19 weeks old and waking every two hours, to eat and scream, hardly naps either HELP!

[Skinty]

I'll try to keep this short and not ranty!

My LO is 19 weeks tomorrow. She has never slept well - always woken four times a night for a feed but now waking every two hours minimum and not going back to sleep any more. Sometimes she also screams for an hour or more until we can get her off.

We co-sleep, and this has been fine until now. But now she wants to be permanently attached to my boob - literally, ALL night - and if I take her off she instantly wakes and starts crying.

She used to be happy to suck a finger, but not now, and has never taken a dummy.

She is BFd and has recently had the winter vomiting bug from which she is not fully recovered.

I know all about the growth spurt at this age, the onset of teething, distractibility, etc., but wondered if anyone had found anything that works even a little bit?

I'm so sleep deprived that givng her away for adoption or letting her scream in a room on her own is starting to look attractive - I am DESPERATE for help!

My HV is no use just says put her down to sleep on her own instead of feeding her off but she just cries if I do that and won;t stop, and it is proper full-on screaming not just a little cry.

My OH is getting fed up now as he gets woken by her, and we are just desperate for some sleep!

She only naps for 30 mins max in the day, four times a day max, and I cannot make this longer no matter what I try (sleeping with her, catching her just before to try and get her in the next bit of the sleep cycle).

I used to keep sane by taking her out and about until about 3pm but it's too cold now - but at home she gets bored and so do I!

Help!

[nowwearefour]

this happened with my dd2 at this age. sooooo horrible. just roll with it- if you need to leave her to cry for a few mins to catch a break, then do so, she'll be fine. just congratulate yourself on still bfeeding and it WILL get better in a little time.

[thisisyesterday]

i had one of those!!!

seriously, it is absolutely hellish while you're in the middle of it but it DOES pass.

you know demand feeding is best for her, there is some reason which you may never discover, why she needs/wants to be fed frequently right now.
could be any of the things you mention, and you may never figure it out, but i honestly feel that by meeting her needs now you will overcome whatever the problem is and she will settle down again at some point.

you have my sympathies though.

bearing in mind that this is not going to last forever, is there another room your OH could sleep in if he is being very disturbed?

when ds2 was like this we came to the conclusion that it was pointless both of us getting no sleep, so dp would often sleep on the sofa, thus getting a pretty good night's sleep.

I used to go to bed at around half 8, and he would just bring baby to me to feed so that i could get as much sleep as poss, and he would take baby down in the morning and let me have an extra half-hour or so.
i know it's hard, but if you can try and nap in the day then do!

[thisisyesterday]

ooh and it's never too cold to take them out!
seriously, my 3 spent about an hour today in the park in town, the baby was toasty warm in the pushchair and was fine! honestly, if you need to get out then do!