16 week old crying herself to sleep :(

[Bluemonkeyspots]

Just looking for a bit of reassurance really as I feel like a really shit mum just now.

Dd been a great sleeper up till now, always fell asleep on her own on her mat/chair or getting a cuddle then would self settle in cot at night and sleep 10 hours (I know how lucky I was with this!)

We went on holiday last week and were out and about every day so literally every nap (usually 4 a day) was in the pram.

Now we are home and she won't settle for sleeps by herself, not a problem as I will gladly rock,cuddle or pace the floor but she just screams bloody murder and gets herself so hot and sweaty her hair is soaking.

It's got to the stage we either put her down and just hold her hand and stroke her face and she cries herself to sleep or we walk about cuddling her and she cries herself to sleep but in a big sweaty mess

I don't have room to push her in the pram in the house and have another three dc so can't go out for a walk or drive everytime she needs a nap.

She is still going ten hours during the night after falling asleep so I'm very lucky there but I feel so bloody guilty about the crying thing.

Anyone got any advice or magic tips to make it stop? I am hoping its a short term thing but feel so bad about it.

Just to add we are not leaving her to scream, we sshhhh and stroke and pat her then pick her up every few mins for a cuddle to settle her then put her back down before she gets too hot and sweaty but it feels like we are doing some kind of controlled crying regime with her which I really don't want!

Can't you rock her back and forwards in the pram till she settles? Co-sleep? I know this is not a long term solution.

How did you settle her on holiday? Perhaps it's because she's got out of the habit of self settling.

I feel for you. Hard when they cry. My youngest had reflux and would cry from 3pm till morning iif he wasn't on me until he was about 14 months

I have no advice, but I have known a few babies who 'need' to cry a little bit to go to sleep - it's like they don't like the feeling of falling asleep and fight it. I would try not to worry about it.

Problem with rocking her in the pram is she needs big pushes over a bit of space to settle her that way iykwim, a simple rock forward and backwards does not cut it. I do sometimes bring her into my bed last thing at night and sometimes that works then she transfers no bother to the cot it's just this crying before going to sleep that breaks my heart but it seems less cruel lying her down rather than carrying her when she just ends up do hot.

I'm convinced its because of having that week on holiday when she was always in the pram but dh was there then and we were out doing things everyday, it's not really practical to get 4dc out for 4 walks a day just to settle dd4 in her pram.

I hate the thought of babies being left to cry themselves to sleep though but can't seem to help it just now.

Thing is she cries for about 5-10 mins fighting sleep them cries for about another ten mins after her eyes have closed! When can't she just give in after she has closed her eyes

Leaving her to cry herself to sleep would be horrible, but holding her hand and sshing her is fine imo. She's crying because she is tired and needs to sleep, her mum is still right there with her.