Before my son was born, a lady let me borrow “On Becoming Babywise” and I read it cover to cover. She had four children and was a big advocate of the practices in the book. I’m so glad our paths crossed!
I implemented Babywise with my first child who is now 28 months old. I honestly can’t remember when he started sleeping “through the night” to the exact month, but by the time I went back to work when he was 7 weeks old, he was sleeping at least 6 hours straight through the night. Thankfully, I was able to breastfeed him, so that 6 or 7 hours of continuous sleep was very helpful for his working mom!
He was sleeping 10-12 hours a night by the time he was 6 months old, I’m sure of it. People thought I was crazy when I’d wake him up during the day to feed him. They referred to that old adage “Never wake a sleeping baby.” However, I was his mom and I was going to do what I thought was best. Turned out, I was right!
I really liked getting him on a routine, because it helped me have a predictable day. Also, he’s such a good natured child and I get compliments on his behavior and demeanor, just like the book said I would. I also like the concept of the parent being in control (parent directed feeding) because it sets the tone for how the child will grow up. Even though we’re now in the “terrible twos”, he’s a great kid who behaves 90% of the time and I credit much of that to starting with Babywise.
One of the most challenging parts when he was a newborn was keeping him awake during his feedings, but I followed the tips in the book and I remember holding up that sleeping infant and saying, “You gotta eat some more.” It was too cute. It really paid off and I was able to successful nurse him for 13 months. Not only did that help him start his life very healthfully, it also helped me drop that baby weight and end up weighing 10 pounds less than when I got pregnant!
I truly believe that Babywise has not only helped with my son’s disposition, but also his mental/physical health and mine (not to mention my husband’s). It’s something to be able to say your child sleeps through the night at a relatively young age. Recently, my sister in law told me it took her boys each a YEAR to sleep through the night. Yikes! Obviously, she didn’t try Babywise.
Now that he’s almost 2.5 years old, he takes one good long afternoon nap which helps give me and his care providers much needed rest after chasing a toddler. Sometimes, he says he doesn’t want to nap, but he never cries and he knows his routine and he always goes. He needs that nap – we’ve missed one or two days before where he didn’t nap and about 6 pm, he has a terrible melt down and I can’t say I blame him! So, I know these naps are beneficial and a must. I’ve had people tell me, “My child wouldn’t nap.” That’s because they weren’t in control of the situation!
I’m due to have baby #2 in mid July, so I have my old copy of Babywise out brushing up on how the system works. Even though it’s only been two years, I found I had forgotten some of the principles in the book and it’s been a good refresher. I’m hoping that this baby will be just as successful as his older brother. It’s going to be a challenge having a 2 year old in the house, but I’m sure we can overcome the hurdles with a little diligence. Whenever someone is having a new baby, I always recommend the book because it really does work.
Mandy
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