Will DD learn to lie down??

[lupinjess]

DD is 9months and previously excellent at settling to sleep both day and night. Since she started crawling last week she sits up as soon as i put her in the cot and then cries because she can't lie back down???
I have tried leaving her for a couple of minutes but she just gets really upset so I have resorted to lying her back down and basically holding her there by rubbing her back and patting her bottom.
How do we teach her to lie down?

Oh dear I remember this forrnight of my life so well...

I spent hours on the landing (kept a chair there), just going in, laying her back down, soothing her there, then leaving the room - she would be getting up again as I shut the door. It nearly drove me mad. I ended up being quite business-like, not hanging around too much. I used to pop across the landing into the bathroom and have a sip of water from time to time just for something else to do.

Also found that encouraging her to be really physically active outside of sleep time helped her settle.

Luckily she got the message before I went bonkers. Sorry I can't be more encouraging. Hang in there.

Thanks Gentle - I'll try that instead of staying til she's asleep next time. She's such a sorry sight sitting there flapping her arms around and crying.

No worries, I know how hard this bit is!

Also, advance warning for you - this happened with DD once again when she learned to stand up!

When I was going through this I asked a woman at work who had just become a grandma if she had ever had this problem with her own kids (now in their 30s). Reply, "Oh yes, my son did that. In the end we tied him down to the mattress using a couple of belts!"

From then on if ever I thought I was being a rubbish mum I used to whisper under my breath "haven't done the belts yet... haven't done the belts yet..!"

The belt story made me laugh like crazy (not sure that is an appropriate reaction though)

I found it funny too, I think because I had an inkling that my daughter might actually derive some comfort from it!

She used to get so pissed off with herself for sitting or standing up. Her expression seeemed to say "Which horrible person made me sit up again?" and I'd think, "You did, you lovely little looney!"

That's exactly right. She gives me just the same look - as if it's all my fault. I think if I left her long enough she would eventually fall asleep sitting there.
DH suggested we put her in her sleeping bag and staple-gun it to the mattress.

LOL at staple gun idea!

She'll get there, don't worry. We all do. Otherwise the streets would be filled with people sitting up in bed and wailing all night long and society would crumble!