ing EASY and CIO with difficult DCB - throw me some tips!

[blessedmess8]

OK. Just up front: I'm not looking for a debate about whether or not these are the best methods. I don't even really agree with letting babies CIO. But, - am TRYIING to make things work and I'm down to last resort before terming! I am trying to get him on a good schedule. I think I mistakenly thought he was ready to start transitioning to an older schedule (11 month), but I've decided to put him on an eat, play, sleep cycle. He is very difficult and not a good sleeper. Cries a lot and wants to be held or have me in close proximity all day long. (I've posted about him before.) I believe he is TIRED. He doesn't sleep well. Friday he slept a total of 50 min ALL day, was past exhausted and would NOT go to sleep no matter how long I rocked him.
I set up a play yard in my room (away from the noise and activity in the daycare room. It is cool, dark, and has a loud fan. We did our 1st CIO session this am and while it pained me, he did sleep better.
What I am asking for are any tips/advice from any of you who have used these methods successfully!

[laundrymom]

I do a modified version of cio. I have found that white noise helps,.. I have an air cleaner in my room I turn on. I keep my infants up until the big kids are done with lunch, then one by one feed them and lay them down. (I have 3) Once I lay them down I feed another, I generally get 2-3 minutes of fussing with each one but since they are SO tired, and since it generally takes 10 min to feed one, They are fast asleep by the time I am able to check on them. It works here, but I typically have them since birth.

[blessedmess8]

I've had this one since bIrth, too. He is a conundrum! At first he was an AWESOME sleeper! And would sleep through anything. I think a lot of the trouble began last Spring. Mom was off for a month and kept him home a lot. He hasn't ever adjusted back after that! He has a lot of allergy issues, too. He'll be completely exhausted, eyes rolling back, and I can rock him for literally hours to no avail! Never had this issue. Thats why I'm trying new tactics! Lol. e

[momofsix]

Please forgive me if these have been addressed in other posts you've said you have written about same child
I'm thinking about:
he used to be an awesome sleeper
he was home a lot last spring
he has a lot of allergy issues
Is it possible he has had a change in food or anything else that could be upsetting his allergies and making him too miserable to sleep? Maybe his tummy hurts/can't breathe well...?

When I do CIO it's never been bad-they usually figure out pretty quickly that it's time to sleep. I have the room as dark as I can, and have a lullabye cd playing to drown out any other sounds. At eleven months, if he's fed and diapered and if he's feeling good, it shouldn't take him long to fall asleep at all. If he wakes up and it's too soon I would try letting him stay in bed so he can fall back asleep.
Good luck!

[Blackcat31]

I think you are doing the best you possibly can but you yourself said this whole non-stop crying thing has been going on since he was about 5 months old. He is now 11 months old and things don't sound like they have improved much at all.

You are a stronger woman than I am because there is no amount of money that would be worth having a child this difficult. Half of his life he has been crying at daycare. How miserable for you, him and the other kids.

I applaud you that you are trying so hard to remedy this situation but at what costs? Your sanity, the sanity of the other kids and not to mention the fact that you have had to spend so many hours rocking him that the other kiddos are all missing out on time they could be enjoying you as their caregiver.

I completely understand not wanting to give up on a child but sometimes it is just the reality of it. He may just not be a good fit for your program. No matter what you have tried he seems to simply just want his own adult.

[blessedmess8]

I think you are doing the best you possibly can but you yourself said this whole non-stop crying thing has been going on since he was about 5 months old. He is now 11 months old and things don't sound like they have improved much at all.

You are a stronger woman than I am because there is no amount of money that would be worth having a child this difficult. Half of his life he has been crying at daycare. How miserable for you, him and the other kids.

I applaud you that you are trying so hard to remedy this situation but at what costs? Your sanity, the sanity of the other kids and not to mention the fact that you have had to spend so many hours rocking him that the other kiddos are all missing out on time they could be enjoying youu as their caregiver.

I completely understand not wanting to give up on a child but sometimes it is just the reality of it. He may just not be a good fit for your program. No matter what you have tried he seems to simply just want his own adult.

I agree totally! That's why I am considering this my last ditch effort before letting him go. He IS better since. They changed formulas and have him on allergy meds and off most foods. I'm wondering if not feeling well for so long kind of "spoiled" him to being held and paid so much attention to. I'm just trying really hard to work WITH Mom and Dad. Now his crying is limited to when I leave the room and when he gets extremely tired. I'm trying to eliminate him getting so tired! Today is our first day of CIO, so we'll see how it goes!

If all this doesn't work, I feel like I just have no choice but to term him!