have you given up on cc?

[wee3kings]

Starting the new year with renewed attempts to get DS (18 months) to sleep through. He wakes at least 3/4 times during the night and has to be breast fed back to sleep. DH and I have had enough but we are very nervous of CC - mostly because DS has a will of IRON and it will be hideous. Is it worth trying on a child you are sure will be hysterical? Have you tried and then given up after a week or so with no results? I keep reading how it has turned people's lives around and I am so desperate for more sleep but don't want to put us all through it if it might not work.
Have tried all manner of other methods (PU/PD etc) but none have worked.

Heyelp!

I did CC with DD when she was 20 months, just after Christmas. She was no longer settling herself at bedtime and was waking several times in the night. It took about 3-4 nights for it to work for us, getting better every night. I was dreading it but was desperate for some proper sleep. And I knew DD needed a decent night's sleep also. Both Dha nd myself worked together to do it. It wasn't easy - especially the first night. But for us it did work. I kept an onliene diary of doing CC - it is on Mn somewhere.

There are other alternatives - the no cry solution, etc. you can try also.

My diary of CC

Did CC with DS1 and it worked brilliantly.

Did CC with DD2 and it was a complete nightmare. Did not work at all (much to my disappointment). We did it for 6 solid weeks (I have a will of steel and was determined not to be beaten) but alas. So we just left her to cry. That didn't work either!!!! PUPD didn't work either! She was a bloody nightmare! Didn't sleep through til she was 3 years old. Still not brilliant (nearly 6) but have taught her to entertain herself if she wakes in the night.

So, I would say, CC does work but not for all babies. If it is going to work it will work within the first week but you have to do it properly.

am starting cc again tonight. DD is 19 months and has always been fed to sleep, this results in her needing her bottle 2-3 times a night. we did cc before and it worked in a week, but some how have slipped back into old habits. ive just put her to bed about 10 mins ago, and she was asking for her gung,thats what she calls her bottle! now shes moaning for daddy! will just keep my fingers crossed.

Hope it's going ok izzy. I think we are going to keep trying new and different things and really use cc as a last resort. I'm just not sure me + DH is equal to DS in terms of will!
You definitely get the impression that it works for most people but I just have the nasty feeling that it won't with DS.

Oh, btw, daisies, how would you to cc properly? I'm never really sure how it works in its purest form!

try it wee3ks, my kids are way past that now but I do remember sitting on the landing at 4 in the morning saying every few minutes between screams"night, night E.." I remember thinking hell, this is ridiculous but IT DOES WORK!

well, she went to sleep after only one visit from me, i thought it was too good to be true, she woke about 12 and is now crying, have been in three times now, its really hard but im determined!

try only going in the first time, then stay outside the door/on landing whatever, saying from time to time quietly and calmly, "go to sleep " DO NOT go back in the room. She will keep yelling, and occasionally she will try a real scream to see if that brings more results.. but just maintain your calm (but invisible) presence. At least that's more or less what I did (after of course making sure she's not ill/wet/cold etc.)

in the end she screamed till 1-30, i had to go in and just sit on the floor next to her cot holding her hand. she went straight to sleep then, at least she went without a bottle though, so im still pleased with her progress. we had to get up at 6-30 though, then she really wanted her milk! but im determined shes not having it in bed.

wee3kings

I do CC like this.

When they start crying you leave them for 5 mins. Then you go into them and reassure them. Try not to pick them up if you can, just lay them back down, pat their back - don't give eye contact, don't say anything then walk out of the room. They will cry again. You leave them for 7 mins and repeat. Next time leave them to cry for 9 mins (ie add 2 mins to each crying time) until they finally settle. If they wake and cry again later in the night you follow the same pattern. Can take up to 3 hours or so the first night but normally the next night is not so bad and the next even better. 3 nights normally does it but some babies are more persistent and it takes a little longer. And sometimes it doesn't work at all!!!! If it hasn't worked in a week I would say it is not going to.

tonight shes gone to sleep without a whimper! dont know what will happen later though, hows yours going w3k?

im glad its working for you.
Weve tried numerous times with 19 month DD and give up after 2 weeks of 2 hourly crying. That girl has a will of steel. I tend to try every 5 months when I can take no more only to be defeated.

fingers crossed for tonight for you.