Ok, here goes.

But before I start, a little disclaimer: This is just my opinions about things based on my experience of trying to do Babywise with my baby over the past five or so months. I am not criticizing the Babywise theory as a whole. I’m going to discuss the parts of Babywise that just don’t work for Little Bug and me.

So, here goes.

1. The to-the-minute scheduling. The Babywise Mom always posts the schedule her baby is on that week. She talks about how nice the “predictable routine/schedule” is … baby eating and napping at the same time every day. And, I guess, in theory, that is nice. But, in reality (well, in my reality), I’ve spent half a year trying to get Little Bug on a schedule like that and it just isn’t going to happen for us. And you know what? I have finally come to realize, that is perfectly okay! And there is such freedom in that realization!

So what do I do instead of a to-the-minute schedule? Go with the flow. I know at this stage of the ballgame Little Bug wakes anywhere from 7-8am, and is ready for a nap about 1.5 hours after waking. Then as the day goes on Little Bug eats every 3 to 3.5 hours and naps when I see her sleepy signs.

There is a difference between scheduling and routine. Routines, in my opinion, leave way more room for flexibility than the stereotypical Babywise schedule does.

2. The eat/wake/sleep cycle. Babywise has baby on this eat/wake/sleep cycle that fits perfectly together within a 3 to 4 hour frame. Well, for one reason or another, Little Bug just doesn’t do this perfectly like the Babywise theory teaches. She does more of a eat/wake/sleep/wake/eat cycle. And since I’ve let go trying to get her to do the Babywise eat/wake/sleep cycle, I’m no longer crossing my fingers and praying she sleeps till time to eat again. If she wakes up “early”, so what! We play and then eat when she’s hungry. SO much more relaxing and I’m not stressing to “stay on schedule”.

To me, it just makes more sense (and is way less stressful) to go off my baby’s cues than to go by the clock as far as knowing when it is time for Little Bug to eat and sleep!

And really, Little Bug does actually eat and nap at around the same time every day.

3. It does bother me how the Babywise theory makes moms feel like this IS the way to parent and if you don’t do things the Babywise way, you are doing something wrong. Obviously, that is the furthest thing from the truth because every mother and baby is different from the next. If Babywise works for you, great! If not, you aren’t doing anything wrong by not doing Babywise!

I certainly bought into the thinking that since Little Bug wasn’t a textbook Babywise baby, I must be doing something wrong.

But, literally, everywhere I go I get comments about what a secure and happy baby Little Bug is. So, obviously, I must be doing something right because a secure and happy baby is really all I want to see in my Little Bug at this point in her life! :)

Next … What I Do Like About Babywise :)

- Elaine