PLEASE mamas, give this tired, and very conflicted mama some advice. Idk which direction to go.

Liam is 7 months old tomor.

from newborn - 3 months he slept in a mamaroo bc of reflux. from 4 months - now he's bed shared with me. 🛌

However he has started being too mobile, rolling from one end of the bed to the other, and sleeping on his belly.

So I do not feel it is safe to continue sleeping in Mommy's bed.😞

two nights ago I put him down in his crib for the first time!! he was asleep, but He rolled over onto his belly and he slept for 11 straight hours without one wake up 😀🙌.

Last night I did the same. EXCEPT.... He only slept for two hours and woke up screaming and crying. He wasn't hungry or wet. for over an hour⏰ I did different things to try to get him to sleep. his cribs in our room. I stayed in the room. (quiet and out of sight) and every 3 minutes I would shh/pat him and repeat "its night night time, time for sleep."

hed calm down, but As soon as I walked away he would cry. I moved to the pick up put down approach. he'd konk out AS SOON AS I LIFTED HIM UP. 🤔 I'd hold him a minute and put down. same thing. rinse and repeat. 😣

had my husband try. but, After 3 hours of shush and Pat and some pick up put down and 20 minutes (total) of CIO at 5 Minute intervals we had reached 3 a.m. With no end in sight. Ready to fall over from exhaustion. it wasn't going well so we put him in the bed with us. Where he rolled over and fell asleep ASAP. my husband stayed up all night watching him sleep just so Liam could sleep. Every few minutes he would look over to make sure he was okay sleeping on his belly in our bed. he slept okay, but cried out a few times. but consoled within minutes.

Then he slept in, til 9am.😴 (HIS NORMAL NAPTIME!!! AND 2 HRS PAST BREAKFAST!) BC he didn't get much sleep thru the night I reckon.

Idk how to proceed.....😟

First off, hes often fed to sleep.90% of the time he falls asleep eating his bed time bottle .but I know he doesnt have a "feeding to sleep" association. He does however take a binky to bed IF he is still awake after feeding. He uses the binky at sleep times only.

Also....

I've put him to bed fully asleep 99% of the time, thus far. and it doesnt make a difference. some night's he'll sleep All night and some nights he wakes to eat a bottle. often closer to the morning (4-6am) If he wakes at night and it's not out of hunger, he refuses the bottle.

At some naps, I'll lay him on our bed and give him his muslin blanket (lovie) and his binky, and he falls asleep just like that! in like 2 minutes flat.

so... what we know:

★ He CAN sleep all night. because he's done it. (and started doing so at 8 weeks old)

*so on these nights, does this mean he's able to soothe himself back to sleep? bc he doesn't call/cry out for us, when he naturally wakes through the night.

★ He CAN fall asleep solo at most naps without being held or rocked to sleep (Naps are different than night sleep tho)

★ He can go all night without eating, and does so 90% of the time. (he's eating (4) 6.5-8oz bottles a day and 3 meals of 6-9oz food a day.

So where would you go from here?

we're transitioning to the crib, from bed sharing but also needing to sleep train.

I'm not opposed to a CONTROLLED method of CIO. As long as it works and he's benefitting from it.

we all need to get some better sleep. he's 7 months old tomorrow, and I wish I would have done things differently as a baby. (putting down drowsy, etc)

but I can't change it now.

so... mamas, please throw your advice/insights /Thoughts/ etc. at me.

I'm beyond desperate at this point and ive been googling all night and day And now I'm even more confused.

※posting in the February group too bc I was hoping you mamas have already tackled this or would have some other advice, since your little ones are 2 months older than Liam.※

Liam is usually a happy little babe. full of energy, smiles, and oh so curious!

first night (morning pic) in his crib, slept 11 straight hours with no wake ups! We need to get back there!!