Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

Have any of you actually had any luck with this?

There's only one way we can get DD to go to sleep in her crib without being rocked--and that's by giving her the paci.

Right now she is BESIDE HERSELF because she is so tired. I read her a story and her eyelids were drooping. But as soon as we put her down...she's wide awake again!

If you have had any luck with this, can you please share some advice? Thanks!

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

We always put Samantha down in her crib awake. She has no problem putting herself to sleep. We do put on her mobile, Fisher Price Aquarium and the Twilight Turtle though! Keeps her distracted and puts her to sleep. Sometimes she'll cry for a couple of minutes, but that is really if she is just overtired.

ETA: We've always put her in her crib this way, she doesn't know any other way.

Message edited 4/3/2009 8:41:15 PM.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

We will TRY the symphony in motion mobile,if she's REALLY tired, we might get lucky and she'll stare at it until she falls asleep....

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

We always put Gracelyn down like this & to this day it works great. We went through our whole routine....as an infant, bath, feed, stories, lullabyes & put her down groggy w/ her white noise machine & music.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

It definitely works better when you can read the tired signals. I would put Maddie down & pat her for a little bit on her back & then walk out.

I'll see if I can remember them from the baby whisperer....ok forget it..just looked it up...here's a copy /paste:

If a baby's tired signs are overlooked her behavior will increase in intensity. Behavior commonly displayed in this age group to indicate tiredness, starting from more subtle to less subtle behavior, include...

0-3 mos:

Fussing ->whining -> crying -> screaming
Glazed stare -> looking away -> turning head away -> back arching
Facial grimaces i.e. pulling faces
Clenched fists
Flailing arm and leg movements (waving arms and legs about) ->jerking, quick limb movements.

May seek comfort by sucking/feeding
Please Note: Babies of this age often pull up their legs when they cry ANY reason. Knees up is not necessarily a sign of tummy discomfort.

Source - good site has sleep cues for older babies too.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

We do and we put on her aquarium. She sometimes falls asleep, sometimes fusses a bit and sometimes doesnt want ANY part of it. Most of the time though, she falls asleep!

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

Posted by MrsRivera



We're gonna have some fight on our hands when we try to phase out the paci...

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

Posted by MrsRivera

Posted by Jen2999

We do and we put on her aquarium. She sometimes falls asleep, sometimes fusses a bit and sometimes doesnt want ANY part of it. Most of the time though, she falls asleep!

We have started using the aquarium to soothe her as she first goes down. She's good for about 5 minutes before she starts to fuss. I told DH to let her fuss for awhile tonight and see what happens without giving her the paci. She got increasingly more agitated until he finally gave it to her. She literally sucked about 10 times, it fell out of her mouth, and she was out.

We're gonna have some fight on our hands when we try to phase out the paci...

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

it's hit or miss but most of the time she is drowsy enough that after a total shush session we put the mobile on and she falls asleep. She did last night anyway at 11 and slept til 6 15!!

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

My DS has gone down in his crib awake since day one. I didn't want him to get in the habit of being rocked every night. But, on the nights when he is overtired, teething, or feeling under the weather I will rock him until he is calm and relaxed.

ETA: We use the Fisher Price jungle music player thingy. It plays music for about 10 minutes and lights up. Works like a charm!

Message edited 4/3/2009 10:08:43 PM.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

I agree with PP. Let her have the paci if that is what works. At this age, they need the sucking. I think at least 6 mo + is when they become attached.

I do rock him to sleep, and then he wakes up anyway. Usually he can doze off to sleep from there. I'm going to start just getting him settled and then putting him down now that we have the mobile.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

Give her the paci! Whatever works at that age.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

Posted by MrsRivera

Posted by ChrisDee

Give her the paci! Whatever works at that age.

I'm ok giving her the paci now for sleeping. But she wants it frequently throughout the day and I wonder if she'll ever be able to self-soothe!

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

Babies have a suck drive, some stronger than others, and having a paci is how they self soothe.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

I thought we'd have it rough because Abby was swaddled from the day she came home until December break from school. We stopped swaddling and she slept through the night. 50% of the time, she goes down awake and 100% of the time we put her down awake, she does not cry, self-soothes with a pacifier (that she ends up spitting out) and is sleeping within 15 minutes with not so much as a whine. Babbling, yes. Crying, no.

Message edited 4/3/2009 11:38:23 PM.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

We do it. We just put her Rainforest mobile on and she watches it and goes to sleep. That's it really.

Get one, they are magical.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

I think it just depends on the baby. My first two needed to either be put to sleep once they fell asleep or CIO. This baby seems to be so easy and will just lay in his crib sleepylike and stare at his mobile or crib bumper until he's asleep.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

We have been putting my DD awake with the paci since she was born. If we do not give her the paci she sucks her thumb. If he loses the paci and wants to suck she doesn't cry for it she just sticks her thumb in her mouth.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

I followed the baby whisperer also and have put both my girls down awake since about 5-6 weeks old...with the baby, I pat her back for a few minutes until she is calm

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

Posted by KateDevine

Posted by MrsRivera



We're gonna have some fight on our hands when we try to phase out the paci...

No offense, and not a flame, but why worry about this now? If it works, go with it! My DS still uses a pacifier to go to sleep and he is almost 2! He only has it in bed and for long car rides (when he will most likely fall asleep), and I don't even think about phasing it out NOW.

Message edited 4/4/2009 7:37:18 AM.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

We can put DD in the crib sleepy. She is not wide awake when we put her down, but sleepy. As soon as we put her down she closes her eyes and goes to sleep. Sometimes she'll wake up and fuss so we give her the paci. I have no problems giving it to her at this age.
DS on the other hand.. he has to be asleep or almost asleep. Then he'll only sleep in the crib for 45min-hr and starts to scream and go nuts. The paci doesn't work with him, he'll only sleep for hrs at a time in the swing...
The aquarium has helped both of them to fall asleep, but sometimes it keeps them up because they just stare at it wide-eyed.

Re: Infant mommies--putting baby down awake?

I swaddled him real tight and put his mobile on. I also popped the binky in and then walked away. That usually works for me.