give them a sippy of milk right before bed? My guys still have to have that.

 

I didn't have a chance to read the other responses.
I wish I had some good advice for you, but I don't . (You're probably wondering why I'm replying at this point! )

I just wanted to say that I never did CIO because I was too afraid, and I couldn't follow through. As a result, the twins have only STTN a handful of times and they are 4 YEARS OLD! And these times have only been recently. SO, my advice is to do the best you can. I wish I did it, becuse I really feel like I failed my children in providing structure for developing good sleep habits.

So, good luck! If it gets hard, think of ENDLESS sleepless nights for 4 years!

 

I did the CIO thing when mine were 11 mos...day 1 they cried for pretty much the whole night, day 2 they cried for about and hour, day 3 it was 25 minutes, day 4 15 and 15 min for the next few days...at day 7 they slept through the night and pretty much have ever since, except when teething or sick and then we had to CIO again, but they never cried for longer than 20 min again (THANK GOD!!)

You are doing great..it was the hardest thing I ever did, but as someone said it is for thier own good..they need the sleep, and so do you! Also try white noise (a fan, humidifier, etc. ) worked wonders for us...we still use the humidifier and they are 4.

Good luck and remember you are not alone, and they won't be traumatized...mine still love me ...most of the time!!!

 

Sounds like it's working exactly according to your plan! Keep with it. I suspect you'll find that after 4 or 5 days you'll have established a good pattern and they won't be waking anymore at night, or at least not bothering you about it anymore. It's really worth it--an hour of whining isn't too bad. Sure is tough to listen to though, isn't it?

 

QUOTE(HusbandJ @ Feb 22 2008, 01:50 AM) [snapback]634553[/snapback]
Sounds like it's working exactly according to your plan! Keep with it. I suspect you'll find that after 4 or 5 days you'll have established a good pattern and they won't be waking anymore at night, or at least not bothering you about it anymore. It's really worth it--an hour of whining isn't too bad. Sure is tough to listen to though, isn't it?

Yes - tremendously. The hardest thing I've had to do for their own good so far! I hope it pays off for all 3 of us!