Can't not pick her up...

Against most people's opinions, I can't let Mabel just cry in her crib when she wakes during the night. I know that when we did the sleep training before we learned that she needs to soothe herself and that we can't "rescue" her when she wakes. I know these things and what is happening right now is not ideal, but listen what is happening in general is not ideal, Mabel is in a cast. Just because she may not remember what it was like before the cast (maybe that is true) her brain remembers and thinks she can stand and crawl like a one year old. In the night you can tell her brain is trying to practice the skills it thinks she can do.

90% of the time when I pick up Mabel during the night when she cries she burps or toots. She has gas that she can't get out by moving around like she needs, that isn't her fault and it surely is a reason to cry when you wake in discomfort and you can't do anything about it like move or sit up. I'm not going to let her lay there alone or just pat her back if she needs help.

I know that this is creating a bad habit, Mabel is one now and the fact that she knows I'll come for her during the wee hours of the night isn't the best thing, but at the same time she knows right now in her hour of need and discomfort that I'll be there for her. There are too many variables to assume that she is just crying because she wants me. I know that she probably does just want me to soothe her sometimes, I know that, but sometimes she has a full diaper at 3am - now laying in the cast with the diaper all tucked up really against her with cotton right up against her skin is different sensations then a normal diaper situation - also when her diaper gets full of pee, it typically gets very swollen in the belly area between her and her cast pushing on her belly and she is laying on her belly so how comfortable do you think that is?

Last night twice I went to her room and soothed her while just rubbing her back and she fell back to sleep, the third time I tried it again. She did doze off while I lay on her floor shushing her like we use to when we sleep trained her, but she kept tossing and then got stuck sideways. I picked her up and noticed her diaper leaked all over her pjs. Luckily, and through sheer luck alone, the cast was not wet, but she was and cold and uncomfortable. Now, think of how I felt when I realized that was why she was crying, not because she wanted company but because she was cold and wet.

You are expected to take care of your babies hungry cries, your babies scared cries and your babies cries of discomfort, but told to let them deal with anything that leads to crying in the night? That doesn't make sense. I know Mabel can soothe herself. I know that if she cries and fusses a little she'll be ok, but I will not sleep train again her while she is in the cast. If she keeps crying right now I will pick her up because she needs it. When the cast comes off and she's not dealing with some of these issues then we will implement the sleep training rules we had before, but until then I'm going to help her.