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REAL MOMS, REAL STORIES: Sleeping Through the Night- Story #4

Today’s story is written by Erin Myers Grieger.
Her daughter’s (Ellie and Adelynn) were sleeping 8 hours by 8 weeks of age.
She achieved this by researching the Babywise method and describes what this meant to her and her family below.
Check out her blog at http://www.eringrieger.com/

How do I get my Baby to Sleep Through the Night?

I have the answer!!! Well, I personally don’t have the answer, but I know a resource where you can find it! Ever heard of Babywise? It’s a book called On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo.

This book was recommended to me by 3 different people at 3 separate times during my first pregnancy. Since it was my first pregnancy I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know how often I should feed my baby, how to get them to sleep, activities I should be doing with them, etc. So I decided to give the book a try. I got Babywise on Amazon for $1 and then paid for shipping. That was the best $5 I ever spent for my children!

Babywise helped my husband and I understand the neurological side of a baby’s development. Now that doesn’t mean there was a lot of medical/science talk. The book explained how eating cycles, sleeping cycles, learning stages during sleep, and how sleep all effect your child now and as they get older. It also covered things that are appropriate/inappropriate for child at different stages, the husband/wife relationship and frequently asked questions. This book was a LIFESAVER for us!

Both of our girls where sleeping through the night (8 solid hours) by 8 weeks! And I was breastfeeding! I remember when people said, “I bet you’re not sleeping anymore are you?” And we’d respond, “Yeah actually we are.” And they’d say “Oh you must be lucky.” And I’d say no, “We were taught how to teach our child to sleep.” They looked at me like I was crazy.

WARNING: If you google Babywise, there is a LOT of controversy surrounding the book. Honestly, I’m not sure why. Of the people who “complained” about the book, once I read their complaints, I felt like saying, “well then you obviously didn’t read the book because that was addressed.” Another reason I think there is controversy is because the author is a Christian. There’s always controversy around religion. Even though he doesn’t discuss any of that in the book.

Now I will say that there are some people who just don’t agree with this style of parenting. They prefer demand feeding or attachment parenting. And that’s fine. That’s a personal preference. What I suggest, is that you read it for yourself and you decide as a family if this book will work for you. It may, it may not. But you won’t know unless you pick it up and READ IT FOR YOURSELF. Don’t go based on what I say, what others say on the internet, because like every product and baby item you’ve researched, there will be pro’s and con’s to everything. You really don’t know until you read it yourself!

The biggest take-a-way from the book is the Feed, Wake, Sleep Cycle. This cycle that repeats itself every 2 1/2- 3 hours is what teaches your baby the difference between day and night and helps regulate their metabolism.

Also I found some other great info and schedules at BabyWise Mommy.

Also I do want to share with you that there are other resources as your child gets older as well. We were introduced to the Babywise classes by my husband’s co-worker. They’re all set up by Growing Families International.

I HIGHLY recommend these classes!!! It’s a chance for you to take a class with other parents that are like minded, can help brainstorm ideas, and provide support and encouragement for you as a parent. My husband and I have done the Toddler Transition and Growing Kids God’s Way classes. Both have been very beneficial.

They cover topics such as scheduling your child’s day, highchair behavior/activities, importance of the father’s relationship with his children, teaching proper behavior instead of spending time correcting, showing love to one another, importance of the husband/wife relationship, building family identify and teaching your children to actually love one another and be friends, teaching a child moral sensibility, first time obedience, biblical discipline, how to successfully handle sibling conflict, temper tantrums, lying, cheating and stealing and how instill personal self-control and a sense of personal responsibility.

We also plan on continuing with Parenting the Middle Years and Reaching the Heart of your Teen as our kids reach those ages. If you’re interested in finding a class near you. Go to Growing Families International , click on US community.

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