I talked to lactation consultants. We took Abraham to the pediatrician.
He was only eating 15-20 ounces of formula a day, and nursing at night with me. What the lactation consultant and our pediatrician said was that Abraham was stocking up on milk at night (nursing much more than I realized while I slept) and not wanting to eat during the day. I guess it makes sense - with so many fun things to do and discover during the day, who would want to stop and eat ?? So what they told us is that Abraham just isn't that hungry during the day because he eats so much at night. The solution? Time for the crib. Ahhhhh!!! I wasn't ready for it - was Abraham? The advice of our pediatrician: "Just do it." He thought I was foolish for co-sleeping. But after our experience of co-sleeping, it has worked so well for us (at least for the first 6 months) that we want to do it again with our next child. (Which won't be for many years to come.) There are also so many articles and statistics that prove that co-sleeping is SO beneficial for the child. The only down-side that I have ever read about (and now experienced) is when children becomes aware and mobile that they nurse because they can.
So! Abraham is officially in his crib. The first night was definitely the hardest. After talking with friends and family I thought I was prepared. Definitely NOT. Ohhh it was so sad and so hard to hear him cry. But the advice of my sister-in-law echoed in my head. "He is learning to self-soothe himself - this is an ability that he will have for the rest of his life." That first night he woke up 5 or 6 times. The longest he cried was about an hour... :( The second night he woke up 4 times, and the longest he cried was about 20 minutes. The third night he woke up 4 times as well, but went to sleep really easy and the longest he cried was about 15 minutes. The schedule he has been at for the last couple days is going to bed at 9 pm, waking up at 12 and putting himself to sleep in about 10 minutes of fussing, waking up a 3 am and I nurse him, waking up at 7 am and I nurse him, and then waking up at 10 am for the day. In a little while I will stop nursing his at 3 am and let him soothe himself. It's nice that he sleeps in so much. Now that he is in his crib, it gives me the freedom to have some of the morning to do what I want to do. This transition to the crib I dreaded since he was born, but now that he has done it I am so relieved and actually like it better this way now. We'll see how he does on our trip to Fresno this weekend... it will be his first time sleeping in his portable crib! :/
