Cry it Out (CIO): Owen vs. Sleep part III

You may not know this but I am a believer in the CIO (cry it out) method of getting Owen to sleep. We'll see if I can put it into practice. HA HA. It all sounds easier said than done. Since Owen was fussy during the early weeks and cried even when you held him and rocked him, it's easier to put him down and let him cry because it seems he'll cry one way or another.

When he is screeching, I find it much harder to let him screech vs. the waa waa type of cry but I've been reading this blog, Chronicles of a Babywise Mom for inspiration. Basically, this mom encourages you to start with CIO and just keep on keeping on. Let me tell you friends, I am serious about my sleep but I'm not sure I can be as vigilant as she is; however, I cannot continue sleeping with 2 hour interruptions in 6 months. I just can't. I think I will melt like the witch in the Wizard of Oz.

In my 8 weeks of experience, Owen does have a magic window as discussed by the Sleep Lady if I miss this window it become infinitely HARDER for him to nap or go to bed at night. So you have to keep a watch on the clock: he is now able to have awake time for 1.5 hours, an improvement, for sure. For all you mom's struggling out there I'll post his *rough* schedule -- it was hard for me to get a routine down but I think of it like this, all the other errands I'd love to be out doing will happen when he has more awake time. For now sleep is more important for a growing baby. Right now, I'm his mommy and that's the first priority, everything else takes a back seat.

Owen sleeps on his tummy. He sleeps way better this way. I do worry about SIDS but frankly I slept on my tummy so did Matt and so did you, reader. This stuff about sleeping on the back is great IF your baby will sleep on his back, but Owen won't. If you are going to attempt this you should know what my pediatrician and midwife told me:

1) no loose blankets
2) baby must have GREAT and strong head control and be able to pick his head up and move it easily to the other side and vice versa
3) room should be warm but not too warm
4) have a firm mattress with tight fitting sheet
5) make this decision knowing that the stats show 60% less SIDS while sleeping on back.
6) baby should be 10 pounds (rough guideline)

Typical schedule

10PM down for bed-- up every 2-3 hours to nurse for 10-20 minutes but right back to sleep. Hoping to reduce this to one nursing interruption by 12 weeks but for now he seems hungry and goes right back to sleep, so it works for me.

5AM: inevitable grunting and awakening -- usually I try to let him "work this out on his own" but occasionally he needs to be propped up a tad (boppy). I THINK he's experiencing his bowels beginning to move after a nights rest.
6AM awake and talking, I nurse him if I didn't at the 5AM grunt session
7:15-7:30 - down for a one hour nap (Owen determined this nap session, he just likes to sleep for a quick hour here)
8:30 awake, I talk to him, he talks back, a good time for bouncy chair or Baby Bjorn and I nurse him after 2 hours from his last feeding.
10-10:30AM nap time -- put him down for a nap and let him cry if he doesn't like it. I don't pick him up unless it's screeching. Repeat until he sleeps.
Noon: usually he wakes up after 2 hours, nurse 20 minutes
12:30: awake time
2:00PM put him down for a nap (again, I let him cry -- it lasts no longer than 10 minutes and is typically the ahhh whaaa type, personally I think he's talking to me)
4PM awake, nurse him
4:30: awake time
6PM: nap time (this one is tough because at night he's fussier and resists more) I plan to be firm about letting him cry through this session in the future.
8PM awake - nurse,
8:30: play, massage, bath time, change clothes, swaddle, sing to him. We are in the process of establishing a firm night time routine so we can eventually hand this over to a babysitter and get out for an evening. At 3-4 months I will move his bed time closer to 7PM, as most babies apparently begin to sleep 12 hours (HAHA, I laugh at this notion)
10PM: nurse and a put to bed in his crib in the other room (formally bassinet)

Notes: if he wakes up early from his nap, I let him cry for a while, but if he's gotten 45 minutes of sleep, I let him stay in his crib on his back if he'll be content (sometimes) otherwise, it's up to play until next feeding time or at least 2 hours from last nursing. I've read that every 45 minutes babies experience "active" sleep where they come out of a deep sleep and drift into a short period of light sleep where they are liable to make some noises, cry and shift around. Don't touch them for 5 minutes during this time... see if they put themselves back to sleep or alternatively go in and pat, pat, pat their back until they quiet down.

Any advice, or comments are welcome here : )