The Baby Whisperer

[radnrach]

Due to on-going sleep problems with my almost 7-month-old, I've decided it's time to tackle some of the issues with some sleep training. I haven't wanted to try any so far, but am now just getting no sleep whatsoever, and it's really affecting our days. I'm definitely not keen on the cry it out methods, but have heard good things about the pick up/put down one. Is this the Baby Whisperer? If so, I'm wondering if anybody has had good results with it!?

Any thoughts appreciated!

[Helen GV]

it is baby whisperer, and i'd like to know any success(or not..) stories too! There is a forum you can look into, thebabywhisperer.com from memory.. must have another look myself..

Think it is hard work from what i've read so would be good to know if it worked!

[helenat1970]

The baby whisperer techniques were very interesting. When my daughter was smaller than 5 months, the shush - pat technique worked very well. When she was older it didn't (as the baby whisperer says) and when I tried the pick up/put down technique, she just went berserk. In the end, leaving her once worked much much better - as an example the pick up put down technique (at its worst) meant more than 1 hr battle, but saying good night once, resulted in 3-5 mins crying (IF she cried - after 3 episodes, I had tears very very rarely).

My son was TOTALLY the opposite. The shush-pat techniqe worked, but only when he was tiny tiny. The pick up/put down technique worked very very well with him till he was about 13 months (but that's another story). When he was tiny and I swaddled him, if he was a bit unsettled as I was lowering him in his cot, I would let his body touch the cot, lift him up a little, then rhythmically rock him a little, (up and down, not left and right for some reason) till he calmed down. I would then put him down. If he cried, I repeated the process, all the while saying shh... sh... It was amazing and it usually took no more than 2/3 goes.

He's now 2.5 and even now the pick up put down works very well.

So, the first thing I'm saying is that it's a good technique - but not for every child. Be prepared to perservere with it (no point in trying it for a couple of nights - give it a week). If you're not getting the results by then, then it's not going to work.

Next thing - you will need to adapt the technique to suit your child. My son didn't like his arms flayling about - and so I would wrap him in a blanket, do the pick up put down, once he calmed down, would leave the room - and when he was asleep I would sneak in and adjust/remove the blanket depending on the season.

Finally - gradually train your little one. First night, stay with them till they're asleep. A couple of nights on, leave when he's on his way to sleep. A couple of nights later - leave when his eyes are getting heavy... and so on, till you can leave when he's calm, eyes wide awake.

Another technique I used - and this worked with some variations with both my children, was to put them on their side, and then rub/pat their back, till they're ready to drift. When slightly older and they liked to sleep on their fronts, I would put them on their front, and then rub their back in a circular motion. It was very meditative.

Good luck. Baby will sleep!