Controlled crying & comfort sucking

Hi Ladies

Olivia is 10 months next week (wow, already!) and we're having a few problems at bedtime. She only falls asleep with her bottle so normally we give her the milk and she nods off then we lay her in her cot for the night. Just lately she's wanting to stay up later and later and some nights hasnt been going to bed til almost 10 o'clock!

I'm tempted to give controlled crying another go but last night when we laid her in her cot she screamed until she was trembling and couldnt catch her breath - this was straight away, not even after a few minutes! I know you're supposed to soothe without picking up but this doesnt work with Olivia - she just continues to cry hysterically. Has anyone else experienced this?

I'm not sure how to go about it as she doesnt calm down for us to leave the room for her to cry again! I really think she needs to learn to send herself to sleep again as her milk is the only thing that works. Have any of you had babies who will only sleep with milk at this age? I feel like I've gone wrong somewhere as she cant settle herself in the night without it. She's normally only up once but I'm sure she's not hungry or thirsty and water doesnt do the trick - it has to be milk??

Thanks
Shelley & Olivia xxx

Hi Shelley,

Scarlett didnt have to have milk to fall asleep but she did used to scream her head off if you put her to bed, we got round it with controlled crying and it is horrid but it does work, you just have to be firm and consistent and not show any weakness as Olivia will know if your about to break, we basically used to put Scarlett to bed, give her a kiss, say night night, mummy and daddy love you, then leave the room, she would scream her head constantly, we would leave it 10 mins, go back into the room, not speak to her, lay her down, say night night and leave the room again, this could go on for about 3 hours!!! Scarlett is partically stubborn and it took us 2 weeks to crack it, its the hardest thing i have done as all i wanted to do was give her a big cuddle but she knew this and i was not going to be beaten by a baby!!!!! now she goes to bed without any problem whatsoever! she even waves to us as we leave her room. i ould defo use this method again with number 2! as for the feed in the night, Scarlett also used to wake for a feed up until she was about 10 months old, i was convinced that this was just out of habit though so again we used the controlled crying method, again she took a while but now she sleeps through without any probs!

Good luck, it will be hard but you have to be strong!

Donna and Scarlett 16 months and 24 week bean.
xxxxxx