Question Regarding Ferber Method

I have the same problem with my four and a half month old except she goes to bed at 9:30 or 10 she wants to go to bed at 7:30 maybe I should put her down then but she was weaned off of the 1am feeding but still wakes up at that time. With my son I didn't sleep well until he was in another room. But now she'll be waking my son up so it's a no win situation. But you can wean him off of one feeding just rub his back and say shoo and he should eventually go back to sleep if he's not really hungry.

Hi, I used the ferber method also for my oldest child, but she was almost 8 months old. Of course, it worked, and she turned into a wonderful sleeper, where as before then she had terrible sleeping patterns. I waited because we traveled to Europe when she was 6 months old, so I didn't see the point in sleep training until we returned a month later. For my twins, they are similar to your child. They fell asleep well on their own. At around the same age as your little one, I elimated their middle of the night feeding by substituting formula with water. It worked, and they started sleeping through the night. I think that at this young age, and since your child is waking for late night and early morning feedings, the sleep method may not work well. On the other hand, it may eliminate those feedings as well. I think you know your child well enough to determine what is best. I just wanted to tell you my experience. Good luck!

I think letting your baby cry is just cruel. I can't understand how we call ourselves human and then let our babies cry. I never let mine cry. I was there for both of them all night long. I cried, but I dealt with it. Its over now. they are nine and seven. It was hard but temporary. I suggest that instead of listening to pediatricians you get the Baby Book by Dr. Sears. Your babies will be happier.

You can't sleep train until after 6 months of age. They don't have the maturity and ability to learn so you're just putting them through unnecessary crying! wait til 6 mo to do any kind of cio or other sleep training methods.

Hi A.,

I used the Ferber method for both of my children, but only aflter they were weaned off of night time feedings. You may want to consider waiting until then, because as you wonder, it will confuse your sweet baby, and he will not understand why one time he cries you come and get him and the other time you don't. Don't get discouraged about Ferber method though, it does work when it is the right time.

Good Luck,
N.

After doing a lot of reading, the general consensus is that it is 100% normal for babies to need a nighttime feeding at least until they are 6 months old. 4.5 months seems way to young.... We did Ferber, but not till our son was 8 months old. I read the Ferber book, and he has a general guideline of not sooner than 6 months.

I do think that you're going along the right path. Any time you can start the self-comforting process, it's a good thing. But for me, a baby younger than 6 months is just alone and scared in the world, and is crying because that is pretty much the only way they can get help.....

Our problem was that my son associated rocking/nursing when falling asleep, and when he rose to the light sleep stage, he was aware enough to look for that and want/need it to fall back asleep. That was hard, at 2x per night (or more as a very young baby), and I was so happy when he went to 1x per night. But he starting, around 8 months old, waking more frequently rather than less, and it got too hard, with 3 or 4 night wakings, and me having to sleep on the couch (because we don't co-sleep due to DH's issues with insomnia and my desperate thought that bad sleep was better than no sleep)... Anyway, we did it--it was hard on me, and on my son, but it was worth it, and I'm glad we did it.