Oh my goodness you girls are chatty!! So are you having probs with Ben's sleeping Lou? Although generally we've been lucky with F, it all went a bit downhill from 9 months... a friend recently told me about the 'pick up put down method' (PUPD) - I think it's from one of the books but she just told me how to do it. After a truly awful weekend I decided to go for it. The first night was awful, the second and third were bad, and then it was plain sailing from there! She slept through on the 5th night and last night (the 8th night) which was a total shock (in a good way!) - I expect you've heard of it / tried it but you just pick baby up as soon as cried, wait until stops crying with a bit of sssgging and patting (but nothing else), then the second they stop crying, put back in the cot. It seems completely ridiculous at 1st as you're up and down like a jackinthebox (I've still got backache!) but it totally worked for us! The first night and then the next day for her nap I pup'd about 150 times. I think the point is to get them used to self settling a bit more gently than controlled crying or whatever and they feel confident you won't abandon them and will give comfort when they need it. The put down when she doesn't cry is always quite sudden (it looks like it's not working then suddenly it does) Then last night I just put her in the cot and she was fine straight away... of course, it might just be a good patch! And I'm sure you've heard of it before but just thought would pass on just in case! xxx