Help - Controlled crying gone wrong?

[bandbsmum]

We started cc with our dd on Friday (she's 6 months), and things were going really well. She was dropping off to sleep after just twice going in to check on her and her night wakings had reduced from every 3 hours to just 2 feeds at about midnight and 4am, after going to bed at 7pm. But last night it all went wrong! She went to bed at 7 as usual, left her to cry for 2 mins, 5 mins then 10 mins, but she was asleep soon after the 5 min check; but then she woke every hour through the night. Still did the cc each time and fed her at midnight & 4am. Do you think this is just a blip? Will things improve again?

Probably is something else bothering her rather than the CC, is she teething?

she may be sickening for something or teething (try rubbing some calgel on her gums).

Go gently with her - she is on the young side for controlled crying - just be very calm and reassuring with her.

Anything like this you have to been consistent with and give it time to work - but keep an eye out for changing situations where you may have to adapt things for a while - eg illness.

There is a possibility that she's teething at the moment, so I was rubbing anbesol on her gums. Hopefully it's just a blip. Just wanted some reassurance as she'd being doing so well up to now.

I do stroke her head and shhh to her every time I go in and check on her, and only leave the room again once she's calm.

stick with it then - she needs a good sleep as much as the rest of us !

This is exactly what happened to me with ds when we started controlled crying. It worked fantastically and then two days after he first slept through he woke up every hour all night. It turned out that he had a cold. Once it was over we began again. He had to be reminded how to sleep again, but I don't think he cried for much more than five minutes before he was back on track. Good luck

Thanks for all your words of encouragement. She's only recently got over a cold, so don't think it's that, most likely her teeth.

Things were a little better last night. Not waking every hour! She went to bed at 7pm, then woke at 8.30, 9.30, 10pm, 10.30, then I got 2 hours till 12.30, fed her, then got 3 hours till 3.30, then 4.30, fed her, then awake again at 5.15, so brought her into our bed, but she didn't want to settle there! She falls asleep again pretty quickly after each waking (less than 10 mins), so just want her to stop the waking up in the first place! Sticking with the cc and hopefully it'll suddenly "click".

I was trying to remember how was with DS, is she having a good dinner, and a good amount of milk before going to sleep? I have noticed that if DS was going to bed with a full stomach he rarely wake up at night at that age (unless he had a cold or was teething). If she is having a stronger last feed youmay reduce the amounts ofmilk little by little each night until she doesn't need them any more, and then she will be ready to sleep through the night.

HTH

I think a little regression is pretty common. Do you have the Ferber book? Agree she is on the young side for this so go easy on her and, as others have said, be vigilant for other things that may be bothering her. Good luck

It does sound like teething if she's waking that frequently. It's awful isn't it, but it really does get better.

Hi Chandra. Yes she has a good dinner about 5.30ish, then bath bet. 6 and 6.30 with big brother, listens to his bedtime story, then I take her into her room to bf. She won't take a bottle (but that's another story!), so don't know exactly how much milk she's getting, but she does seem to have a good guzzle!

Don't have the Ferber book, but have Dr Green's toddler taming book. And I'm using the "gentle" version. i.e. 2 mins, 5 mins, 10 mins, 15 mins. But very rarely have to leave any more than 10 mins as she's usually back to sleep by then. Did give her some calpol before bed last night as think she probably is teething.

I think that she really needs to have a good amount of milk before going to sleep,and then, maybe if you wake her up around 11ish for another big feed she may be able to drop the early hours feed.

Try to feed her for a slightly longer time on those two feeds (don't allow her to fall asleep while drinking to ensure she gets plenty). I think it would be convenient to sort this first and then go on with CC. IMO until the feedings are sorted she will be ready for CC.

until? Imeant unless

Thanks. I do spend the whole time I'm bf'ing her talking to her make sure she doesn't drop off, and I know I'm still producing plenty of milk as I still leak sometimes after 6 months! I don't really mind feeding her a couple of times in the night, it's the other times she's waking when she doesn't need feeding that bother me! Hopefully a tooth will appear soon, and things will improve!