[Amilynn22]

I am looking for other mom's who have read "On Becoming BabyWise" and have tried/is trying to implement the principles and routine from the book. I would love to hear from someone who has had success with it and could give some much needed advice! Thanks!!

[SupaModel]

I LOOOVE baby wise and yes we have had success with DS.

[Fran27]

I used it for the first 4-5 months. It helped a lot, but I think I tried too hard to make it work and it just stressed me out, and my kids grew out of the routine around that time so I just let it go and it was easier for all of us.

I never read the book though, but I read their forum so I had an idea of how it worked (I recommend checking it out by the way!). I remember posting there all panicked because it wasn't working out (my two were less hungry but still needed to sleep often so the whole EASY didn't work), and people told me that really the biggest part of it is to get the babies used to go to bed awake, as opposed to giving them a bottle to help them sleep.

So I guess in that sense, it worked for us too.

[hopingforachild]

My DS is 4 wks and we are trying it. I have read most of the book. (I received it after he was born) I like that it is pretty straightforward and seems to make sense, especially the idea that they get used to going to bed awake so they learn to fall asleep on their own.

I have been frustrated at times because DS is so sleepy at times after feeding, but my friend who recommended it to me told me just hang in there. Even if you can wake them for a minute or two that is enough when they are little. I have given in to the the temptation to putting him down to sleep right after a bottle more than once when I was overwhelmed by sleep deprivation, but I don't think it will hurt us in the long run.

How are things working for you??

[Saya]

Can someone share the principles with me? All I know is that some people swear by it and some people hate it! (Like all parenting strategies. )

[Amilynn22]

I THINK it's going ok. For the most part, she eats every 2 1/2 to 3 hours and I can keep her awake for about 30 minutes after eating (she's 3 1/2 weeks old) and then she goes down for nap. She cries a little her and there but just the whining kind of cry and will go to sleep withing 10-30 minutes on her own. The book just isn't as specific as I would like. For instance, her usual wakeup time is between 7:00-7:30 but this morning she woke up at 6:15 so I went ahead and fed her and just started our routine from there. The book talks about adjusting your routine for the remainder of the morning so that she would be back on schedule by afternoon but I don't understand how they want that done. I just "start the clock" from the last feeding and go from there. I just feel she isn't falling into it the way she should. The book talks about only 1 middle of the night feeding but my daughter still gets up twice. I'm just worried that I don't actually have her on a routine since it is still varying from day to day. I have to say though that so far I LOVE IT. If only I could figure out how to work out the kinks!!

[swd]

We did a modified version in that DS made his own schedule and we followed that. For the most part, though, he tended to fall asleep eating, woke up, ate, played, ate, slept..... So not quite EASY, more ESEASE....

[waitingforanangel]

I used it and LOVED it. It was very helpful for the first 4months. It helped me to develop a good day and night routine, and from the time he was about 2 months old, our DS has slept through the night! I credit this book for that. I loved the activities that they suggested to go along with the routine during the day, and the advice for what to do at night when the baby wakes up. It worked like a charm. When we had to have the post-placement visits from our social worker, I printed out my schedule for her and told her it was from Babywise. She was so impressed that she put it in her report and was going to get the book and suggest it to other adoptive parents!

If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me. I highly recommend it! I didn't like the book that came after the Babywise book by the same author - it wasn't nearly as good. It didn't get good reviews either. I am now using the book, "What to Expect the First Year" by Heidi Murkoff, now that our DS has grown out of the Babywise book. It is very helpful and goes by the month. I also use the book "Your Baby's First Year Week by Week" by Glade B. Curtis. I LOVE this book. Tons of information!

However, for a newborn to 4 or 5 month old, I definitely recommend the Babywise book to develop a solid routine and activities to supplement the routine. I am a teacher, so I like having a set routine to follow. This book was perfect!

[ChromaKelly]

I know you probably don't want to hear from me, but I felt like trying to have the babies/baby on a schedule stressed me out. Well, with twins maybe I was insane, but I did feed/sleep on demand until they were about six months. Then I started working them towards a schedule, once we were starting solids. Caleb just naturally fell into a rhythym. I don't think it's that necessary to try to get babies to fall asleep on their own when they are itty-bitty. They are only that small once. Falling asleep on you isn't going to set them up for a lifetime of bad habits. You can gradually start putting them down before they fall asleep.

[nurse_reedle]

I don't like Babywise. I will be upfront about that. One thing is to really watch..there have been several cases of FTT directly related to this book.

Ezzo.info: Evaluating Ezzo Programs Including Babywise and Growing Kids God's Way

Ezzo.info: Babywise Concerns

AAP News article questions Babywise

[JenC]

thanks, nurse reedle. I have those links somewhere in my massive link collection and I had in mind to find them today. Young babies (newborns) get hungry a lot and need to eat often, so I truly don't see the point of making a hungry baby wait until it's "time" to eat. Why not just feed/sleep them when they're hungry/tired? They'll eventually fall into a natural pattern as they grow.

