How do i get my 2 mos old to sleep w/o rocking him?

My DS is a great sleeper. He naps during the day in his stroller or swing ( longer in the swing) and at night he sleeps in his crib from 9-7am. The only time i rock him to sleep is at night, but with the stroller and the swing i guess he is always moving before he falls to sleep. My doctor is urging me to break this habit now since it will only get harder as time goes on. I have tried putting DS in his crib after his bottle at night, and just leaving him there, but he just kicks and squeels until he eventually cries. Not ready to let him CIO. Any other suggestions?

Re: How do i get my 2 mos old to sleep w/o rocking him?

I think at 2 months old just be very consistent in trying to put him down in the crib. I found that my DD napped first in the crib before she slept at night in the crib. It was right around 2-3 months that she started sleeping at night in the crib also.

I have to agree with your pediatrician. I am very glad that my dd likes to sleep in her crib and has since an early age. It's harder to break habits like that later on.

Re: How do i get my 2 mos old to sleep w/o rocking him?

Honestly, IMO, I would just keep rocking him. I rocked my DD to sleep until she was 6 months and then I worked down to just some cuddles and then in the crib. It was really not an issue at all. When they are that little I would just say to stick with anything that works.

Re: How do i get my 2 mos old to sleep w/o rocking him?

Re: How do i get my 2 mos old to sleep w/o rocking him?

I swaddled him and put him to sleep on his side with his pacifier. he would spit out the pacifier about 4 times. I would keep sticking it back in and eventually he would fall asleep.

Re: How do i get my 2 mos old to sleep w/o rocking him?

DS is 4 months and I still rock him! I know eventually I will have to stop but honestly, he sleeps so well and I work all day so rocking him is such a nice bonding time!

I have put DS down a few times drowsy and he has put himself to sleep, but not consistently! Most of the time he just gets mad and is more awake by the I get him out.

Personally at 2 months I feel just be consistent and do what works for you and your baby.

ETA: As my SILs pediatrician said...No married man needs his mom to rock him to sleep so at this point, just do what works and go from there.

Message edited 4/27/2008 9:24:01 PM.

Re: How do i get my 2 mos old to sleep w/o rocking him?

2 months is still very early. I rocked DS until he was almost 4-5 months.

Re: How do i get my 2 mos old to sleep w/o rocking him?

Re: How do i get my 2 mos old to sleep w/o rocking him?

DS had a very specific position for falling asleep. Kind of like a football hold. He would fall asleep like that almost every night after his last bottle. Basically he got a little too big for the position and actually preferred to just be put down in his crib to go to sleep. He was around 5 months old.

Re: How do i get my 2 mos old to sleep w/o rocking him?

DD has gone to sleep without being rocked exactly one time in her life so far. She's 3 months. I'd love to not have to rock her but the truth is, this is what works for us right now and she's too young to CIO.

Re: How do i get my 2 mos old to sleep w/o rocking him?

DS was constantly in the swing but when I noticed (at 4 weeks) that he was favoring one side (neck in only one position) my ped urged us to stop the swing cold turkey. We would rock him to sleep and at 5 weeks we started sleeping him on his belly (enough time for me to do some research and ask all my questions). That was the trick for him and worked great.

Not to say that you should do it but just to answer your question...this is how we successfully did it. Recently we had to start CIO because he would wake when we put him down and after multiple tries we knew we were heading down the wrong road. Thankfully all of the advice and info I read here over the last year helped me to give it another try. After 2 weeks he goes down...looks up as we say good night/love you and goes right back down without a sound.

ETA: Swaddling seems to be the magic trick as well. My son would break out of the swaddle (amazing to watch) so we actually started what we called the human swaddle. We would hold him very tight (not to the point of harm of course but enough to keep his arms in place and keep him warm and snug) in our arms. When we transferred him to the crib we would keep our arms around his on both sides of the mattress so he could still feel our warmth and then slowly move away.

Message edited 4/28/2008 9:36:37 AM.