What lengths do we go to to get our lo's off to sleep?

[monkeytrousers]

At the moment ds gets breastfed, put in a vibrating chair, rocked, sang to, shushed, patted, picked up/put down, calpoled, bonjella'd, tiptoed around and played rainforest music

We did a sort of controlled crying, left her for a few minutes, went in to her just to reassure her and then came away again without making any fuss and without the cuddling, shushing and so on. It took an hour the first night, twenty minutes the second night, and she was fine on the third night. I know we were lucky, and a lot of babies take longer, but I really think it was one of the best things we did. She has no problems sleeping now, and has always settled well on her own since then.

You have to be ready to do it though, because the first night breaks your heart!

Lockets, am totally aware that smug mumminess re sleep can vanish in a puff of smoke Happened when HV asked how DS was sleeping when he was about 6 mo - oh, 7 hour stretches, said I. Yeah, right... Didn't do that again for several months [zombified through lack of sleep emoticon]

Hunkermunker - evil mummy!!

DS has been teething mightily recently, so has woken up again - but he understands about going off to sleep

Lockets - yep, def payback!

Exactly the same with my dd WWB. She was 5-6 months old, I went in after a few minutes to reassure her but in fact discovered that it wasn't worth going in if her crying had got less cos it only stirred her up again. Like you, only a few nights and I haven't looked back since. Though, I could never get her down for daytime naps, she slept with me. This was cos of lack of consistency, I was out & about sometimes, etc. Decided the nap did me good anyway so didn't worry about it! Bedtime routine is now bath, then I sing & rock her to Five Green Bottles once, put her down and leave her to it. As some of you have said, it's unusual if she continues crying, and if she does it's obvious something's not right/she's not tired etc...
MT it is tough doing the crying thing but believe me it's a short term toughness that pays dividends long term. It helps to know that you're going in to reassure that you still exist though, rather than just leaving him. He's not in any pain or danger.

Do you stay with them until they stop crying then? It's been two hours tonight..(dp's turn though )

Until 13 months: BF, car ride or buggy, and woke 1-2 times at night.

Since then:

nap time = nappy change, get into sleeping bag, story in room with low lights, into cot, sleep

bedtime = story, bath, teeth, into sleeping bag, milk (yes still BF), into cot, sleep

No waking at night

I just did a little bit of CC type stuff at nap times. Put him down, left him, he cried, went back after 2 mins, patted and shussshed, left the room, he usually went off. Same at bed time if necessary. He got the hang of it within a few days.

Lucky I guess, but I had waited 13 months with no sleeping through etc.

No, put them down after bedtime routine, leave the room, go in after a few minutes or five minutes or however long you can handle, just pat and reassure, leave again, go back again five minutes later to reassure, leave again. Each night increase the amount of time, I think, or increase the amount of time the longer time goes on, I forget now. But never stay away longer than 15 minutes. lol listen to me like I really know . I used a book called Solving Your Child's Sleep Problems by Dr Richard Ferber. How old is your ds by the way? And two hours...ouch....

9 months. Just got him weaned off night time monkey juice (bf's).

Well done, night time feed was the last to go with my dd, when she was 14 months! (Oops, should have included that feed when i told you her bedtime routine, then!). How's dh doing?

Going well. Ds went down at 8, usual bedtime is 6!

I think it might be the lack of consistancy too. We're just too exhausted in the middle of the night to try anything different. Will try to change naps during the day first.

Problem is he stands up in the cot! It's just heartbreaking

Yes, always thought how hard it must be once they're old enough to do that. In fact I think it was at that stage that I completely gave up on the daytime naps! Sorry, can't help there! Guess you just need to keep going in and lying him down again till he gives up...

Gonna try putting him down in vibrating chair with no singing, rocking etc and then move on to no chair just cot on Monday for naps...and no picking up. Will hopefully be one of your number soon!!