Happier Babies, Happier Mom

I am finally coming out of the closet.  There is this secret about me that I haven't told many people because it isn't easy to admit.  But I decided I'd feel a lot better if I did.  Until a week ago, I judged how I am as a mother by how good our babies were sleeping.  I know, it's pretty lame- what newborn sleeps good.  If that was true than no mother is doing a good job.  I won't go into detail about all the things I did to stress myself out but let's just say I was telling myself I must be doing something wrong.  Never mind that I had premature twins.  Never mind that one was in the NICU for five weeks.  Never mind that one has acid reflex and wakes himself up easily.  Never mind that they were still less than 3 months old.  Never mind that I'm a first time mother.  Something HAD to be seriously wrong!!

You can only imagine my relief when Sunday we had a major turn around.  Up to this point we had been soothing and rocking them to sleep.  But this had to end.  It was taking too long and causing us a lot of frustration.  I knew eventually I was going to change to letting them cry themselves to sleep but I kept putting it off, telling myself they weren't ready for it.  Sunday they proved me wrong. 

 After talking to a friend of mine we decided to start Bedtime Boot Camp that very night.  The results were amazing.  First, we began bathing them before bed rather than in the morning.  After a bath we read them a book and then gave them their bottle.  By the time we fed them they are sleepy and ready for bed.  Most importantly, once we lay them down in their crib we don't pick them up again- until morning, that is.  If they cried we only went in to show them we were still here, maybe rub there head, and gently say a few things.  This worked like magic!  Why didn't start this earlier?  With the exception of Tuesday, when they both decided sleep was not necessary, they've taken longer naps during the day, and become more synchronized.  And I've been MUCH more relaxed.  Not that our babies were very cranky before, but we have much happier babies.  I love it!