Rocking baby to sleep

My DS is 10 weeks old and sleeps through the night from 9-7. We give him his last bottle, swaddle him and rock him and once he goes out, he is out for the night.

I am just worried we are creating the bad habit of rocking him. We did with my twins. And at 12 months, it was taking over an hour to rock them to sleep, I was 4 months pregnant, and at my wits end. We finally did CIO which worked.

I don't want to make the same mistake this time around. DS has a hard time settling down. But once we swaddle, pacifier, shh-the 5 s's he goes out. So I am scared to stop the rocking plus I feel like he is still so small and it's comforting to him.

My question is what do I do? Am I creating the bad habit or is he still too little? Obviously I wouldn't let him CIO, but he seems to need this to fall asleep. When do we need to stop this and my biggest fear is how will he go to sleep without the rocking? I can't believe this is my 3rd kid and I haven't figured this out by now.

Rocking baby to sleep

my DD is 9 weeks and I used to do the same thing. then one night i put her down and she woke up. I just left her and I watched her on the camera. She just looked around for a while and eventually fell asleep. She didn't cry so I didn't feel bad. I know im very lucky bc it was nothing I did, she just did it herself and continues to do the same now. So now that I know she can go down and fall asleep i dont rock her at all.

have you tried putting him down awake and just seeing what happens?

Rocking baby to sleep

i swore for #2 i was not rocking from the start. Well every night i put in awake with her mobile on and she just looks around until she's sleeping. Sometimes she cries so i go in, give her paci if needed, and shush her rub her tummy and she's out. i try not to pick her up once she's in her crib

Message edited 7/19/2013 9:50:19 AM.

Re: Rocking baby to sleep

I rocked DS1 until he was 16 months. I swore I would never do it again.

Well I didnt, DS2 goes into his bed and puts himself to sleep.

Honestly, I wish I had rocked him thought, I still had to do CIO at 7m because he wasnt STTN. And I find it was easier when we were out somewhere because DS1 would sleep anywhere as long as I initially rocked him. DS2 needs to be in a crib.

And I loved those quiet moments sitting rocking DS1. It might create a bad habit, but if it works whats can you do!

Re: Rocking baby to sleep

Yeah, 10 wks is still very young. I rocked my kids for every nap & bedtime until about 5-6months. I noticed that was the age that my kids were taking longer to fall asleep- my arms were killing me at 5-6mos, can't imagine 12 months - One day, I just tried putting them down awake & it worked.
I'd still rock your ds, if I were you. I love it when they start to drift & their little eyelashes flutter.. so cute! Anyway, if you want to just try & place him down & see what happens, go for it, but I wouldn't let him cio at this age.

Re: Rocking baby to sleep

I would start trying to put him down when he is sleepy but awake. We relied on this Fisher Price crib toy to help sooth DS to sleep (we plan on using it again with DS#2)

Rocking baby to sleep

DD is 2 1/2 and we still have to go through the rocking process. Not that we really rock, but I hold her in the glider etc, and she falls asleep that way. She can barely even fit/lay down. BUT....she sleeps 12 hrs, so I shouldn't complain. If this is what I gotta do, to get her to STTN, then so be it.

Re: Rocking baby to sleep

In the next few weeks I'd start to put the baby down when sleepy but awake. 10 weeks is still early enough that you can rock the baby to sleep.

DS is almost 6 months old and I sometimes still rock him to sleep, but it's for me, not him. He doesn't need it but sometimes I miss my cuddle time! Around 12 weeks I stopped doing it consistently and discovered he didn't need it.