How to cc?

[A&Omummy]

Ok well my 4 month old has 40min naps all day. You may have read my other posts about this. Well I have tried all the settling techniques and its not working so today I did the full on cc. The first time she didn't settle at all untill I got her up was very tried and cranky fell asleep on the breast so took her off. I layed her on the lounge cause I had to deal with my other dd and she fell asleep. I picked her up and tried to get her to feed more but she wouldn't. So put her in her bed she cried for a min then went to sleep and sure enough woke after 40mins she layed for about 10mins then started crying. My question is how long do you leave them untill you go in to try and resettle? I know some people will disagree with cc for under 6 month olds so I would like to hear from people that used cc for under 6 month olds and how long did it take to work. Please don't judge me for using cc but my dd is so unsettled and clearly tired all day. When I get her up she smiles at me and laughs so I really don't see it harming her. I mean I hate hearing her scream and feel so bad but I really gotta try something and keep with it.

[FishFace]

I do think its too young...
I know you only want advice form those that have done it ...But I had a very unsettled bubba at about 4 months.
It took a while but we just did the patting and settling.
She would be put in bed and we would lie with her and pat her and soothe her.
She did cry but we refused to get her up and she learnt to setlle as soon as we would pat her.

Just how I did it..nojudgement at all just a different way.

[bigglet]

I also think 4 months is a bit young for CC - I did CC with my DD from about 9 months or thereabouts.

But I do understand your situation - 40 mins is a sleep cycle and my 5 month old does the same. What can help is if you go in just before they wake up and when they start to drift out of their sleep quickly pat their back and shh shhh them and hopefully they will resettle.

Also have you tried a dummy? With DD I was tearing my hair out with her terrible sleep initially until someone handed me a dummy and it worked wonders. some babies take to the dummy, others may not but worth a try?

All the best... I understand.....

[~Bec~]

Do you have a swing that you can put her in and hopefully get her to drift off and maybe sleep in there during the day?

Are you still wrapping her? We've only just stopped wrapping DS and he's 10 months! I did find wrapping helped sometimes with my DS (he was a catnapper too) and he might go off for another 40 mins. I decided to just live with his catnapping though - worked out easier than spending half my day trying to get him to sleep. Do you have a big swiss/fitness ball? They are great for rocking babies on (ie hold them whislt you sit on the ball and bounce).

[A&Omummy]

She wont take a dummy. I keep trying her but nup:no: I left her to nap in her swing on sunday and she still woke after the 40mins and wouldn't resettle. This morning she woke at 6 and was so tired still was falling asleep in the swing at 7 so gave her a top up feed as she only feed off the one side before and she fell asleep on breast then popped her in her bed and she is still sleeping since 7:20 and it's 8:50. But that will be it for rest of the day. I bet will just have 40 mins for rest of day. I know it may sound wired but yesterday afternoon when I was doing the cc she actually started to calm when I went into her towards the end and I think she may have gone off but it was getting close to feed time so I got her up and guess what she was pretty happy! She never is like that while we are trying to have dinner. It's always a nightmere. Oh and she actually rolled from her tummy to her back for the first time.:yelclap:

[Lipsmacker01]

Just wanted to add that we attended a day stay at sleep school and they advised that you can cc a baby less than six months old so long as they are over the 6kg mark. I saw a four and a half month old boy there and he was a huge success...hardly a peep came out of him. He was so happy after his good nap. I wish I had the courage and determination from earlier on to do that but I didnt realise how bad our situation was with our girl till she was at least 8 months old. I just kept putting it off...and blaming teeth....fed to sleep etc.
Now we work on a feed play sleep routine and couldnt be happier. My girl wakes usually once a night now and has one dream feed. Thats a bit of an improvement for us compared to what we used to do...which was get woken and feed her 5-8 times a night. It was a nightmare!

[A&Omummy]

Well I finally feel we are getting somewhere. Yesterday Olivia had a great sleep in the morning and her lunch time sleep she woke after 40min and then kept going in and out of sleep. The last one only had 40mins and just would not have anymore. This morning woke after 45min then was doing the start stop crying did that for 40mins and then put her self back to sleep for an hr and 10 mins. How good is that. She is sleeping again so hope she makes it past the first sleep cylce. I just find that last sleep the hardest. I been if she has a good sleep now then 40 mins is fine in the arvo cause she has had 2 other good sleeps but if she only naps for them the last needs to be longer. But I guess she is just way over tired by then. Hey don't they say they usually stay up for about an hr and a half. My DD shows tired signs sometimes an hr after waking. Sometimes even shorter.

[LilMissnBoo]

Have you tried having a sleep routine? For all sleeps do the same thing before you put her to bed. Eg, prepare the room (close curtains, turn off lights) wrap or sleeping bag and maybe try reading the same book. Then place bub in the cot and say "It's time to sleep" I have found this has worked wonders for my 8 month old as now she knows what to expect for each sleep. Now as soon as I put her in her cot she pretty much goes to sleep within 5 minutes without crying.

As you already know CC isn't recommended for bub under 6 months, so maybe instead of letting her cry in her room by herself, stay with her and pat her until she is drowsy, then leave the room. Keep going back when she cries and continue with the patting. In the first few days I was repeating this up to 10 times before DD would finally go to sleep. Now it's maybe twice, tops. I just couldn't let her cry by herself as it was breaking my heart and I found she was much calmer if I was there with her.

When DD was the age of your bub she was up for an hour and a half. This included her feed and play time.

Good Luck :hugs:

[A&Omummy]

I was staying in the room with her and patting till almost asleep and having been doing that for a few months now. I just can't do it anymore as my 2yr screams throws big tantrums in the room and will not leave the room when trying to get dd2 off to sleep. I know many people are againist cc but I finally am having success. She is still not sleeping as much as she should be but is able to self settle herself alot more then before. I have a set routine also for sleep times. She is fine to go off to sleep its just the staying asleep that is the problem. She hardly crys when I first put her down if any sometimes.

[Mahjong]

Hey Hun :hugs:

You're doing good, dont doubt that. :hugs:

After seeing how much she fights sleep this morning, no wonder you feel like you have no other choice.

How is she this afternoon?

I agree with Lipsmacker too, when I attended a sleep clinic when DS was 4 months, they base their whole routines and settling on CC. CC didn't work for us, but when you are at the end of your rope, haven't slept for 4 months, what other alternative is there?

[A&Omummy]

Hey Beth, she had about 45mins once we got home from your place and I left her for a bit she wasn't to upset just doing the start stop crying then got her up and played for a bit and went for a walk to get bread from the corner shop. She was clearly tired the whole time so feed her and she is back sleeping. Oh just checked on her she is awake but not crying. I hope she goes back off otherwise it will be a nightmere at dinner time. I know what else can I do???:confused: When you have a bub that just isn't happy up and winging all day cause they are clearly tired. She is starting to resettle herself more which is great so I am going to stick with it. I also have to think about my 2yr old as well she is still a bubba herself and I can't be holding and trying to settle dd2 ALL DAY!!