Please come and share stories. Help!

[theworldhasgoneinsane]

My baby is 12 months and I have just stopped breastfeeding (milk nearly dried up, I've done it gradually). Her sleep has always been awful and therefore co slept with me until recently. She's been in her cot for about a month and sleep varies, some nights she does really well and others not so. All things considered, she's being pretty good and I've been amazed she has slept at all in there!

Her daytime sleep is also awful, no routine, naps in pushchair or car. She used to contact nap but I've stopped that.

So I need to sort this but she screams in her cot during the day and screams frequently throughout the night. Sometimes she will settle for DH, sometimes I'm up with her at 4am and our day begins there.

I'm happy to be asked questions as I haven't included everything here, I'd go on for pages if I did! I've tried to avoid CC but I feel it may be the only way. I don't think the gradual retreat would work as she gets very angry and upset when I sit beside the cot seems to make her worse as does patting/rubbing her when she's crying.

I'm tired, fed up and feeling awful that I've made her like this! Please tell me it can get better

It.can and will get better. A good routine is key. She seems like she hasn't learned to self settle so when she wakes she needs something or someone to help her to. I had similar with my dd and at 18 months needed help. A spoke to a sleep consultant she gave me ways to tweak her routine. Of she doesn't get enough day sleep her night sleep is worse. At 12 months she should be getting 2 hours minimum day sleep. We still have the odd night waking but nowhere near the 5/7 nights we were having. And now she goes into the cot and goes asleep by herself. Prior to that I was rocking to sleep.

I would send a message to a sleep consultant and see what they recommend. I didnt let my dd cry it out. But we still progressed and it is working well.

Thank you @Jesusmaryjosephandtheweedon
Do you mind if I ask was your baby breastfed and did you ever co sleep before hand? I feel like that's set us up to fail but it's what I needed at the time to get some sleep.
She is awful at sleeping in the day and I need to address that, it's exhausting as I have to take her for a walk to get her to sleep!