Monday, May 05, 2008

Cry it out

As I type this, my baby girl is crying.

I have two more minutes on the clock until I go in and pat her, stroke her head, offer a pacifier, and leave again.

I really do think it's a good idea for her to learn to put herself to sleep. I have the nerves of steel required to listen to her scream and not run in and cuddle her.

But I feel so bad for what she must be thinking. "they've abandoned me. why won't anybody come? where's mommy? where's the breast?"

*sigh*

It's time for my ten-minute check-in. Wish me luck.

5 comments:

April said...

It's so hard, December. We did this with Kingsley at just shortly after her four-month "birthday." BEST.DECISION.EVER. She cried for a long time that first night, and that was it. No tears at all the next night.

We went from waking every 1.5-2 hours to nurse back to sleep to waking once per night. Life is glorious.

You're doing her a favor by teaching her to sleep now instead of waiting until it really gets hard as a toddler. Good job, Mama.

BigP's Heather said...

Good Luck!

Aurelia said...

Your first commenter sounds like one of the very few exceptional good cases...I really hope this does work after only one night, because it never worked with us, and the few people I know who toughed it out, took weeks and weeks of screaming every single night and every single daytime nap, and after every baby illness--they had to start all over again.

I'm not trying to be unsupportive here, just saying, I hope you can steel yourself for longer than a few days. And I hope she stays healthy.

Take care, hon.

moplans said...

crap. I hated this. HATED the crying. the guilt. but I hated the cranky nonsleeper more.
I hope it works for you.

Cibele said...

I feeel for ou, it is hard... but it is for her owm good. Good luck. I'll have to do teh same with my baby girl.