Back to work in 5 weeks and 9 month old girl not sleeping through night

[xloubieloux]

Please help!! My 9 month old girl has never been a good sleeper, however previously i adapted the controlled crying technique which seemed to work wonders up until she fell ill with a sickness bug.  Since then she will not settle right through the night. I have established a good routine for bedtime of bath etc and put her down straight after her last bottle between 7.00/7.30pm sometimes she goes down ok and other time it's a fight.  She is unsettled all night with me having to get up around 6/7 times to lift her settle her and put her back down.  My latest attempt at using the controlled crying resulted in her raising her temper and scratching her face to pieces, therefore i don't dare use it again.

I feel at the end of my tether, I must be doing something wrong!!  During the day she is excellent happy baby and a delight to play with etc. I'm so worried now as I'm due to go back to work in 5 weeks and with the way she sleeps now I don't know how I will cope with work.

Please help, any suggestions welcomed.

from a very fretful and upset first time mum.

x

[Peek-a-boo]

{{Hugs}}  Sounds very frustrating!  Are you familiar with the Baby Whisperer books?  The author, Tracy Hogg, believed there are always gentler ways to sleep train than using controlled crying or cry it out. 

Could you post what your baby's daily routine usually looks like:  when she wakes up, when she has baby milk/solids, the time and length of her naps, and bed time?