My 8 mth old son.. will not sleep, sit up, or crawl!!! Ferber Method??

Question

Ok.. this is my second child and he so different then my baby girl. He will not sit up and he will not crawl..he does this belly crawl thing on his stomach or he will just get on all fours and rock and geerrr's at me. When I sit him up he just falls back, he's not even trying.

Worst of all is he is not sleeping through the night... Has anyone tried the Ferber Method? I'm thinking of doing it but i wonder if it works or not. The doc. said it would probably work..

Is this normal for boys? I heard they develop slower then girls.

The Ferber Method says you can teach your baby to soothe himself to sleep from the age of about 5 or 6 months by following a warm, loving bedtime routine and then putting him in bed awake and leaving him (even if he cries) for gradually longer periods of time. Putting a child to bed awake, says Ferber, is crucial to successfully teaching him to go to sleep on his own.
Parents are instructed to pat and comfort their baby after each predetermined period of time, but not to pick up or feed their baby. This routine is called "progressive waiting." The suggested waiting time, which Ferber charts in his book, is based on how comfortable you are with the technique, how many days you've been using it, and how many times you've already checked on your child that night.

Answer 1

All babies develop at different rates. Boys do tend to be slower at things as well.

If he gets on all fours and rocks it's a sign he's getting ready to crawl. For now he's just getting used to being on his hands and knees but soon he'll take off and start crawling.

As for sitting, it's not that he's "not trying" it's just that he isn't ready. He's not able to sit right now and that's fine. When he's ready, he'll do it. You just have to keep trying with him and if he does it then great, if not then it's fine.

To get him to sleep through the night you just need to let him cry it out. He needs to learn how to put himself to sleep and if you're going in there everytime he cries then he'll never learn how to do that. Just let him cry it out. If you truly feel the need to go in his room then go in once or twice but don't pick him up. Let him lay there. Just stroke his head or talk to him softly to let him know you're there.

Answer 2

Sometimes development is faster with female children, though this is usually where speaking and potty training is concerned. Babies are all different and all learn at different stages. My daughter (who will be 2 the 21st) had this kinda Army scoot she would do, and she did this for months, I thought she was never going to crawl--turns out she did not ever crawl--at a year old she just stood up and started trying to walk, after five children before her, this was the strangest I had ever seen. he is rocking back and forth, and that is a very good sign, that usually occurs with a couple weeks of the crawling. As for the sitting, he may just want to try to master one thing at a time and is not really interested.
I have never heard of the Ferber Method.

Answer 3

I have an 8 month old girl who until recently didn't spend any time on her tummy without having a fit. She doesn't crawl, she pushes herself backwards and in circles on the floor, but isn't even close to crawling. She sits quite well, but she used a Bumbo seat from the time she was about 4 months. (http://www.bumbobabyseat.com/) You can go to the site and check them out, but he's probably getting too old to be in one because they don't have a strap so they can push themselves out once they get big enough. As far as your son goes, he is crawling, and any day now he'll do it on all fours and you won't be able to stop him! Some babies never "crawl" on all fours, some just pull themselvs to where they want to be, some don't crawl until after they walk. To help him sit have him spend time sitting in his highchair, or another seat , and he'll get strong enough to do it on his own quickly. The thing about babies is that they don't do something unless they have desire, so if he doesn't feel like sitting is something that's going to help him play, he won't because he doesn't need to.
To get him to sleep through the night try feeding him more solids during the day. Try 3 maybe even 4 times a day. Feed him one jar (or however much he normally eats) about a half hour or so before bed. As close to bed time as possible. Then give him a bottle that you can even add cereal to. Try not going into his room every time he wakes up, sometimes he'll be able to put himself back to sleep. If he doesn't put himself to sleep for naps or bedtime it's going to be harder for him to self soothe at night. Try getting him to put himself to sleep for naps and bed time. Some babies cry for a couple minutes, then they'll go to sleep, and cry less each time. Some babies cry and get hysterical, if that's the case letting him cry it out won't work. Be consistent for naps and bedtime, make it virtually the same routine for both naps and bed time. All in all, be consistent. Trying a method will probably help because you will all know what to expect, and you'll all be doing the same things. Good luck!!

Answer 4

i don't know re sleeping i don't have a problem there but my girl (8 months) will sit but will not crawl and has only just started going on her tummy she refused before don't worry there all different develop differently i worried but saw other mums and babies all doing and not doing different things. with sleeping i let her cry out for 5 Min's go in and sooth no picking up just stroking and shushing when calm come away the next time 10 mins ect ect. i did this a long time ago and she leart quickly mummy is crap at night. but also girls do develop faster than boys xx

Answer 5

I Ferbered a couple of kids. I don't think I would do the extreme method. He has a modified, new book out that is sort of a middle ground. I would try that.

However, you're a little early. Eight months is a little young to be worrying about it. Put him to bed (ON HIS BACK) with a full tummy and see if that helps. A couple of Mylicon drops will assure he don't have gas.

As for crawling, quit worrying about it and forcing him. Kids develop at their own rate.

Answer 6

letting a child cry it out doesn't teach them to "self-sooth" as some like to think. It teaches your children to give up on you as a source of comfort. It lets them know that no matter how much they cry and scream, their parents will not be there for them, no matter how hungry or scared or how much pain they are in at night or during naps, no aid will come to them, they will stop trying to ask for help. how do you think this will affect them later in life when they are in pain, depressed, etc, they have been conditioned to silence the pain, that asking for help doesn't work, that they are only convienient if they never cry.
Babies don't just cry. if he wakes up and cries he is hungry, scared, has painful gas, a gross nasty uncomfortable diaper, some reason to call on his mother. He is calling on you because he is not able at this age to take care on these things himself. if he were 14 and calling you because he was hungry and thirsty, then yes, tell him to handle it, but 8 months, if he can't sit up yet, how can you expect him to thrive with the ferber method?

Answer 7

Some babies never crawl in the traditional sense. My son was sitting up at 6.5 months and is now crawling at 7.5 months. But I know others who are not. Check with your pediatrician if you're worried.

I have not done any form of CIO, but if you are ok doing it, your son is old enough to try. I like the gentler versions where you stay in the room for comfort purposes.

Answer 8

first of all, he will never be like your baby girl because he is not your baby girl, he is your baby boy, all children develop differently at different stages, if you think hes not trying then hes probably not ready, he will do these things when he is ready, not when you think he should. Secondly, im not sure what to do about the sleeping but it is not abnormal (how ever annoying). i dont think its a gender thing.
P.S. what is the Ferber Method? i've never heard of that

Answer 9

Lack of sleep in children can cause serious
health problems.If parents follow some simple
techniques for making their children sleep,
it can be avoided. I found useful information
at http://nosleep.in/sleepchildren.html

Answer 10

My daughter's 9months old and all she can do is sit and clap. She just seems to have no desire to move around.

Don't worry, all children are different. His time will come, sooner or later.