Am i really messing my baby up? DS is 7 months and we keep stopping and starting controlled crying. For the past month he's been waking at night and really early on his lunchtime naps. We started to do controlled crying and it worked for a couple of nights when he went back to sleep after 20 mins or so. Then the next few nights he just kept crying for ages - up to 2 hours - so each time we ended up picking him up and settling him because we really thought there might be something wrong. There never was - he was always fine once we picked him up, no dirty nappy etc, just wanted a cuddle. Then he developed a cold so we stopped doing cc for a bit and when he woke we brought him into our room and he settled easily.
Now, his cold has gone but he's still waking and we've tried cc a few more times but he just won't settle by himself. After an hour or so we give up cos we're worried there might something really wrong, despite swearing blind at the start that we'll 'see it through' this time. I suspect he might be teething although I've been saying that for weeks, and he's perfectly content during the day, and putting bonjela on his guns doesn't help. I guess I've basically taught him that he can cry and cry and eventually he'll be picked up so I feel I've really messed it all up and it's not fair on him at all cos ultimately I've let him cry for no reason.
I've ended in tears myself myself today cos I let him cry for ages when he woke early into his nap, and then ended up picking him up. When I went in for the last time he'd bent himself into a funny corner and so I had to pick him up. It was also getting near afternoon bottle time so I thought maybe he was hungry.
Really, what the hell am I doing to my baby...? Confusing for him or what! I really feel like I've messed the whole thing up cos of my inconsistency and am letting him cry for no reason. But how can I do it when he just cries and cries and I panic there's really something wrong and I'm being a terrible mother by ignoring him?