DD is 21 months and never been a good sleeper. She goes down okay - I BF her, put her in bed awake, then either DH or I sits with her until she's asleep.
The problems is that she wakes in the night, comes through to our bed and wants BF. I feed her and take her back to her own bed. This takes 40 mins to an hour and happens twice a night. She comes through at 6/6:30, feeds then that's her up for the day. I'm knackered! DH and I decided that tonight is the night we start tackling this.
She woke up at 9:30, DH went through and she's been screaming ever since. Horrible, forced screaming that is making her retch and throw up. She's screaming for mummy cuddles. It's awful to listen to and I'm finding it very hard not to go through. She's woken her 5 yr old brother up too and he's not amused!
How can we get through this without scarring her, and us, for life?!?!?! It's awful!
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Listening to DD scream herself sick - help!
OPeaches · 27/12/2012 22:10
Could you go and sit with her? I know your DH is trying but she must be really distressed if she is being sick 
I night weaned DS at around 18mo by bringing him into bed with us when he woke in the night but refusing to feed him. He cried next to me for a bit then went to sleep eventually. After a few days of that he'd just settle if I lay him next to me. Maybe worth a try? DS has never liked being put in his cot awake - I still bf him fully to sleep at 27mo 
and he didn't sleep through consistently until fairly recently.
count, I've tried that but don't have the willpower not to give in and feed her.
Thanks all x
Oh, and Count, my DS was 3.6 before he slept through, I'm impressed yours was only 27 months 
I swear by control crying. It's not everyone's cup of tea but for me it worked it means your dd wont get used to someone sitting with her but she will still see you or her dad at regular intervals which reassures her. Maybe leave her to cry 10 Minutes and I back in tell her it's bed time and settle her down stay with her for 2 mins then leave and just lengthen the time u wait before going in my dd wouldn't settle by herself but with 4 days of cc she settled and now self soothes during the night too 
Reporting back on night 1 . . . it went surprisingly well after that first horror hour. She woke at 2:40, DH went through and she protested for less than a minute before she went back to sleep!!!!! Miracle! She slept through again until 6 when her brother woke her up, so she would have gone a bit longer I think.
Pretty good result for the first night . Lets hope it wasn't a fluke.
Well we kind of just rolled with the milk requirement iyswim...ds ended up in my bed all night, he slept really well, I slept really well, no one had to get up.
No one screamed either which was a bonus
Good luck, hope you find things improve.
Thanks for the update. You're giving me hope
We're just going to roll with what we're doing for now because we don't want to try to introduce anything new at the same time as moving house (and changing nursery, and reducing the amount of time I spend with him... ) but I have no doubt we'll need to do something drastic pretty soon.
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I don't think anyone has mentioned Dr Jay Gordon's night weaning advice I know you're not co-sleeping but it's kinder than leaving her to cry. Worked brilliantly with DS at 15 months and he has a will of iron. Now at 22 months unless he's unwell he goes to sleep by himself (as in with no help) and stays asleep all night and then screams for milk first thing might be worth a go
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