How to start CC

[KapowSchazam]

Hi. My DD is almost 5 months old. I currently rock/pat her to sleep in my arms at both nap time & bed time. The other night she took 1 1/2 hrs to get to sleep. Is she too young to start CC (my GP recommended it). She also wakes 1 or 2 times each night, not for a feed, but needs to be put back to sleep (in my/DH arms). we still wrap her & this seems to be why she needs to be put back to sleep, as she is always unwrapped when we get her out of her cot. :banghead:

Any hints / tips / suggestions??? :fingerscrossed:

[lilpearl]

She is probably too young for controlled crying (unless she is showing signs of understanding that when you can't see something, doesn't mean it's not there). She has come to expect a certain ritual when she wakes though, and the best thing for all of you may be to slowly change this, to encourage her to settle easier. Perhaps try putting her on her side when she wakes, and patting her bottom rhythmically...this often helps settle a baby and means that you can offer her comfort without lifting her from the cot. By keeping her in the cot, she will start to get the message that bed time is just that, and by having you still present, she will still have the comfort and security. Gradually, you can change the behaviour so that you don't pat her bottom, but just place your hand on her, so that she knows you are there. After this, you can try "shhh" without having a hand on her. In this way, she knows you are there, but is learning to go back to sleep on her own. In my experience, this sort of thing can work really well. But, like everything, it takes time, perseverance, and quite some time with a sore back, from leaning over the cot. But, it will also mean that, when your daughter is old enough for controlled crying, if you still want to give it a go, she will be a little less dependent on you during sleep time, and the process will be a lot smoother. Hope that helps. :)

[vespertine]

I would really recommend you try The No Cry Sleep Solution before CC. It's much gentler, really effective for parents who are at wits end, and involves no trauma for bub. Good luck!

PS) At 5 months your little one is still very young, and will still be changing and working out her sleep patterns. It's normal for bubs to want to be safe and secure with their parents, I know it can feel exhausting at times, but her needs won't always be so intense. For now, she's just a little baby, and all she knows it she wants to be close to her Mum.

[aimz]

Hi there

i did CC with my daughter at a very young age - 7 weeks. It was a last resort as nothing and i mean nothing worked to get her to nap during the day.

I called out a sleep specialist who taught me what to do and it has worked a treat.....

[KapowSchazam]

I asked GP about her being too young, cos that's what I thought too. I hate the idea of letting B cry herself to sleep, without me being there to help her. But I'm pretty much at my wit's end, and my GP is worried about me progressing onto PND. She is a very active bub & has been rolling for about 1 month now, so whenever I put her in her cot, "sleepy but awake" she wakes straight up, and starts rolling! Any more ideas???

:hugs: I am just about to try the bottom patting now!

[KapowSchazam]

Thanks! That would be great. I'm actually trying it atm, but...it's been 5 mins & no crying, but no sleeping, either!?!?

[KapowSchazam]

2.5hrs later... Bianca finally went to sleep. There were some screams, but not many, mostly angry yelling! Do you do CC in the day too???

[Seekrit]

I think even the experts of CC don't recommend it until at least 6 months anyway. I don't CC cobes, but if he's in a "I don't want to sleep" mood I more listen to the type of cry rather than the amount that he's crying.

Whinges I don't repond to - screaming I do.

Have you tried not wrapping her at night? Cobey usd to unwrap himself and wake up, I stopped wrapping him and he slept through!

[Rainbowbrite]

I was at a sleep clinic just yesterday & was told "Controlled Crying is not recommended before 12 months of age.

Book into a sleep clinic, your local MCHN will be able to tell you where they are. They will show you how to go about it :thumbsup:

[KapowSchazam]

I did try not wrapping her for a while, but whenever I put her in the cot (asleep), her legs and arms would fly up the second she touched the matress & she would wake straight up. I tried it both for day & night sleeps. I tried sitting next to her last night while she "went to sleep" but she just wanted to chat the whole time!!!

[lilpearl]

Do you have a musical toy in the cot? If you can get one of those things that you pull and it starts a lullaby, or even a baby C.D, as well as sitting with her, it may distract her enough that she wont chat to you, and drift her off a bit. Bottom patting generally works; I've used it on heaps of kids, when I used to work in the baby room of a child-care-centre, and you have 20 kids to put to sleep at once! They tend to be very soothed by it, I think it's the motion and the sound of a hand tapping against their nappy.

[lovingmotheract]

is i have been to sleep school i can help



first u can let him cry 4 5mins then go in and say shhh it's time 4 sleep now and pat him or do what ever you do but don't pick him up.

and then if still crying wait 10mins( if we wait any longer bub can't remember what there crying 4) then go in and do the samething shhh it's time 4 sleep.
if this is not working after 30mins of u going in every 10mins then give him a hug then back in the cot this is hard i know but u will get there.

now if bub is just talking in his cot leave him there as he will go to sleep when his is ready thats what my bub likes doing.

but b4 u do cc just take him in to see your gp to see if there maybe some thing up with your little one but i say good luck with it all and if u need any help pm me i'm here to help.