Here we go....controlled crying starts tonight

[Deehit]

I am dreading this!
My baby is 7 months and still wakes 3-4 times a night for a bottle and our day starts at 5am everyday so tonight we begin the dreaded "controlled crying"

Any tips, help or experiences please share because I am going to need some help.

I already picture myself sat on the landing in tears....I hate hearing my baby cry.

Wish me luck

Silly question: have you tried white noise?

Good luck. We did this with one of my children because he wouldn't stay asleep without an adult touching him. It took 3 nights but he's still brilliant at falling asleep quickly now (he's a teenager!).

But I do still feel bad about it for some reason

I didn't just let him scream for ages. Went back every few mins. It is hard but saved all our sanity.

Have they started weaning? Are you trying dinner and then a bottle...not trying to disway you from controlled crying (I somewhat did it) just think you if they are still waking that many times for bottles they may be hungry.

Make sure they are full, dry, and comfy so there no doubt of "what if they actually need me" and put on an audio book that's loud enough to hear properly if it's silent. Then go make yourself some tea and have some chocolate!

Seven months is way too early.

That's pretty good for a 7 month old! Step away from anyone telling you otherwise! You are clearly doing a great job and baby is waking for food which is good as they are growing fast. If you are having issues getting baby to sleep in the first place then there are loads of strategies you may find useful (we liked the no cry sleep solution) but if it's just the waking then I promise you baby will grow out of it, no matter how hard it is to believe that right now. Hugs.

Yes she is on 3 meals a day 3-4 bottles a day iv got a white noise machine. She has just had a soiled nappy, a bath, a story, then we always put lullaby music on just to calm her down before bed and then usually she goes to sleep no problem it's the waking 3-4 times a night that I'm tryin to cut out. Every time she wakes I give her a bottle she has about 3 oz then goes back down no problem she is only ever awake 15 mins.

I agree with @Thedutchwife far too early 😬

Ummm - it's very hot and no one is sleeping very well just now (assuming you are in the UK). Are your windows open (poor neighbours!)?

Are you in a hot part of the country?

I would hold off until you can be sure she isn't waking up thirsty

My normally-brilliant sleeper has been waking up twice since this hot weather started and I'm pretty sure it's thirst and being generally a bit hot and bothered

If your young baby only wakes up for 15 minutes at a time and happily goes back to sleep then why would you use controlled crying as clearly the baby is waking for a reason. You have a baby that drops off to sleep beautifully and as the mornings get darker they will stop waking early. I cannot understand what you are trying to correct. You have a baby, that baby wakes up sometimes. Why not give a porridge supper at 9 or later? Why would you want to listen to your baby cry when that baby is never awake more than 15 minutes at a time? I think you are putting yourself and your very young child through unnecessary distress.

If she goes to sleep no problem then controlled crying won’t do anything-
I also wouldn’t do this whilst it’s so hot as babies like us wake more in the heat.
If you feel, once it cools down that they’re waking for milk out of comfort switch to water see if that cuts it down.

I just feel like I'm failing. Every parent I talk to say things like "awww is she sleeping through now" or "I bet your glad she's sleeping now" so I think am I doing something wrong? She won't sleep with covers on so I can't imagine she's hot and we have our window open and she will get a breeze through that. I don't want to be judged or made to feel bad I'm simply a new young single mum and already feel bad when people constantly tell me their babies slept all the way through from 6 weeks. I can't seem to get her to drink water. Everyday I fill a bottle up with boiled water just to keep trying her throughout the day and it's like I'm giving her devil juice. I'm going back to work soon and I was just hoping for a half decent sleep when I go back.

@ParisNext she can't keep her eyes open past 7pm so I have started giving her porridge around 6pm to fill her up a little. She doesn't sleep through the day either. She has one nap at 9am for roughly 20-30 mins and that is it....literally nothing else all day. I'm just exhausted

OP, if she’s going back to sleep within 15 minutes I’d count yourself amongst a lucky minority. We’ve just got to that stage at 2 and a half. 7 months is too early to understand what’s going on, they don’t grasp object permanence for a while yet so she’ll think she’s been abandoned.

Please don’t do this to your baby! That routine is completely normal for a 7 month old!

Believe me the last thing I want for my baby is to be upset or feel abandoned. A few people have suggested it so I just thought I would try it. Now I just feel even worse like I'm a bad mum 👍🏻

It’s likely the weather. My two have always been Incredible sleepers, but lately because of the heat they’ve been waking up for water or just because they’re uncomfortable.

Tbh it doesn't sound as if she needs it. If she goes down no problem and goes back down quickly during the night it just sounds as if you need to ride it out.

CC is really for littlies who struggle to self settle in the first place.

You are a fab mum! Wow just 15 mins to settle! Honestly people are so competitive over small babies, I bet all those thinking she would be sleeping through are misremembering how old their babies were when they slept through. You are doing amazing. At that age mine woke every 45 mins and wouldn't settle. But he slept through by 10 months, all night 7-6 with a dream feed. But some friends' babies took a little longer and that's also normal. There is light at the end of the tunnel and you are doing everything perfectly.

If you up the amount of meals she has a day it might help. At that age mine was essentially having 5 meals as the snacks where as big as the meals. 3 or 4 bottles a night is a lot. In this heat you could always give water in the night and if she really is thirsty she will drink it.

Don't feel like a failure, your baby is doing brilliantly. Do you realise how many people would give their right arm for a baby that falls asleep without any trouble. I know you are tired but honestly "this too shall pass" and she's not giving you a moments trouble when she does wake up. Why don't you try giving her more than 3 oz when she wakes up. Really try to fill her up when she wakes up the first time and see how you do. my daughter dropped all day sleeps very early too it is so draining. She actually would sleep better if I did push her round and get her to have half an hour in the afternoon because they she would go to sleep at 9pm. There are lots of other things to do but sitting on a landing crying while you listen to your hot and hungry baby cry is not a great way to spend you evening. She is also probably teething where the baby gets the pain as the tooth descends but you don't think of it as teething as there is nothing to feel. Oh and by the way, the parents who say all that crap to you about sleeping through blah and playing smug competitive games are full of rubbish and just know that those are the parents whose child will suddenly stop sleeping age 5 or something. If I knew how to do a winky smiley face I would do. Don't worry, your daughter sounds quite perfect. Maybe work on day time not night time. It sounds like you are doing brilliantly and could do with going to bed when she does. Good luck with everything.

You're being a great mum, you're trying to do what's best for you and your baby! But honestly, it's not normal for them to sleep through at 7 months and any that do are unusual, not the norm. So you might be setting yourself up for some tough nights with no result.

My first dc didn't sleep through till 2 years and I totally get how annoying it is when people say 'oh is she sleeping through yet' - normally older people who have forgotten what babies are like I found....

Deehit - you're not a bad mum, you just sound like you're really tired. I agree with others saying that baby is still a little young for cc, and it's very common to still be waking at this point, especially when it's hot. People just don't admit it! My 18mo has only slept through 5 times in her life. If I'm feeling knackered I often go to bed straight after she goes to sleep - is this an option for you?

To be honest when I hear people tell me about how theirs slept from 6 weeks I think "bulls**t" maybe I'm being ungrateful and overthinking it and listening to other people too much.