controlled crying - please help :(

[KenyanSunrise]

Hi all,

I have a lovely 7 month old little boy who up to just over a week ago would go to sleep without a problem and sleep through from about 7.30 to 6.

However a week ago for some unknown reason he has decided he hates his cot. He will not sleep in it. As soon as I put him in it he starts to scream and sob. Honestly it is the worst sound I have ever heard.
I have given in for the last week and he has come into bed with me and my partner, however I know this cannot continue as we all need a decent nights sleep.

so, tonight I thought I'd give this controlled crying a go.

So far he has screamed and sobbed for the last 10 minutes. I have the monitor on even though I can hear him without it. I can hear him choking ever so often as he is crying so hard.

So my questions are, how long do I leave this to go on for? I have been going in every 5 minutes to try and calm him down but it gets worse as soon as I leave again, and how do I stay strong? Hearing him in such distress is breaking my heart.

last time I went in he was actually sitting bolt upright sobbing.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated even if it is giving me a different solution to controlled crying.

Thanks everyone

Do you think he might be teething?

yep I'm pretty sure he is.

I've just given up. I went in and was sitting upright and had been sick all over himself. I feel awful.

What can I do?

Hi. I'm not into cc at all, he's too young and obv needs/wants you for a reason!!
Oddly my dd is also 7 months and normally a good sleeper but last few nights have been pretty bad. However tonight i have seen the top of her tooth starting to come thru!!! She has her bottom ones already but this is the top one. Calpol about an hour before bed has helped. And if she is upset i bring her to bed with me. Out of the last 4 nights i've only brought her into bed twice so not the end of the world! Also, if he's been sick maybe he is not well??

Thanks Feekerry, I never wanted to do cc, and felt really lucky that I'd never had to. Now though I just don't know what else to do.
Definitively think teeth are coming through but he is so happy during the day, its literally when I lay him in his cot.
We did move his cot to a different place in his room just before this started so maybe it could be something to do with that?
I don't think he is ill as he seems ok now I've picked him up and he was normal all day.

Could you move the cot back? Anxiety is very high at this age so I'd try and keep everything the same.... separation anxiety peaks about now too.

Have you given calpol and teething gel? Obvious I know.

Hi Fairylea, I am going to move the cot back tomorrow.
And yep tried calpol and dentinox.
I honestly think its a mixture teething, me going back to work and moving his cot. just wish I didnt have to cause him such upset.
co sleeping tonight I reckon.

we did cc and it has it's place, but you can't do it if anything is wrong, ie teething or poorly. Second calpol (or better calprofen, or if it's really bad a double whammy of both), teething gel and teething powder. Lying down makes it worse which is why he'll be worse at bedtime, plus no distractions.

Or - it could be for a reason you will never fathom! But if you think he's teething, I would err on the side of caution and dose him. You don't say how you feed him but tomorrow, say, dose him before his feed, that will give the medicine time to kick in before you put him down.

ThalianotFailure, so I should wait till his teeth pop through? to be fair that makes sense. Just dont know what to do till then. Just trial and error I guess.
He has a 260ml bottle in the morning when he wakes up, baby porridge for breakfast about 8, maybe 150ml bottle around 12 then lunch around 1. Another bottle at 4ish normally drinks around 120ml and then tea at around 5. Finally he drinks 240ml at around 7.30 after bath and story.
I've tried raising one end of his mattress incase he doesnt like lying flat anymore, I've bought a frog thing which shines stars on the ceiling and plays lullaby's, I've tried letting him fall asleep in my arms and then putting him down. Nothing works. He has gone from a happy baby that would drink a bottle and then be put in his cot awake and just talk himself to sleep, to a baby that is happy all day until the very second he is made to lie down in his cot. I am completely baffled.

When did you go back to work?? Maybe that with the cot moving has really put him out of sorts? Agree the separation anxiety is at a height now. I really feel for you. Its awful when like our babes have slept really well then don't . It hits you like a sledge hammer doesn't it!!! Stick with it, he obv needs you. Then be glad you can have a wee on your on at work lol!!x

lol thanks Feekerry that made me chuckle.
I went back 2 weeks ago. luckily my parents look after him while we are at work so he seems happy there, but yes I agree he does seem more anxious when I leave the room now and he has slept solidly while in our bed.
I think this weekend I'll try picking him up putting him down instead of cc. It might take longer but I cant let him cry till hes sick.
The little fellow has finally fallen asleep in my arms :)
This parenthood business is just one guilt trip after another isn't it!lol!