Cry it out method

Please dont do this to your bubba, have you tried the verbal re-assurance technique first? The sleep store has lots of great info. Most of the mummys in the April 2010 thread have recently done VR, pop in and ask away if you want. Below is a link about CIO and the damage it causes your bubba's brain.

Why CIO is bad

What is the issue you are having?
I've not had to use this method as I have found other ways to get DD to sleep, leaving her to cry she ends up unconsolable and makes herself more upset, I find it upsetting too.
Found it easier to simply pick her up and give her a cuddle and reassurance before putting her back into her cot and rocking her to sleep.

I also make sure I put her to bed when she is tired and she goes to bed the same time every night after she's had her bath / feed. I haven't had tears at bed time for a few weeks.

I will try and find this thing someone sent me from here ages ago, its controlled crying but with a method which helps, I passed it to half my ante natal group and they had huge success, it worked with DS and i don;t remember it being painful.

Its great she can sleep for long periods, so she'll get there, PM me your email address and i'll find the online book thing, cannot remember for the life of me at the min what its called.

Ok I won't comment on CIO cos I my opinion will rock the boat  but have I read correctly that you're getting TEN hours sleep out of 24??? and your baby's only 6 months old? Well done. May I say (not being sarcastic either) congrats and I am *mega* jealous. I know 10 hous isn't great, but it sure as heck bets 6. Or less (and yes that's in 24 hours...not overnight)  

Hugs hun, this was Jake but his was from silent reflux. He would just scream and scream and scream but slept well over night. We were averageing 7-10 hours per day (well he was and I was getting about 2-4 hours) and it was hideous.

I still dont know what to do, he still screams at bedtime, they only way to get him to nap in the day is to let him fall asleep on me and transfer him to his bed (I have tried everything and its the ONLY thing that works). We still have periods of night waking and screaming (this came after he stopped feeding through the night, his choice not mine). Last week I had 3 nights of each of them waking 2 hourly, at intervals so I was getting 20 mins sleep every hour I was in bed.. Woohoo!

I have come to the conclusion that Jake is either lonely, having night terrors or both. Once Ollie drops his night feeds the boys will start sharing and I am hoping this will help Jake.

I just cant handle CIO, it makes us all too upset, but I know people who use it. I also appreciate being at the end of your tether and not knowing what else to do and how lack of sleep affects your baby. Jake didnt grow and lost a large amount of weight at the height of his sleep issues as a wee babe and still now if he is having a bad sleep period his weight drops off rapidly

Im no help really, just want to give you big hugs!

I will also not offer my personal opinnion :-) BUt please think twice before using the CIO method.

Have you got a carrier/sling so you can wear her ? Then you can still do things you need to and your LO will get some sleep.

Raspberryjam wrote: she dosent like being wrapped and TBH she is too big for me to do anything with her in the sling And I am thinking twice pudgy - more than that even - thats why Im asking for experiences and opinions - and I have done the research - believe me the last thing I want is to hear my precious girl crying or for her to feel abandoned

Are you able borrow something a bit sturdier ? Mei tai or SSC ?
I don't want to bang on about slings etc but if she is close to you she might settle easier. My DS loves his mama too and goes through some seperation anxiety.

whats a ssc? I use a unido when I do the groceries and I can count on one hand how many times she has fallen asleep

How do you pick up your big girl? when you have your son in a sling? or do the dishes or go to the toilet or make a coffee - I think Im just giving her another sleep association if I wear her

I dont think she is having anxiety - she is quite happy with out me until she is tired - then she just wants booby to sleep

How did you train your babies to sleep Pudgy?

Have you tried just sitting in with her and reading. I use to sit by eldests bed for ages some nights, it's not ideal but it beats leaving them to cry and it's not long till they learn to comfort themselves without you. And by read I mean I was just reading to myself to pass the time not reading to baby, and would pat and shush where needed whenever he started to get upset.

Sorry, hope my post didn't come off as harsh!

I can't really offer any advice as I've only done CC and that worked brilliantly for us (but obviously not all babies take to it right away).