Sorry if this has been done before, but what is the difference between "crying down" and "controlled crying"?

[Bodkin]

It seems to me they are the same thing, just differently labelled. Crying Down seems to be acceptable, whereas Controlled Crying seems to get everyone in a bit of a state. Or have i got that all wrong?

Thanks

I think CIO is just leave them to cry until they're knackered and fall asleep. With CC you check on them at increasingly longer intervals. Given that I'm no expert I can't guarantee that's correct, just my understanding.

Crying down - some babies cry to relieve tension, and this is described as crying down. You know if you have one of these babies if they start crying at a normal/loud pitch, and slowly quieten down over 5-10 mins until they are asleep.

But if left to cry for 5-10 mins, some babies will work themselves up into a lather instead, so it's not helpful for these babies to be left crying.

Controlled crying is where you decide to let your baby cry to sleep, and check on them regularly. It polarises opinions - some love it, some hate it. I won't try and sway you either way.

hi, just agreeing with those descriptions. you'll know if you have a 'crying down' baby. we do. and its very very different to the sort of crying she does when she's pissed off / needs to burp / isn't tired etc.

when she's tired (eye rubbing, been up 2 hours, yawning away etc) and i put her down for a nap or to bed, she always always moans and fusses in a sort of half hearted cry that comes and goes for a good 10 minutes before nodding off. I used to think she needed comforting but discovered that when i pick her up, pat her or interfere, the crying gets worse! she just wants to be left to get on with it.

however, sometimes (i'd say about a third of the time) she doesn't manage to wind herself down and instead the crying turns into proper full on cries, at which point she needs me to help - dummy / cuddle etc as she can't settle herself after that point.

Controlled crying means ignoring (for intervals) that 2nd type of crying as well as the first. (which we don't do as it doesn't work for us)

HTH

Thanks for your replies

Ah, right, I think I see. It's just that my 10 week old DD2, when overtired, goes quite bonkers, and now won't be settled by any means, except popping her in the cot, where she goes bonkers (very loud cry, thrashing about, head turning, body arching) for anything from 30 secs to 5 minutes, and then just conks out. So is that Crying Down? If it goes on a bit too long, I pick her up and either feed her a bit more, or try and soothe her, but that usually makes things worse!

I guess I must have been through all this with DD1, but you know how it is, I just can't remember!

I think if your DD only cries for 5mins to settle herself she probably is crying down. Although I'm sure that 5 mins feels like an age when you're listening to it . If you feel uncomfortable leaving her to it you could perhaps try sitting quietly beside the cot to provide her with a calm, reassuring presence while she does what she need to do.

Thanks. I do rub her back or pat her bum (she's a tummy sleeper ) while she's thrashing about to start with, and sometimes it helps, but sometimes she relaxes when I stop doing it - like "oh thank god for that, leave me alone"! I guess I'll just have to accept that is her way then! I just didn#t want to think i was being cruel and doing CC with a 10 week old!