who has used the NCSS from the beginning with success?

[Can Dance]

I am working my way through it, but my babe is only 11 weeks old. basically Pantley says to not start any habits that will be difficult for you to break. so as nice as it is for your baby to sleep on you, its probably best you skip that unless you want to have them sleeping on you the whole time.

so if you've used this technique specifically, what "things" or "stuff" have you used as "lovies" or things to identify that its time to sleep that can be easy to deal with as a long term solution? for me, for instance, though I will nurse him, I try not to nurse him to actual sleep (just sleepy) because I would like him to be able to fall asleep with me or daddy. that gives me the freedom to have a night off sometimes. but I am not sure what strategies to use.

I am hoping this makes sense. and just to be clear, we are obviously completely and totally skipping the screamtheirbrainsouttilltheyfallasleep strategy ;)

[JellyBean]

I haven't used or read NCSS but I think I probably do a lot of the things she suggests from what I've heard about it. I don't nurse them all the way to sleep, unless they are just really tired and happen to fall asleep on my boob. The only thing I've been bad about this time around is if one wakes up I move them to the swing to sleep. But its hard to get them back down in our room without waking the other up so I guess I'm sorta in a different situation!

Ali actually has this little lovey blankie (about the size of a washcloth) that she hangs on to. We have one for each of them but she seems to have taken to it more than Avi. Avi loves her thumb. I nurse Ali with her lovey then hand it to her when I put her down. I didn't start giving it to her in her bed though until the past month when they started rolling over and lifting up their heads. (But things in their beds don't scare me too bad since I run and check on them when I hear a peep.) Other sleep cues we have for them is their white noise. I take them to their room (our room) when its nap/night time, turn off the lights, turn on the cd, and lay them both down in seperate places. Some days/nights that's all I do and they are great. Then if one cries I go to that one and nurse her until she's calm and full and then help her get down (with either her lovey or her thumb whoever it is). Then I tend to the other if she needs me. Thankfully now I rarely ever have them both crying so I can actually care for one and then the other...in the beginning that was rough though. But...I'm talking to you like you have twins. :doh:giggle

Anyway...routines (not like sleep schedules but like bath, story, bed, etc), putting them down at the first sign of sleepy cues, and helping them get to sleep without nursing them completely down can definitely work! It did wonders for my son and so far is working great for the girls! But I may just be lucky too! :P~

[Kiwi Mama]

I'm currently in the midst of my NCSS journey.

I started nursing my DD (now 5 months) to sleep at 2 months because I had a bad back. Then it became a real habit and for the last couple of months she's woken about every hour or two at night and has to nurse back to sleep.

So we're working on the Pantley Pull Off - seeing a bit of success in that she now just pulls herself off and rolls over and goes to sleep, but she still wakes just as much. We've also had the recent "success" of me nursing, then my husband burping and carrying until asleep and laying her down - yay!

The night time routine etc has been great - used to nurse her for about an hour. Now we do bath, massage, song, nurse and it can be as quick as half an hour all up sometimes.

I also pat her back as I nurse and sometimes she'll let me pull her off and I keep patting as she drifts off.

No luck with day sleeps (4 x 40 min naps) but I don't care anymore since she's happy.

I tried using her ideas earlier, when she was really little, but was never actually able to put her down "sleepy but awake" even at 3 weeks old!

I'd be interested to hear what others have to say...

[Can Dance]

thanks for ideas ladies! keep em coming...

[14yrslater]

I tried using a lovey with ds since the beginning but he refuses to bond to one! I also tried the sound cues but they didn't really work with him. I found that white noise was good for masking out household noise that could wake him up but didn't really help him soothe to sleep. The Pantley Pull off didn't work for him either as it would make him really mad and then he would get all worked up and it would take a really really really long time to get him back to sleep. Now that he is 10 months - he'll pop off the boob himself and then turn around and sleep. He did this all by himself as I abandoned the PPO after a week of trying. The nap thing I tried with him as well but the little fella would not go back to sleep after he woke up. My ds has never napped for 2 hours except when he was going through a growth spurt. I have sat next to him during his nap and would try to soothe him him whenever he started stirring but then pop his eyes would open and he would be wide awake.

So sorry that I haven't had much success. In the end around 6 months I abandoned the whole thing. Mind you - God was telling me to trust Him and not trust the book so it could be that God was teaching me a trust lesson through my ds.

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

I'm in the process of doing sleep logs today. I am praying that the NCSS will help our pathetic sleep issues. I can barely function anymore because I'm so exhausted.

[illinoismommy]

I have taught two kids to sleep through the night early-ish without using any crying at all.

But I didn't use a lovie to make this happen. :think

for me, for instance, though I will nurse him, I try not to nurse him to actual sleep (just sleepy)


This is a good idea and it can be done.

[Ellen]

I have taught two kids to sleep through the night early-ish without using any crying at all.

But I didn't use a lovie to make this happen. :think






Well, how did you do it?

[illinoismommy]

Well, how did you do it?

Can I tell you after I try it with baby #4 and see if it works again ... :giggle :O :bag

[Ellen]

Oh, c'mon. :poke Just fess up and we'll promise not to hold you responsible if it doesn't work for our kids.