Do You Let Your Infant “Cry It Out”?
Posted in Infants, Parenting, Your Health on 30. Oct, 2009
Ah, this issue strikes a chord with many, many moms. Some moms out there cringe at the very thought of letting their baby cry it out, convinced that it will cause attachment issues or cause permanent damage. Others may have memorized “Baby Wise” and swear by the method of letting an infant cry themselves to sleep in order to teach them how to self soothe. Regardless of your stand, I think you’ll find the following article interesting (see the link below).
Personally, I’m on the fence. Our first baby was so easy; I never felt the need to let her cry herself to sleep. She slept when she was tired, ate when she was hungry, and was naturally on the schedule that most other babies her age were. I was naïve in assuming that this was due to my awesome parenting, because all of this changed when my second baby was born. Gone were my days of letting the baby set her own schedule, and I realized pretty quickly that what I was doing was not working. My new baby was nursing every hour, sleeping and eating only in spurts, and was clearly unhappy. It was clear that I needed to intervene and put her on a schedule – and fast. So I let her cry it out. I absolutely hated doing this, but it worked. After a few days, she began sleeping and eating on a regular schedule, and the change in her was amazing. She was happier, well rested, and well fed. Although that week of letting her cry it out was awful, in the end we were left with a baby who knew how to put herself to sleep, and was in a routine that made us all much happier.
With that being said, I can see both sides of this issue. Before my second baby, I was convinced that letting a baby “cry it out” was wrong. And as often happens, I ended up seeing the other side of the story pretty soon after that, when I saw how it helped my second baby get into the routine she so desperately needed.
So, what do you think? The following article is interesting, and worth reading no matter what stance you take on this issue.
Crying it Out [babble via Mamaista]
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