Controlled crying means letting bub cry for short periods of time (around 5-10 mins or before the crying becomes screaming), then going back in and patting/shushing, reassuring, stroking, etc which all let baby know that you're still around and you're there for him/her.
I'm all for the BW teaching-to-sleep methods and when they work it must be fantastic, but for us they didn't so we had to resort to controlled crying when Tallulah was 6 months. We actually tried CC at 4 months and it DID work then - but only for a week. I wouldn't recommend trying CC til bub is 6 months, but lots do it before with good results. I feel HUGELY thankful that I have such a good sleeper today. Before we committed to CC Tallulah was usually fed to sleep, other times rocked, dummy, anything... And once she was finally asleep she'd wake up again and again. :cry:
To quote a well-known Australian early-childhood health professional (Robin Barker)...
"One of the problems faced by parents who would like to change things is the fear that control crying is harmful"...
"In the context of a healthy baby in a loving home I believe, based on my professional experience, that if there were negative consequences due solely to control crying they would be short term"
In other words, if Tallulah suffered because we left her to cry for short periods, she is certainly over it now! She's a very happy (albeit touchy, but she's been touchy since day dot) bright and talkative well-adjusted toddler, who sleeps 11 hours at night and 2-3hrs during the day without arguments.
Anyway, just had to have my purge! I know a lot of people here are against CC so I just wanted to have my say in the argument :wink: However I also realise it's not for every parent/child and I would not encourage anyone to try it without doing their homework first and making sure they definitely want to follow through.
