At this point, Micah goes to sleep at 7:30. I do a dream feed at 10:00. Then he wakes up on his own around 12:30-1 because he notices that his pacifier is not in his mouth. He cries, we respond immediately so that we can get some sleep. Then he is up again around 2, with the same issue. He goes right to sleep after the pacifier is back in, and he is up again at around 3-4 to eat. Then our day starts around 6:30-7.
This, of course, wasn't the case when he was right next to me in his co-sleeper bassinet. I only had to nurse him once, and although he probably woke up for me to put the pacifier in his mouth all I had to do was reach over.
I have created a little baby who is dependent on the pacifier.
Does this sound familiar?
He doesn't use it much during the day anymore, but it is the key to getting him to relax enough to sleep. Micah has always been a good little sucker. Hehe.
It sounds to me like we need to figure out how to break him of the pacifier, if we want to get better rest. With that said, it is recommended to have an infant sleep with a pacifier until they are nine months old, to help decrease the chance of SIDS.
Like I've said before, conflicting things, conflicting things!
What to do?
He is also starting to try to roll over from back to front. He does this while in his swaddle, so I have had to start trying to wean him from swaddling. It is a difficult thing. One that takes time and a lot of effort and patience.
Do you want to know another cycle that is happening? When he is awake in the crib, trying to go to sleep he decides to take the pacifier out of his mouth with his free hand. Then he will cry for us to put the pacifier back in his mouth! This is a vicious cycle because we are trying to wean him from the swaddle, but it is hard when he won't stop taking the pacifier out and crying because he has done so!
I don't think I should try and wean him from the pacifier and the swaddle simultaneously... I have a feeling we would go weeks with even less sleep! However, I just have to be consistent about leaving one arm out of his swaddle for naps. Then maybe he will get used to this, and then I can leave one arm out at night…then we can gradually move to two arms out.
Who would have thought there is so much to think about, worry about, and stress about, with a little tiny baby!?
My good friend, Ashley, said it took her A LOT of time and patience, but eventually her girls were swaddle-free!
I know it will take Micah quite some time, too!
Until next time...
