Hi all!
Today I am back with another Mouths of Moms product review/discussion topic. You can check out more posts like these here. I was sent a pack of Huggies Ultra Dry Nappies to test on my daughter, so I’ll be giving you my honest thoughts about those, as well as my experience with sleep training and whether I recommend it or not. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
I received the Size 4 pack which is tailor-made for girls weighing between 10-15kg and unfortunately they were too big for Abigail. However, the Size 3 were much too small – so she’s currently in-between sizes. We’ve packed them away, ready to use once she’s put on a little more weight. Having said that, we did try them out and were big fans. They have gorgeous Minnie Mouse designs (front and back), are super soft and extremely absorbent. They are almost ready for her to wear, but at the moment she is still slightly leaking out the sides. Too much information! The only downside is that they are quite expensive. We personally couldn’t afford to keep buying this brand, but if you want top-quality nappies, I would recommend these.
Now onto my discussion topic: to sleep train or not to sleep train. That is the question. This is a very controversial subject for parents, so let me start by saying this is purely my opinion/personal experience. Different things work for different babies. Firstly, there are many ways in which to sleep train. You don’t have to do cry it out. In fact, you don’t have to do anything. It all depends on what you’re comfortable with.
When Abigail was around 8 months old, she was still waking up 1-2 times a night and resisting day naps. Her nurse told me that she no longer needed to be fed at night, which meant that she was waking up purely so I would help her get back to sleep. She told me that it was really important that babies (particularly after 6 months) learn to fall asleep on their own, without the help of their parents. I could see Abi was exhausted/miserable during the day (as was I) and didn’t need my milk during the night. So one Friday night, Francis and I decided to see what would happen if we just let her cry. At around 1am, she began to wail in protest, but surprisingly, it only lasted 20 minutes before she fell back to sleep by herself. From that moment on, she slept from 7:30pm – 7:00am without any crying. Our sleep and sanity were saved! It was honestly the best decision we ever made. When it came to day napping, I tried the same approach. I found that if I went into her room to try and soothe her, it would actually make things worse. This is why interval checks never worked for me. She would get so upset that we weren’t pulling her out. So…I let her cry. It was never for very long and I didn’t let it get past hysterical, but pretty soon Abi was napping peacefully during the day and all night long. She became a much happier, healthier child and is now a sleeping legend!
My overall opinion is that I am for sleep training. Cry it out worked for my child but interval checks, the Ferber method, wake-and-sleep, the fading method, the chair method and more may work for yours. I highly agree that children need to learn to fall asleep on their own. Yes, I’m sure they will grasp the concept eventually, but why not teach them how (at a suitable age) to ensure both of you are much happier and healthier? Parenting is hard enough, but being sleep deprived for months and months is just added misery. I know it isn’t easy, but there are lots of options available and the end result is beyond worth it.
Thank you so much for reading. Let me know which brand of nappies you like the best and what are your thoughts on sleep-training?
Peace & Love xoxo
I am not being paid or sponsored for this post/products – all my thoughts/opinions are my own.