I posted about this a while ago, but things are still as bad as they were, to the point where i'm in tears every night because I cannot get him to sleep.

I've tried everything I can think of - controlled crying doesn't work for him, he cried for hours, even when i was beside his cot, patting him. If i wasn't holding him it wasn't good enough. He cried so much that he made himself throw up, so I really don't want to try that again (I know consistency is important, but surely not to the point where he's throwing up??)

Tried gradual withdrawal (from baby whisperer), didn't work at all. If i'm not holding him there's major screaming/head banging/chaos.

The only thing that was working was rocking him to sleep then gently sliding him into bed, however now I'm pregnant i have major backache and holding him for even 5 minutes puts me in so much pain. The other trick i had was lying down in bed with him on my tummy, waiting for him to fall asleep then rolling him into bed, but now i have my bump that's so difficult, and he always thrashes around in top of me, kneeing my in my bump, which is pretty painful.

I'm just at my wits end, I need sleep as I'm exhausted, I'm not getting any time for myself, or time with my husband, he won't settle for my husband at all... if you have any ideas you think might help, please please help! I'm too young to lose my mind!!

Aww im sorry your going through this! Taylas always been a brill sleeper but has gone through stages of being really bad and we once slipped into letting her sleep with us...big mistake!
I know CC is really hard, ive done it a few times myself to the point where she was holding her breath, making herself sick and getting really angry! But believe me it is so worth it in the end, it took 4 nights for us. I also found that going back in every 10-15mins made her worse so we would leave her, sounds awful but it was just winding her up even more when we went in.
I remember someone saying to me, they arent crying because they are in pain or anything they cry because they are angry at not getting their own way.

I have to agree with Terri... I think you should give the CC another go... I know it must be really hard and traumatic for you but I think its quite common for toddlers to make themselves sick when they don't get their own way and you need to see it as part of a tantrum rather than anything else.

Have you tried white noise? It has always worked for Izzy

Turn the radio on static noise and put the volume quite high, enough so you wouldn't be able to think! Then pop him in bed, stroke his head a while til he relaxes a bit and then leave him...hopefully he'll drop off

I got callum in a sleep routine similar to lisa he has always had sleep problems but hv told me to put the radio on in the background. But i let callum drink his milk cuddled with me then i put him in his cot he sleeps on his tummy so i have to stand at the cot rubbing his back till he goes off if i leave the room he gets upto play and were b to square one again so i dont mind leaning over obv it would be hard for you with bumpy x

Thanks everyone. I really don't want to do cc, mainly as he's not in his cot anymore, and can open the bedroom doors (they're sliding doors so not the kind you can put a baby gate on ) so i can't figure out how to do it without him escaping!

I'll definitely dig out our old radio and see if white noise helps.

Last night he finally went to sleep at 12:30am, after me battling to get him to sleep for 2 hours, then OH coming home and taking over (which made Milo scream his head off) for a couple of hours, then me again. I'm exhausted!

I just feel like such a sh*t mum as he's one and a half and won't go to sleep by himself, I keep thinking I must have done everything wrong

can you get one of these
http://www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Play-Pen-Room-Divider/dp/B002GV50I8/sr=1-2/qid=1294860169/ref=sr_1_2/278-8719766-8800900?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=42869041&mcb=core

or something similar? you can screw it into the wall and the bits all move so you can make any shape.. you could put them inside his bedroom so that he can't get out

Mummajade, that looks like it would be perfect! We rent though, and can't screw things into the walls - I wonder if that would be a problem.. I swear this house is resistant to baby proofing, it's such a pain in the bum Hopefully not long until we're back in England and in a "proper " house though! Woop!

Well, we have had some success! Tried playing white noise/rain sounds/rainforest sounds for half an hour before bedtime, and while getting him to sleep, and it's been working really well! Thank you loads for the idea! He still needs rocking, but will fall asleep in 10 mins rather than 2 hours, which is great progress! He even fell asleep on my OH last night while I was out at work, that never usually happens! If I keep the white noise on while he's sleeping he's so much easier to settle when he wakes up in the night. He used to scream if i didn't pick him up, but now he seems happy for me to just lay him down and pat him for a minute until he's asleep again. I cannot stress how huge this progress is!! Thank you!

Next step is getting him to sleep without rocking, putting him into bed awake and letting him fall asleep by himself, so I may be on here losing my mind again soon!

thats' fab news hun Id maybe just wait till you get back to england then and see how he is

one step at a time but all sounds good!!

That is great news! So glad its helped him!

Thats great hope it continues for you xx