Finally, I can rock my baby to sleep

Tagged with: baby, breastfeeding, mom

by Sabrina Garibian posted in Mom Stories

I don’t know if I should be celebrating or tip-toeing, but Raffi will finally let me rock him to sleep….

EIGHT. MONTHS. LATER.

In the early days I could do this chicken-dance-esque rocking that was so vigorous my right arm developed Popeye muscles, but that faded fast. After a quick stint of breastfeeding to sleep I was left letting my little penguin cry himself to sleep. Oh, was it awful. For a few months I would clench my teeth, turn up the TV and stare at the video monitor until I saw him finally give in to sweet slumber.

I don’t know the moment it happened, but recently, from one day to the next, he let me rock him to sleep. He put his head against my shoulder and babbled while rubbing his hand on my neck until his eyes closed. Every time it happens now I close my own eyes, take a deep breath of baby smell, and try to tuck that precious moment into my pocket of memories to never forget.

With another sleep tool in my arsenal, I can hardly hear a single whine before I swoop back into his room, scoop him up and help him get more sleepy. I ‘ve selfishly been rocking him all the way to sleep sometimes, and I wonder if it’s a mistake. He was doing really well with his self soothing, but it’s so much nicer to hold him gently until his eyes shut and he’s entered dreamworld.

Since I started this rocking business he gets mad on days I put him down awake if he isn’t ready. Often, after 50 rocks back and forth, I put him down sleepy but awake and he watches me leave the room without making a peep. Other times I try to do that and he panics when I put him down, crawling over to the edge of the crib and reaching for me through the slats as I close his door. It’s heartbreaking and I can’t bear to leave him to do his 3 minute hysterical pre-nap cry anymore.

Am I doing him a disservice by rocking him when he’s been putting himself to sleep (albeit violently with 3-5 minutes of hard crying) for months? What would you do? He’s 8 months old, sleeping through the night (10.5-11.5 straight hours), and very newly snuggly.

Sabrina, of RhodeyGirl Tests, had her first boy in September 2011 with her husband Trig. At the time of this post Raffi was 8 months old and Sabrina was still obsessed with sleep. You can read other related posts on her blog.

Read more from source:“babycenter-com-baby”