Waaaaay off track

[fizzyliftingdrink]

Our little one year old was doing so well, we were all doing so well. She could be put to bed by anyone without any drama.  She could get herself back to sleep beautifully and my husband and I were having many nights where we didn't have to go in at all.  THEN, the molars started bashing their way through her tender gums.
She was so upset and hurt and nothing worked.  She threw up from crying so hard.  The only thing that calmed the poor girl was nursing.  I nursed her morning noon and in the middle of the night.
Now, 2 months later everything we worked for has gone out the window.
She wakes up 1-2 times a night and if my husband goes in she screams. 
She often throws tantrums for her afternoon nap.
I have tried comforting her while she is in the crib, but there is honestly no comforting her.  Once she feels me putting her down in the crib she grabs onto my neck and screams.  She has even thrown up from being so upset.
We actually have gotten her so she doesn't need to nurse for her nap or bedtime but she usually is held until she falls asleep.
She eats great during the day, has good a long 2.5- 3 hour nap, and goes to bed at what I believe is a reasonable time, usually about 5.5 hours after her nap.
I would like to be able to get her to go to sleep without being held at bedtime and naptime (she's very heavy and is killing my back), and I would like her to be able to get herself back to sleep in the middle of the night.

[~*Nicole*~]

Oh goodness! I am sorry you are having such a hard time. Sounds as though you must have put in a lot of work breaking the nursing to sleep for naps and bedtime habit and to be honest you probably have to work as hard to break the holding her to sleep habit. I feel like you will probably have to work on getting her to lay down but have you stay with her. Maybe try to just lay your hand on her and keep saying the same reassuring thing over and over, like "it's time to sleep, mommy will see you when you wake up." IF she takes to this way of going to sleep you could try to at least move away from the crib and out the door over time, but the first step is getting her to lay down and fall asleep in her crib and not in your arms.

I am thinking since she is a year that she has a lovey or other comforting things (like music playing or white noise) or whatever for the going to sleep routine? I wonder if you introduced something different that would keep her attention for a bit if that would work to get her to at least lay down calmly? Maybe try a different background noise? or DD has a soft bunny/blankey thing as a lovey, but also has this glow-worm that lights up and plays music when you squeeze it. I wonder if you gave your lo something novel like that that she hasn't had in her crib with her if it would keep her distracted enough to lay down and not go crazy as soon as you do lay her down.


Also, let her play in her crib during the day so she has fun time in it and isn't stressed about being in it, which she might be after her terrible teething situation. She might associate it with the pain of the teethign?

[deckchariot]

{{{{hugs}}}} Nicole is right - you've already done the hard work of breaking the association of nursing and sleeping.  What Nicole is suggesting is what we call gradual withdrawal.  Here's a link that explains it a bit more:  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=80750.0

great advice too Nicole on the lovie and playing in the crib

[~*Nicole*~]

Thank you...just imparting some of the great advice I've been given by other BWers!

[fizzyliftingdrink]

Thanks guys.
Yeah, it's pretty tough being a parent, isn't it?
We're going to try a glow worm.  Her room is really dark, and we put a bit of a nightlight in there tonight, maybe that might help her, because I just realized that she wakes up sometimes in the early morning and gets herself back to sleep, and it's not really dark in there.  I just had a bit of an "A-ha" moment. 
Also, she got the molars and then I went back to work the next week, so it was a bit of a traumatic time.  I thought it wouldn't really that traumatic for her when I went back to work because she was going to be with her grandma everyday.  But, perhaps it was/is.
She doesn't mind playing in her crib when she wakes up in the morning or after naps.  She will sit and play in there for up to 30 minutes after waking up. 
I am really, really wondering now if it is because it's so dark in her room.  I always thought that it would be best if it was dark. 
Something else to consider.

[~*Nicole*~]

Good Luck. I hope that helps you out!