Rocking to sleep

[hoosiermama76]

Hi, ladies,

My heart is broken as my DD won't let me rock her to sleep anymore. In fact, she won't even let me rock her at all. I know I should be glad that she is putting herself to sleep, but I'm being a baby since it was favorite time of day.

Is this a phase? Anyone else dealing with this?

[swim]

DD hasn't let me rock her to sleep in months.
The only time she lets me rock her is when she has a bad dream or something.

[aaemommy]

A has never let me rock him to sleep. Even when he was nursing he wanted to be put down when he was finished. He rarely falls asleep in our arms.

[cdseno]

I would say it's not a phase as she should be putting herself to sleep by now. Maybe you can find a new way to have special time together?

[gratefulgirl]

I doubt it is a phase in that she's probably just too big to get comfortable being rocked - at least that happens to me around this age. DD2 is so squirmy while I rock her during her song before bed.

However I know that once she's in a twin bed we'll get back to before-bed-cuddles. DD1 loves cuddling in bed while we sing, talk about her day, and give kisses. It's never the same as a snuggly newborn, but honestly it's a lot easier to spend 5-10 minutes snuggling then leave the room expecting that my kid has a better chance of STTN than not than it is to spend 30 minutes putting a newborn back to sleep a bajillion times a night. I vastly prefer to the little kid cuddles.

So you'll find new ways to cuddle, don't worry. And look on the bright side - they'll be at appropriate hours of the night like 8 p.m. instead of 3 a.m.

[bobloblaw]

Yeah likely not a phase. It's been a long while since we have rocked LO to sleep. We have a very short snuggle-sway (maybe 30 seconds) and he starts diving towards the crib. H says he misses rocking him to sleep but I am SO glad he's past that because he's heavy now!

[sosayweall]

We just stopped rocking all the way to sleep. I sing him a song and we cuddle/rock and then I put him in his crib awake.

[skylark002]

I haven't rocked ds to sleep since he was about 6 months old. But after we read stories before bed, we rock for about a minute or two. I love it. Will she let you rock her for just a short period? Maybe while you scratch her back or something?

[lunarmodule626]

Same, I'd say we stopped when we did sleep training at 4 months. I agree that you might try some snuggling while you read some books before bed!

[hoosiermama76]

Good advice, ladies! We have a special bedtime routine, but I'll have to get my snuggles elsewhere. I'll something else that is good for the both of us. I just ended abruptly, like not to nap and not to sleep at night this past Wednesday.

[starrynight14]

I stopped rocking LO to bed around 6 months. With DS1, it was about 1 year. I do miss those days though! Hang in there. I cried when I stopped singing them lullabies at bedtime. I guess it's just about finding new ways to bond!

[sweetpies]

hoosiermama76 I've got a confession. You weren't the only one still rocking to sleep.

Bedtime was the only time DS just sat still and let me hold him anymore, and we both enjoyed it. He typically sleeps through the night and could put himself to sleep. However with the upcoming transition to a Big Boy bed, and a little nudging from A14, I took the plunge.

The first night, I explained to him what I was doing, and he cried for about 30 min after I put him down. The second night he cried for about 10 minutes, and tonight he cried for less than 5 minutes. FX it's working.

Good luck to you!

[hoosiermama76]

I have found a new routine. I give her a head massage while she falls asleep. It's not the same, but I will take it.