Crying it out!

I am not a fan at all of the cry it out method. That being said, it is the only thing that has worked for us! Natalie started out her life sleeping on my chest for the first 3 months. I was deathly afraid of her heart condition and it was the only way I could sleep. I was afraid she would stop breathing. I know this is a terrible place for babies to sleep, but thats how we did it. We moved her to her own bed when she was 4 months old and she did ok for a couple of months. After that, she was up every 2 hours all through the night and she would scream and cry when we put her to bed. So, for almost a year Trenton and I suffered though the nights. We would sit in her room with her reading to her and singing to her until she went to sleep, then we would slip out unless the door squeaked and woke her up, then we would have to start all over. Well at her 18 month check up I told the doctor about her terrible sleep habits and she said, " Well stop getting up with her, you don't have too". I thought, sure what ever, you don't know this child. She actually learned how to make herself throw up so that she could get up and get a bath. The doctor said to put her to bed tell her you love her and leave, let her cry for 5 min and then go back in and lay her down and don't speak to her, then go back every 10- 15 min and lay her back down so she doesn't think she was abandoned. Trenton and I had to promise not to cave in and rescue her. After about 5 nerve racking days of screaming, something magic happened... We put our little princess to bed and she didn't make a peep! Its been like this ever since and she is 22 months now. Also this was a blessing since we just had Landon! So, the advice today is to not be close minded to anyway of parenting, you might just be surprised what works for your child. Oh, and we don't use this method with the baby until he is way older and it becomes necessary. I am hoping he will be a great sleeper like his cousin Makaylah!