At four weeks old, Miss Millie was sleeping like a little beauty at night. I, on the other hand, was not. Many times I would fall asleep while holding her and be too afraid to transfer her to her bassinet, so I would sleep sitting up and wake up unable to move my neck. When she was in her bassinet, right next to our bed, I would wake up constantly with any little noise she would make. When she needed to eat, my husband would wake up and make her bottles and then I would feed her in bed. The moral of the story is that Millie was doing ok at night, but Chad and I realized quickly that our sleep habits were not going to be sustainable. Furthermore, Millie was an utter disaster every morning. Between the hours of 8 and 11, she was crying nonstop and I was unable to get anything done. We had reached the end of our rope, and decided to look for help. We quickly found Kris, and asked her to help us get Millie on a consistent eating and sleeping schedule. She came in, watched our bedtime routine, and then helped us to develop a schedule for Millie Monster.
Within a week of using the schedule that Kris created, we had Millie eating every three hours (to the minute) during the day, and taking three great naps. She started out by waking up twice at night (usually at 11 and 4), but this quickly moved to waking up only once (around 2). She would quickly eat and then fall right back asleep. She has recently started sleeping all the way through the night until 5:00. Not only is Millie a happier baby, but we are also much happier parents. Chad and I are free to spend every evening together, I have 5 to 7 hours to myself during the day, and the time that Millie is awake is pure bliss. She is smiling, cooing, and more alert. For me, the greatest difference is that I am more present in my time with Millie. When I go in to feed her at night I am awake and tuned in, and when she is awake during the day I am fully engaged in playing with her.
I will admit, making this change and allowing Millie to learn to soothe herself has not been entirely easy, but I am reassured by the fact that each night brings less and less crying (and some nights there isn’t even any crying at all). I remain confident, however, in the belief that we are teaching Millie an incredibly valuable skill and have a much happier and well-rested baby in the meantime. My firm belief in this approach stems from working as a nanny and preschool teacher for many years, and seeing first-hand the difference in tired and well-rested children. Chad and I also decided before Millie was born that our hope is to raise a child who is independent, obedient, and well-behaved. For us, this schedule works well and aligns with our long-term goals.
In addition to this amazing change in our family and interactions with Millie, working with Kris was an absolute joy. She jumped right in and offered suggestions in a way that made us feel empowered and informed. She guided me in making lifestyle changes that made my daughter happier and healthier. Along the way Kris has been supportive, available, and reassuring. I don’t know how we would have made it this far without her help and support, and we are so grateful for the role that she has played in turning Millie Monster into Millie the Magnificent!
Caitlin (April 2013)
