It really is so hard with non sleeping little ones, hey I know its not mcuh reassurance but they do all get there in the end. DD is a non sleeper, at 6 months would scream and scream in my arms and I would rock and rock and cry and cry some more. Try your hardest not to stress about it cause that just makes it harder and more frustrating. easy to say, I know, Im such an anxious and stressful person so I do feel your pain on this. For the first tim ever DD put herself to sleep about a month ago, it wasn't consistant but it happened and I promise your DD will get there eventually
Daycar won't do controlled crying. They're not really supposed to, and it's not really practical - with so many babies in a room, there's always someone asleep, and CCing would wake up the sleepers. Everywhere I've worked babies have been comforted to sleep, even if it's just a hand on their tummy. Babies who have been "trained" using controlled crying are much harder to settle than comforted sleepers, in my experience. And the increased activity might well tire her out, and you may even get better sleeps at home the next day.
You've got heaps of good advice, so really, I just wanted to reassure you about the childcare thing. Good luck...
Excellent advice above, so all I have is a question...
When she's kicking her legs, is she crying or upset? DS does the same thing in his cot (well he used to, now he's in a brace he can't) but he was 'happy' as he was doing it. I think he liked the 'bounce'. Now, this question might be nowhere near helpful, so sorry if it sounds like me going narny-nar, but he used to kick happily in his bed and then fall asleep. Sound familiar at all?
DS was very similar. For the first 5 months ALL his day sleeps were in my arms, basically on the boob. If I tried to put him in his cot he would just scream. I found eventually I was able to feed him to sleep then transfer him to our bed, with pillows all around him. After a couple of weeks of that I could then lie him on our bed and he would roll and talk etc,, but would then fall asleep, but only if I was next to him. Once asleep I could steal away. After a while I could either feed him to sleep and transfer him to his cot, or sit next to his cot patting, singing etc, until he fell asleep. Now at eight months he mostly goes to sleep with me sitting net to the cot, but sometimes he even self settles!
It's so very hard and stressful, and I know saying try not to stress is so much easier said than done, but I know for me it was only when I stopped trying to fight it that he started improving.
So I don't really have any useful advice other than it does improve, and you're not alone xx
sloane - I think you are right about the feed/sleep associations, as DH can get her to go down in the evening in about a minute! With me, it takes about an hour (or more) to get her down during the day. I do sometimes try to put her on our bed during the day (especially when I have to do things in her "room" - really a corner in our room), but more often than not, I find I end up going to sleep too! Yes it probably means I need it, but I usually wake with a start, which then startles her, so I am really trying not to do that too often unless I really do want to have a nap that is - usually our 4.00ish sleep)
HotI - I haven't as yet left her at Daycare, but I do plan on it, just haven't been able to bring myself up to it yet! That is reassuring what you say though, thanks.
Mad - I just clicked on the link in your sig - just what I needed to hear, thank-you!
Lilydust - yep, I am an anxious person too! trying not to be though. I keep saying that DD is here to teach me patience and to go slow, but I only keep saying that when I am "coping", of course I forget it the minute I feel stressed!
Audax - thanks for the info re Daycare. I do plan on asking them about sleep when I go there next, I just can't summons up the courage to go there yet - makes it all seem too real and I don't think I am ready for it yet. I know, I must pull my head in, because on one hand I am stressing, but on the other hand I don't want to face it! :shakeshead:
Krystals - she does do the leg kicking when happy, sometimes on her play mat or when she wakes up (yep in response to being out of the pavlik harness) but when she does it in her cot before going to sleep it really is out of frustration.
Lise - good to here your little man now settles, there's hope for us yet! thanks!
mmm.... I guess I'll just keep at it. I really wish we had a bit more of a routine though, even if only for mummy's sake!
I totally forgot to say that DS really only started to improve after we started taking him to an osteo (he had really bad reflux). Not sure if it's something you'd consider but I definitely attribute the improvement in his sleeping to the osteo. Just an idea... xx
I know its not mcuh reassurance but they do all get there in the end. DD is a non sleeper, at 6 months would scream and scream in my arms and I would rock and rock and cry and cry some more. Try your hardest not to stress about it cause that just makes it harder and more frustrating. easy to say, I know, Im such an anxious and stressful person so I do feel your pain on this. For the first tim ever DD put herself to sleep about a month ago, it wasn't consistant but it happened and I promise your DD will get there eventually
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