Expert: ruth kraft - 7/3/2009

Question
I currently have a 4 month old daughter who is co-sleeping with me that I would like to transition to her own bed. We are a breastfeeding pair, so I would like to do this gently. Currently she will not even go down for a nap unless I am there with her - making it very difficult to get much done! Our pediatrician insists that she be in her own crib by 5 months and to use the cry it out method if necessary (which I do not have the heart to do).

Also, she has recently gone from feeding 2 times per night to feeding every hour to two hours at night. Do frequency feedings occur at night too? Do babies have 4 month growth spurts?

Answer
Babies don't usually have 4 month growth spurts but now and again you get some fluke things here and there... maybe her 3 month one was put off a little. :) My best suggestion woudl be to look up the no cry sleep solution by susan pantly, or get dr sears book on sleep. Both will give you several suggestions on how to transfer beds etc. Susan Pantly gives reasons and ways to try it and also how to do it very slowly, the best transistion for all involved.

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Ruth Kraft