Hi Ben and MummyMeg and Ben01!

Firstly, you guys are doing an amazing job. reading what you guys are going through is bringing back ALL the memories of our DD! terrible during the day and fought like crazy for the night sleep (but slept well during the night...).

things we did were many. rocking in the pram, drives, hallway pacing...all had success and failure to varying degrees. and the big letdown is that it took its toll on both my sanity and DH's. and i think to an extent it was the same for DD.
We soon found that when she was really tired, she just didnt want to be held, so we had to put her in the cot. she would fight it and we would be in there every 3-4 minutes. placing a hand on her and using a shushing sound, until she calmed down. in the end sleep would come. the worst would be an hour (any longer and i recommend getting them up and trying a bath or massage...), and the best would be straightaway.
the fact that she is managing to sleep in 40 minutes is pretty normal at this stage. dont beat yourselves up about it! she is a gorgeous little girl and she WILL eventually be able to sleep on her own. our girl was (from what i have read) EXACTLY the same he he he, cheeky little buggers! and despite all the crying she did in those first 12 weeks she is the happiest, most confident (and of course most gorgeous he he he).
putting her down when you guys are tired and need to rest (or eat dinner) and save your sanity is necessary. bubs need healthy and happy parents.

i recommend getting some kind of a routine happening to keep day and night separate. what we did was to keep the stress levels of day sleeps to a minimum (if she slept, great, if she didnt, she would later!). if no day sleep is happening go for a drive - even the 10 minute nap in the car can make all the difference to their mood). or go to a shopping centre and have her sleep in the pram. come night time, i recommend giving her sleep signals (bath or massage or both!), then (yes, against all the books!) i would feed her to sleep in the dark. sometimes getting the wrap almost done up around her so when i lay her down in the cot i had to only do minimal jiggling. i would start this bedtime routine around 6-7pm. we still do this routinge 9 months on and it works a charm!
the best bit of mach nurse advice i got was this:" whatever you do, be persistent and consistent!" if you go in with a firm plan, things tend to go better as you are more mentally and physically prepared!

oops this has raged out of control. i hope that it may help a wee bit...

yours in solidarity!

P.S. the 7-8 week mark is particularly trying! it appears they hit a crying peak, but it does get better, by the 12 week mark, there is a pattern that you can all start to make out and it soon flows from there...