Have any of you ladies read the Baby WHisperer? Has it worked for you?

My DH just brought it home from the library and I've read a few pages....wow. Seems I'm totally screwing Caleb up. He should have been in a firm routine pretty much since we brough him home from the hospital, we shouldn't be changing his diaper over night even if he's awake for a feeding, he should be sleeping his nights already, we should wake him up at certain regular intervals ect. She says the "don't wake a sleeping baby" thing is crap.

Maybe I should just keep reading to see if my 2.5 month old really is being parented badly or if I've just not read enough to know what the whole deal is about. Maybe I'll just toss the book and keep doing what works for us. lol

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Man...I guess I **SHOULD** have read this book...my one year old has only done a full night like 8 times...he is just not a good sleeper...oh wait...or is it me...

Seriously though...books are great...they are helpful...but I say do what you need to do to keep the sanity and what works for your family...if your baby is sleeping...trust me...keep doing what your doing!!


Good Luck

Chantale

Kate 3
Matt 1

Nope...Caleb isn't sleeping his nights at all either. up every 3 hours....which to the baby whisperer seems to be very very bad. Whatever. lol

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I read that book when Alex was born.

I believe in routines, but I have to admit that it's pretty hard to do when they are newborns. I think that our E.A.S.Y routine only really started happening when both my kids were about 6 months old. And it's not always a "strict" routine, they do go off their routine occaisionally. I try to stick with their nap times, especially until they are about 18 months old or so.

I don't remember that part. I always changed their diapers when they were up for a feeding.

That part I totally disagree with. Every baby is different. I BF Alex, and he woke up at least once a night until he was about 12 months old. I FF Samantha, and she still wakes sometimes. She'll sleep through the night maybe 5 out of 7 nights. Give it time, they all sleep thru eventually.

I don't recall that one either. I personally think that if a child is sleeping, the child is tired so why wake them. That being said, when Samantha was a newborn, we did wake her for feedings, but because she was premature and she needed to gain weight. I don't remember ever having to wake Alex.

I don't think that Caleb is being parented badly. I would read it, and take from it the parts that suit your family, your lifestyle. We are all just winging things along the parent rollercoaster! HTH

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Marisa
mom to Alex (Sept 2002) and Samantha (Jan 2005)

I haven't read the book, but as an AP-ish type mom, I have warning bells going off all over in my head. I personally think that newborns, and even 2.5 month old babies are too young to be on an inflexible schedule. I think some babies are born 'wired' to be great sleepers, and some (most) aren't. Like others said, no book should be taken word for word...you have to take YOUR baby, YOUR life, and YOUR instincts into account and take bits and pieces and make it work for you. There is no instructional manual because no two babies, no two moms, no two famililes are alike and you can't apply the same formula to everyone.

I seriously doubt that you have been doing anything wrong with Caleb. I think you've likely followed your instincts up to this point and imo, your instincts will guide you through the ups and downs of motherhood far more effectively than any 'how to' manual.

Ask your DH to borrow The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley from the library. She explains why babies wake often and how their sleep cycles work. It makes perfect sense, or at least it did to me. And think about it? Are you on a firm routine...always eat at exactly the same time each day? Always sleep/wake at a precise time no matter what? Do you watch the clock and eat because it's 'that time' even if you're not hungry, or go to bed even if you're not sleepy? Likely not, right? So why would an infant?

Amen sister!!!

I agree with RoseAnne, do what works. Books like that are helpful to some people and useless to others. I also second the no cry sleep solutions, it had alot of helpful info to keep my sanity with Keegan who was high needs and didn't think that he needed to sleep as a baby. Although I have never read the book The Baby Whisperer it doesn't sound like my kind of book.

Trash the book and go with what works :hug

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