Baby Wise Is So Very Wise

Alright - I know that the book BabyWise can be very controversial, but today I don't care.  I LOVE IT!!!

I read the book while we were pregnant with Pumpkin.  I have many people in my life - family and friends - who have implemented these principles with raising their little ones and they are just such content children.  I fully intended to implement this with Pumpkin right away.

Well, when we got home we went through the nursing issues and then finding the right formula issues and I feel like I was just trying to keep my head above water for the first 5 or 6 weeks.  Plus, she kind of put herself on her own schedule and quickly moved to going around 4 hours between feedings.  That schedule quickly turned into crazy days of feeding at irregular times, not sleeping well during the day, or not sleeping at all and a generally fussy baby.  If she did go to sleep during the day - she usually woke up in the middle of the nap and wouldn't go back down and always woke up crying.  She still slept well at night (5-6 hour stretches) and I guess that is why I just kept fighting through my days.  Plus we were loosely using some of the BabyWise principles, but not all of them.

Until last Monday.  I was sitting during one of her nap times (she was actually sleeping!) and realized that there was no kind of routine in our lives.  Nothing.  Sure, we would wake, feed, play, then nap - but most days she didn't know when to expect that.  In that moment, I decided to implement the principles of BabyWise.  We needed a routine.  This momma thrives on routine - why wouldn't my baby thrive on routine???  Now - it's not this rigid schedule.  It's just a daily routine.  She eats at about the same times every day (just like we do as adults), we play for a bit and then she naps.  Then when she wakes, we do it all again.

All the difference in the world!!  One happy momma and one content baby.  She is no longer starving before we can get a bottle to her mouth.  She wakes up happy.  If she wakes up in the middle of her nap - she puts herself back to sleep without crying.  She goes down for a nap with little to no crying.  She is still sleeping well at night.  We have only been at this for a week - but so far so good.

I highly recommend this to any new parent.  It's only controversial because some people take it and become slaves to the clock.  You are not a slave to the clock.  It's a routine for you and your baby that makes life livable.  Be flexible, but be consistent.  Here's to hopefully another great week ahead that will continue!