Baby Whisperer

I went up to the library yesterday to look for some books on getting babies to nap better. I had a few titles in my mind that I was looking for but then ran across The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems by Tracy Hogg. So far it's an excellent book and wish I would've read it BEFORE Harper was born, or at least in the early weeks. Harper is a pretty happy baby until it's time to take a nap - she does not know how to put herself to sleep so she fights her fatigue. Adam and I are 100% to blame for this because we allowed her to become dependent upon a prop to fall asleep - her swing or one of us. The book calls this accidental parenting - when you start a bad habit in order to make things easier at the time. Adam and I both agree that it is our fault for Harper only being able to fall asleep in her swing or by being rocked by one of us. Luckily we acknowledge that it is a problem and it will only get worse as she gets older. It'll be kind of hard to fit a 2 year old in a swing! So we're nipping it in the bud now!

Tracy Hogg, the author, is like Super Nanny, but for babies! She travels around the world helping parents teach their babies how to eat, sleep and behave. Babies thrive on routine, which is her solution to solving all problems. She calls her solution E.A.S.Y. - eat, activity, sleep, you time. Her routine is 4 hours in duration and is to be repeated 3 times throughout the day. But before I can start her plan, I have to get Harper on a 4 hour eating schedule, right now she is eating every 3 hrs and 15 minutes. The book explains a plan on how to do this - so hopefully by next week she'll be eating every four hours. I will actually probably wait another week to start because Adam will be in Des Moines the first week of February for a law enforcement class. The book strongly suggests that you have you partner be involved in this process because it can/will be tiring during the first two days. If all goes as planned, she should be adjusted to the routine and putting herself to sleep within 5-7 days. If a baby is younger than 4 months it may take less time, but if a baby is older than 4 months it will take more time.

SO - I know that there are a lot of new mommies and expecting mommies that follow my blog. Although I haven't implemented this routine yet with Harper, I highly recommend reading this book. When I do start the plan, I will be sure to blog about the progress and let you know if it works. Some of you may be thinking that it is ridiculous to try to parent from a book - and I do agree - I almost always follow my motherly instincts. However, I really need help breaking a bad habit that I started. Right now Harper takes 3 or 4 catnaps during the day - and shes tired relatively soon after waking. Which tells me that something isn't right. But she does sleep great at night! After she adjusts to the E.A.S.Y. routine she will take a 2 hr nap in the morning, a 2 hr nap in the afternoon, a catnap around supper, and sleep uninterrupted from 7 pm to 7 am! Sounds too good to be true, right?!?! Wish US luck!