Cry it Out?

Last night was one of the most challenging we have had with our little beanster.  I think I had two hours of sleep. Poor Bean woke up screaming and was up most of the night.  It must have been the raw onions in the bean dip I made or the strawberries I ate.

Most of the night was spent nursing, rocking, and bouncing on the exercise ball.  Amel had to take over for a little while.  I often get advice saying I need to let Maika "cry it out."  I have decided, at least for the time being, that is not an approach I want to take with my little man.  I know he was crying for a reason last night.  Putting him in his bed in a dark room and leaving him to cry until he is so exhausted he falls asleep just doesn't sound like a good plan.  This phase of his life is so short in the over all picture.  It is a little hard to remember that in the midst of the challenges though.

There are two reasons I don't want to use a cry it out approach: 1). I don't want to damage the trust that is developing between us and our baby 2). I don't want my baby to suffer any physiological distress.

When I hear my baby cry, I can feel my blood pressure rise.  My instinct is to comfort him.  If I use a sleep training method, I have to desensitize myself to his cries.  I really don't want to become insensitive to his cries.  I don't believe, at this age, my child is trying to manipulate me, but cries to communicate a need, even if it is just the need for a snuggle.

At some point, I may have to adjust my stance on this issue, but for the time being, I think I am doing what Mr. Bean's sensitive personality needs.  Of course, there are times when it is just not possible to attend to a crying baby immediately.  There may also be moments when when one needs to put baby down in a safe place and take some sanity time (I have had some of these moments).  Parenting seems to be more of an art than a science.

More information:
Fussy baby
10 Reasons for Not Crying it Out
The Continuum Concept: In Search of Happiness Lost by Jean Liedloff