[mandirenee]

Originally Posted by Amilynn22

For instance, her usual wakeup time is between 7:00-7:30 but this morning she woke up at 6:15 so I went ahead and fed her and just started our routine from there. The book talks about adjusting your routine for the remainder of the morning so that she would be back on schedule by afternoon but I don't understand how they want that done. I just "start the clock" from the last feeding and go from there. I just feel she isn't falling into it the way she should. The book talks about only 1 middle of the night feeding but my daughter still gets up twice.

We LOVE LOVE LOVE Babywise. We've used it with both our kids and I have many friends who have used it. I have friends who didn't and I don't envy their lack of control and schedule. But I'm a schedule person.

There are some who hate it....it all depends what works for you.

To respond to the quote above. Don't adjust. You have to get the baby on a schedule...same thing everyday to make it work. You have to be rigid the first 4 weeks, then you can start the flex 30-60 min here and there. If she wakes up 45-1 hour before time, let her lay in her bed and play. If she cries a bit, see if she will cry it out and stretch her to as close to the everyday wake up time. It will be hard for 3-4 days, but after that she will either a)sleep till the everyday wake up time or b) wake up 30-60 minutes early but be content playing or having quiet time until you come in for wakeup time. The book will tell you the most important part to making the schedule work is the sametime everyday wake up time. This sets the day.

2nd question - for a while (first 6 weeks) the baby will still need to eat twice through the night, but after that the baby's metabolism is mature enough to eat just once (the book explains this). Baby's get into routines and the have internal clocks that might keep them waking up at an old feeding time wether they are hungry or not. The book explains... to let them cry 10-15 minutes...do not go in there...do not get the baby up. Then they might go back to sleep. If they don't go in don't talk, turn lights on be very quiet and feed them 1-2 oz and put them back to bed. Do this weening, letting them cry 10-15 minutes and slowly back off the oz and hopefully within 3-5 days you will cut out that second feeding at night.

Just some of my experience. Feel free to PM if you have more questions. Buy the book and read it, don't try to wing it. Be strict/rigid for 4 weeks (trying not to stress), it will pay off! Start at 1-2 weeks if possible, but it will work if you start later. With my son we didn't know about BW and start until 4 weeks and within 2 weeks he was a trooper. With my daughter we started at 1 week old.

I LOVE BABYWISE SO MUCH THAT IT GOES ALONG WITH EVERY SHOWER GIFT!!!!! BOTH OF MY BABIES SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT 8 HOURS BY 8-10 WEEKS AND 10-12 HOURS BY 12 WEEKS. I WAS A HAPPY, WELL RESTED, SANE, AND ENERGETIC MOMMY THANKS TO BABYWISE!

Good Luck!

[mandirenee]

[quote=nurse_reedle]I don't like Babywise. I will be upfront about that. One thing is to really watch..there have been several cases of FTT directly related to this book.
QUOTE]

Nurse reddle - good input...it's good to look at both sides.

I agree and I talked with my doctor about this. BUT, you have to remember...there are also lots of cases and reasons for FTT not releated to Babywise.

Like another poster said...everyone will have an opinion.

Some people practcie family beds, baby wearing, breastfeeding until 3, 4,5 years old, spanking/not spanking....lots of types of parenting.

Talk to your doctor, and do what works for you.

[waitingforanangel]

I agree that you should never deprive a baby of food, or anything else for that matter that he/she needs. I should have mentioned in my previous post that I only used the portion of the book that helped me create a daily schedule for our baby. I don't agree with the book that everytihng should be "parent-led." The baby definitely has needs that should be met, regardless of the schedule.

If you get the book and focus on the schedule portion of it, you will get a lot out of it. As with any book, you don't have to follow the whole book word for word, just take parts of it and incorporate it into your routine. This was my first baby, and I had no idea how to make a schedule. I don't know what I would have done without this book.

[hopingforachild]

Wow, I think that this like anything can be taken to extremes. Maybe I need to re-read, but I recall several statements about flexibility and feeding the baby if they are showing signs of hunger no matter the timing/schedule. In fact, it recommends not even looking at the clock the first 10? days or so and let your child set the schedule by feeding when the baby is hungry, but making an effort to give the baby a full feeding and not letting them snack. Then using the baby's natural schedule to help you start to set a schedule that you can help direct with the eat, play, sleep routine.

It seems like you can always gain some helpful hints from different ideas. Take what you like and leave what you don't.

Amillynn, sounds like you are doing great!! Try not to get caught up in the details and make yourself feel bad. Your baby is just little. Enjoy her, don't spend all your time worrying about getting everything just right