45 minutes on the dot
Here’s my first attempt at a real life post.
Naptime around here, for the past two weeks, has been anything but restful. Well, it’s been restful for the first 45 minutes and then it is chaos.
Before I go any further, let me say that I am a Babywise mom, which surprises even me!
Before having a child (key words there), I was under the impression that Babywise people put their baby on a strict schedule and let their baby cry hours on end in their crib.
This, however, couldn’t be further than the truth. And I learned that after A) becoming a parent and having to decided which parenting method works best for my child and our family as a whole and B) reading the entire Babywise book cover to cover, that Babywise teaches about routine feedings within a preset, flexible time frame.
I find it interesting how advocates of different parenting methods are so quick to judge each other!
The way I see it is this: Each parent needs to consider their own baby and chose the parenting method that fits their baby and their lifestyle.
As for me and my family, we have chosen Babywise. 
For me, my goal has always been to just have a happy baby. A happy baby makes for a happy mom.
My problem is this: Little Bug gets on a routine and it is wonderful for both of us. Little Bug gets off her routine and life gets difficult for both of us.
Currently, I am trying to find a balance. And I think balance just may lie in not holding my standards so high and expecting Little Bug to do Babywise like the book says!
There is this blog out there that is a wonderful reference for anyone doing Babywise: Chronicles of a Babywise Mom
It’s just a typical Babywise mom who started the blog to give other Babywise moms a reference. She has 3 children: a 4 year old boy, 2 year old girl and an 8 month old baby girl.
While I LOVE her blog, it sometimes irks me that she seems to be able to get her kids to do Babywise with ease!
Then I read a comment that someone left on her blog. They were basically saying that while they do Babywise, they have tweaked things here and there to accommodate the individual needs of their household.
I think that may be where I am with Little Bug.
Back to naps …
So, I lay Little Bug down for a nap and she goes to sleep (no crying on most occasions). But then at the 45 minute mark to. the. dot. she wakes up.
Now this is not unusual for any baby because babies go through a sleep transition anywhere from 30-45 minutes of falling asleep. Many wake up during this sleep transition. Babywise teaches you to leave baby be and let them settle back to sleep. Or you could rush in to your crying baby and get them up only to have a tired cranky baby because they didn’t get a good nap in…
At 3 months old, I chose to let Little Bug start crying it out until she went back to sleep as long as I was 100% sure the cries were sleepy cries and not hunger cries.
It didn’t take long and we were over that hump. Little Bug, as a general rule, is a good napper.
So now we are back to waking right at 45 minutes every single nap! So frustrating!
Today, thinking there could be a slight chance that she was hungry because her eating was way whacky yesterday, I went ahead and got her up.
She would not eat.
So we played and then ate at the four hour mark from her last bottle.
Then it came time for her afternoon nap. She went right to sleep but woke after 45 minutes. (This is actually kinda funny. I was watching the clock and, right on the nose, she woke up!)
So I let her find her way back to sleep and she is now in Sleep Land once again.
You know, this feels good writing all this out! I’d been feeling like my blog was boring and not an accurate picture at all of life with a 6 month old!
Well, that’s about to change.
Life is anything but boring with a 6 month old and if you hang around you will soon see and I will have something Little Bug will really enjoy reading once she can!!
*****
NOTE: I wrote the above post a couple days ago…
I’ll soon be posting about Little Bug’s naps because I think I may have discovered the problem and fixed it.
THANK YOU, JESUS!
Little Bug went to bed for her morning nap today with absolutely no crying, and …
after 1.5 hours she is is still sleeping!
AND … that 45 minute mark … SILENT!
I’ll also be writing soon about what God’s taught me through these recent insane days.
Labels: 45 minute nap intruder
12 People have left comments on this post
I have to say that after having 3 babies myself I'm learning there is a while new facet to babies out there! I never read a book, I just followed my instincts and there is so much education that I blew off that could have helped me and my girls. I can't wait to share this method with Heaven!
That is awesome girl! So happy for all of you!
I had to laugh, it does sound so frustrating! 45 minutes is not long enough for a mommy to relax and refresh. I sure hope our little squirt is a good napper…
I really like the babywise approach, I have read about half of the book, and I also like baby whisperer. I won't know for sure what to do until he comes but I feel secure in the knowledge I have about the EASY routine, survival mode, and all that.
Thanks for the real life post!
If only our babies could read, they might follow the Babywise method! Oh well, someday you will probably look back on this period of your life and laugh.
i am a babywise mom too but like you i had to tweak a bit. i think that's the sign of a good parent….read what is out there and then do what is best for you kid…even if it means incorporating a few different methods. glad little bug is over of the hump.
YAY Babywise! Do you remember reading the part about the "45 minute intruder?" It is SOO true! I am a Babywise mom too!
Like I commented a few posts ago, life is always changing with a baby! Just when you think you have a good solid routine, it changes.
We did Babywise too, not to the tee but just like you said a few tweaks here and there. I think what's hard when you have a good sleeper is that when they don't sleep you know they aren't getting what they need, you know they are going to be cranky and fussy and clingy which is unusual for them. I think that was the hardest for me.
I will say though, our little guy is so happy and healthy and everyone has commented on how good of a temperament he's had since birth. I think a HUGE part of that is that he has gotten the rest he needs because we really focused on getting him to bed and making it a priority. My husband asked me a few months ago what I think it is that makes him so smart and happy and I seriously think it is because he's gotten that precious sleep that his body needs.
If you need to bounce ideas off someone who has used Babywise (I have a little one who just turned three) you can always email me. I am one of those type a personalities who wrote down every time he nursed and slept for his first 18 months so I've got data to go back and look at. Sad, I know.
We loved Baby Wise!
I like baby whisperer. I have SERIOUS concerns about Babywise.
Read http://www.ezzo.info/voices.htm for more information.
Gary Ezzo's children are estranged from him. I wouldn't follow his advice. EVER. (I hope you'll pray about this before advocating his stuff, and I don't mind if you don't publish this comment.)
"His family does not reflect the promises in his books. It seems obvious that an advisor on healthy family life should have a healthy, functional family of his or her own. The Ezzos' children are presently estranged from their parents. This is particularly troubling since the Ezzos say the goal of their program is friendship with adult children and urge that parenting philosophies, including their own, be judged by "observ[ing] the end results."
November 2002 — Jennifer and Paul Luedke (one of the Ezzos' daughters and her husband) cut off contact with her parents after much prayer, consideration and counsel, based on their personal observation of the same types of issues raised by the LHEF elders. Their hope is that the relationships will be restored following the Ezzos' repentence. (Editor's note: This has not happened; if it does, it will be noted on this timeline.)
Source: emails on file from Paul Luedke, dated January 25, 2006 and July 31, 2008
August 2008–In the wake of a rumor to the contrary, I verified that Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo remain estranged from their daughters.
Source: Email from Paul Luedke on file
Book A Day -
My intent is not to debate over or even discuss different parenting methods, but this I will say:
This is precisely why I have tweaked things and don't do Babywise "exactly like the book"
Looking forward to your follow up post about the secret!!
You mentioned you may have discovered the culprit. . . but if not, try doing an eat/wake/eat/sleep routine. That works for a lot of babies, especially with the 45 min intruder.