Aw hon, I'm really pleased for you!

I know Thomas was ready and willing to have a full nights sleep but was just getting in a pickle. Hoping you're able to sleep too!?

excellent news, Polaris!

We, too, have started Sleepsense. DD was only sleeping on me or DH - and it got to the point I was worried one of us would fall asleep with her on us, we'd have an accident etc. SO, we started yesterday (hence my threads about DD dropping night feed) and she slept through. She's just gone to sleep now - took a while, but it feels like a great method, as you get to sit beside them while they protest, so they never feel abandoned. Basically, we'd never given our LO the chance to learn the skills needed to sleep - and this is such a good way, as we can be right beside her.

Becstar - more info here: http://www.sleepsense.net/ we like it because while DD protests, we can comfort her, talk to her etc. So she doesn't feel abandoned and we don't burst into tears!

Thats fantastic?

Could you post us the basic method to see if its worth me buying the program?

Will help me get Jack off his dummy? Without using CIO or CC?

I think it has stuff about dummies, Nicki - it basically does involve some crying, but not CIO, as you can be in the room with your LO comforting them. The crying I've had from DD has been 'angry' crying rather than 'upset' crying iykwim. I find crying very, very distressing - but this has really not been bad.

There are two methods to choose - one where you sit in the room with them, or one where you leave. Don't know too much about the latter, as we're not doing that.

You start with a basic, short bedtime routine - and then place them in their cot - reassuring, comforting etc.

If you like, I'll have a look through tomorrow and see what it says about dummies?

So glad it's still working for you Polaris. Elliott isn't s bad sleeper (8pm to 7-7.30am ish with about 3 night feeds). Out of curiosity I filled put the online sleep survey but haven't yet had an e-mail back. I had an e-mail today though asking what I think :unsure: !! How long did it take for you to recieve an analysis back?xx

Way-hey, that sounds good!!

Am very pleased for you and hope it continues, you deserve a good nights sleep! (Even if you probably did wake up with very heavy, sore and leaky boobs!) Lol.

I was thinking of purchasing but too be honest Bella isn't a bad enough sleeper to warrent it. She falls asleep on her own without any help and only on occasion will she wake more than the norm. At the moment i don't really mind getting up for a feed or that she's not sleeping through completely. I can deal! Lol.

Yaaaaay

I'm so glad it is working for you ladies. I wasn't sure if it was a fluke that it worked so well for us!

To answer a few questions. It does deal with napping. In fact, right from the start, she makes it clear that getting good daytime sleep is a key factor in getting them to sleep at night. The program gives good advice about the sleep needed generally and suggests you avoid being out all day every day carting your LO from pillar to post. We committed (as far as is possible) to havving Abby at home for at least two of her daytime naps. As Polaris says, it can take 3-4 weeks for the napping to become as good as the nights. This was true for Abby too.

It works equally well for FF or Bf babies. Although the general rule is that FF babies will sleep through sooner, every baby is different. The program gives advice for babies who are ready to sleep through and for those who need night time feeds.

It breaks down into different age categories from how to help your newborn to more mobile babies, to toddlers. I intend to start from the day we bring the next one home! Reading through, it does seem the older it gets the more challenging the problems are. Abby was on the cusp of the 0-3/3-6 month stage so not having to deal with her rolling over or standing up was a bonus!

It does deal with dummies, but if you are looking for a magic solution to it, you'll be disappointed. The whole ethos is to teach them to self settle without any "sleep crutches" As I recall, that meant cold turkey for the dummies. Abby never had a dummy but I was feeding her to sleep. So in a similar way, we were going cold turkey with that. Breaking them of any habit is going to be met with a protest, so expect some tears. But as has been said, you can stay with them if you prefer (and if they prefer! With Abby it made her worse as we discovered on day 2!) The first 3 nights weren't nice, but after a week she'd gone down to just a few minutes protest.

A couple of tips - when you buy the package it gives you a time slot for calling to ask any questions once you have started it. I emailed to see if I could have an email consultation and they were happy with that. Also, if the crying really gets to you - use an I-pod (or something similar) to dull the noise!

There has been only one drawback to this program that we have found. Because it recommends having them nap in their cot, preferably in a darkened room, we have found that if Abby does happen to be out with us in the day, getting her to nap is really difficult. Now that she has no problem settling herself in her cot, we're going to try to move to one nap a day in her pram in the house, just to see if she will do it.

I really can't recommend this highly enough. It was a godsend for us.

Thanks everyone!
Just to let you all know that things are still going well. He hasn't quite made it the whole way through the night since, but on Saturday he slept all the way through to 4.30 a.m. before waking for a feed, and last night he slept through till 6 a.m., had a feed, and then back to sleep till 7.30. I am totally amazed that he is sleeping so much better after such a short time.

Nickyj - yes she recommends cold turkey on the dummies I'm afraid. Thomas didn't use one anyway though, really glad that he didn't take to it now!

Last night was the first night that I actually had a half decent sleep, up till now I've been lying there wide awake listening to Thomas sleeping. I found that I still woke up at all of his feed times and then couldn't get back to sleep.