Still rockin

DD still is rocked to sleep for night and day sleeps. It's just getting too much for my back and I really want her to start going to sleep in her cot. i dont mind if i need to stand there with her or whatever but whenever i have tried this before she just goes and goes for well over an hour no matter how tired she is. she just will not lay/stay down and go to sleep.
everytime i think 'right thats it, lets do it, no rocking' i give up and pick her up, just because it's so obvious to me that shes not going to go to sleep. so i know not being consistent is a problem but i dont think i'm doing it gradually enough but i just dont think i know how.
i am completely against controlled crying/progressive waiting and the like but desperately need to do something!

Dont have any advice from me personally as i've never had this prob my DD would never let me rock her she always has self settled (mind you i'd like a cuddle every now and then) but a girl i go to playgroup with was talking about a sim prob with her dd yesterday and what she has started to do is rock her but only til she is sleepy then she is putting her down but patting her to sleep. Her plan is to gradually stop rocking and just patting then to move from patting to just been in the room etc until her DD can self settle. She has admitted that it is all too easy at the time when both tired after a long day to "give in" and rock and thats why she has done so til now but her DD is getting too heavy. So far she says she has progressed to been able to put her down still awake (but very sleepy) and patting in a week compared to having to make sure she was out cold a week ago b4 putting her down. HTH

Hoody has given you the exact advice that I got from a nurse at a sleep school today and that is to rock and have cuddles until she is quiet but still awake, then put her down with a few pats and a firm - 'have a nap now" or something like that and walk out. If she cries go back in and repeat this until she falls asleep - which may be up to 45 mns I guess. Izzy is 5 1/2 mths and I am rocking/feeding her to sleep for most sleeps (hence we are going to sleep school) so I will be trying this technique - plus patting, which I have been doing. Good luck - I know its hard.

how old is she?
similar issues with my dd at the moment who is 7 months... did whatever version of CC and for a while she did self settle... but then along came teeth and whatever else and she stopped sleeping in her cot full stop... she never used to let me pat her it used to be pointless she would get so furious and angry at not being picked up, which is why i resorted to the CC (which seemed to 'work' for a while)... anyways she sleeps on her tummy now, and during the day it is taking me maybe 10 minutes of one firm hand on her back, and the other hand rubbing or patting her bum... she struggles and tries to roll over and squirm and make a fuss but i keep my hand firmly on her back for however long it takes... sometimes i pick her up but then its back down and the hand on her back and the rubbing of her bum. as i said it has been working during the day, but night time is another story.... an hour and a half of me stooped over the cot trying to get her to sleep - completely doing my head in and not working.... i had to leave the room for ten minutes before to calm down as she was so upset and over tired and everything i did only made it worse.... she cried then got quiet and went to sleep. but am sure its just a fluke.

anyways if she is a tummy sleeper you could try the firm hand on her back and the other patting or rubbing.... sometimes a song or shhhh or humming.... and no matter what i just keep returning her to her tummy and continue the rubbing or patting until she gives up and realises there is no point fighting it...

i am praying that one day she will just stop fighting sleep so badly. i have also heard that it can be better to try the new settling method at night, as they will eventually sleep at night (apparently) whereas during the day they could be resisting for hours...

Tara, have you thought about going to a sleep clinic held by your local child health centre? My health nurse told me about it and I'm thinking of giving it a go as surely it can't hurt? I hear you on the sore back btw. Your photo of Evie is so cute!