Desperate Mama failing at the 'No Cry Sleep Solution'... Please help...

[DinkyRowan]

My daughter has just turned one. We have co-slept since birth and she has almost always fallen asleep breast feeding. I'm trying to get her to sleep in her cot for her daytime naps in preparation for my return to work in September, but it is NOT going well.
I lay her on her front, gently patting her back and saying her sleep mantra 'shhh... shhh... sleepy time'. To begin with she fell asleep after just 5 minutes of fussing, but the process is getting longer and longer as she has wised up to it and today she cried hysterically for 20 minutes and then I gave up.
She has always really struggled to get herself to sleep and I just don't know how to help her. I've tried introducing a comforter etc.
Please help.

Never tried the no-cry sleep solution, but we found the only way to settle DS in his cot was with a bottle, will she accept one?we put him in the cot awake, hand him the bottle and he feeds to sleep then just drops the bottle out of the cot as he dozes off. It's not ideal, but we are building up the courage to stopping giving him the bottle. Only ever planned on it being a temporary bridge to get him used to settling alone in the cot rather than breastfeeding to sleep.

I think the NCSS suggests taking the child off the breast and holding their chin. If they howl, put them back on the breast and try again a little while later but before they are asleep. It is a very slow process, but does work eventually (weeks not days).

Hmm, a few things you could think about.

Do you need to move nap time? Is she over tired or not quite tired enough when you are trying to get her to go to sleep?

Is it crying because she really wants you to feed her to a lovely dreamy milk induced sleep. or because she just doesn't want to switch off at that moment?

If she has a good sleep environment, a comforter, a sleep mantra and is tired, you could try keeping up with the routine you have, but picking her up and getting her clam everytime her crying changes from a bit of fussing into real crying. Then putting her down again and carrying on as before.

If you are worried about other people getting her to sleep in nursery, or a childminder doing it, remember they are very different for other people, when milk is not an option, they will often give in and sleep MUCH sooner, and without fuss. Also, whoever is looking after her might not be adverse to putting her in a sling, pushchair or other means in order to get her off to sleep. They all grow out of the inability to self settle phase in the end - gentle pushing with no tears is possible I think.

Thank you all so very, very much :o)

Rockchick1984 - Yes, she will take a bottle. I'll give that a try for sure. I was planning to switch to a bottle eventually, so may as well give that a try now.

azazello - Yes, she will fall asleep happily without the breast if she is laying with me, but it is the moving into the cot that wakes her, and then she finds it SO difficult to get herself back off!

JoinTheDots - Thank you! I will definitely try picking her up to comfort her in between her bouts of crying. It feels SO nice to be given permission to do this! I can't bear her tears so I don't really mind if the process takes longer.

Fingers crossed that we can crack this in the next 10 weeks! Thanks again for your help x

Are you only doing this for childcare? Ie are you happy with the way it is otherwise? If so I honestly wouldn't worry about it, they find different ways to get to sleep in a childcare setting so it will be fine I'm sure