My 10 1/2 month old daughter takes naps in the swing and starts in the swing at night and then comes to bed with us. She nurses throughout the night. I really would like for her to sleep in her crib so I can get a full nights rest again. SHe has not once slept in her crib. I have been able to put her down in the crib and not wake her only for her to wake up a few minutes later freaked out. I have tried putting a pillow in the crib with my scent, white noise, full belly, bedtime bath, we have a routine. I have let her cry for about 20 min only for her to get even more worked up. Any tricks I am not trying?
I recommend reading "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems." I love this book, she has an example like yours is in the book, hope this helps, the book helped me.
At 10 1/2 months, she's certainly able to go through the night without nursing, so I might suggest trying to eliminate that first of all. If she wakes up in the night, try to think of some other way to get her back to sleep without nursing. Get up and walk around the house with her until she calms down or something. You need to break that habit and sleep-association.
The No-Cry Sleep Solution has some good ideas, for sure, but you really must be willing to commit to a LONG transition period--weeks, not days. The Ferber method certainly involves some crying, but I would expect that it would be a little bit faster. You need to pick what's going to suit your personality the best.
Most importantly, you're going to have to pick something and stick with it. Letting her cry for 20 minutes and then picking her up and taking her to the swing or to bed with you only rewards her for crying. Pick a method and commit to doing it full-on for both naps and bedtime for a minimum of 2 weeks before you decide it isn't working and pick something else. Otherwise you'll confuse her and she won't know what the expectations and routine are. There probably isn't a quick fix at this point--you're trying to break a lifelong habit for her! Stick with it and hang in there! Good luck!
Put her down awake. If she cries, go in after 3 minutes, talk to her, pat her, leave. Go in again 5 minutes later. And again 7 minutes after that. (You can keep stretching, 9 min, then 11, then 13, whatever...but I never could wait more than 7 minutes.) Don't just leave the baby to cry. Visit, so she knows you're still in the house.
It should take three days and nights altogether. I recomend doing it on the weekend. You have to do it for naps, too. Be consistent with your routine, both for bedtime and naptime. This is what we did with our (now 3 1/2 year-old) daughter - we started at about the age your daughter is now.
Awake is important...it's sort of like, if someone kept stealing your pillow after you fell asleep, and then you woke up, you'd be grumpy. For her perspective, you or the swing are her "pillow."
This is from Ferber. "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems." It's worth it, if only for the chapter on sleep patterns.
My third daughter was the same...she would only sleep in my arms or in the swing. I was going bonkers! My lifesaver was The No Cry Sleep Solution. I read the part of the book where she outlines the steps to take to get your child to sleep in her own bed without having to cry it out. I tailored it a bit for my own household and sleep patterns and voila! After two weeks she was sleeping through the night in her crib. She was only 6 months old so it might take you a little longer (your daughter's habits are probably a little harder to break at this point), but I really believe you can do it! Check out the book or purchase it--it is worth it!
