I'm Sold!

I'm officially calling myself a Baby Whisperer!

My friend Kristin lent me a copy of Tracy Hogg's Baby Whisperer, and I realized there was a book, and a method, I hadn't tried. I could never do Babywise, and didn't agree with Dr. Sears, and while I use a lot of the methods to calm a baby from The Happiest Baby on the Block, it didn't really answer my questions about how to organize the chaos going around in this house. I liked Hogg's approach because while she purports a regular routine of eating, awake time, sleeping and "you" time (E.A.S.Y.), it's really flexible and it doesn't involve "crying it out." The idea is if the baby cries, you pick him up and comfort him, but as soon as he is comforted, you put him back down again, and you avoid habits such as having to hold and/or nurse a baby to get him to sleep. It's about understanding your baby, and what his cries actually mean, and responding appropriately.

Well, I love it. I wasn't sure, at first, because after all this is baby #4 and I've never been able to implement any sort of schedule at all. But this one is flexible enough that I could actually do it, and I can't BELIEVE the difference! It's really truly possible for a Molhoek baby to go three hours between feedings! It's possible to have predictablity in my day. It's possible to leave him with a sitter without getting panicky and sweaty worrying that he'll cry the whole time. I didn't realize how much better it was until Cole and I got sick this week and the schedule was blown to bits. I was back to "demand" nursing and the household immediately went chaotic all over again.

(I can SO hear the rousing chorus of "I told you so's" ringing in my head)

Anyway, the next goal is to get him to sleep in the bassinet at night (which he actually did, for four hours, last night). It's going to require a lot of comforting and putting him back, but according to this book, it should take only 3 days for him to get out of the habit of sleeping with me. I will do this when we are both healthy again, and I'll keep you updated.

I'm hoping I feel better for Thanksgiving. No fun being sick and having a sick baby! Our only thing to do today is to go to Kohl's to buy matching sweaters for the boys. Picture time coming up!