So now we know why you won't sleep. Well, some of the time at least.

[pickledlily]

Those of you as dependent on this sleep board as me to maintain your sanity, will know that I've have posted on here loads about my sleep refusing DD (now 17 months). I've received loads of support that has got me through the long nights (and days) for which I am very grateful, so I thought I'd update you as we finally have some answers which may help some of you in a similar position.

Brief re-cap - DD was EBF (still BF, grrr, but that's another story), has had silent reflux on and off since newborn (on ranitidine), currently waking at least every 2 hours, wanting to feed and very gassy. Shhh-pat doesn't work. Gradual retreat hasn't worked. HV could only suggest CC.

Anyhooos, took matters into my own hands and spoke to the lovely Charlie at Milk Matters. And ta-da... it turns out that DD has tongue tie and a bubble palette.

So this explains the waking with wind (swallowing loads of air) and possibly the reflux, which would also explain the constant wanting to feed. Yes, there are some habitual things going on too and I'm not expecting DD to change her anti-social sleep patterns anytime soon, but now I know I'm not going mad, that it isn't my crap mothering skills and that something is not quite right!

After all this time and not one health professional has suggested or checked for TT. So thanks to Poppet and everyone else on here who suggested it (I was too sleep deprived to take it on board in the early days and dismissed it as a possibility as I'd seen a supposed BF expert from the NCT ).

NHS not interested in TT now and too traumatic to snip at this age, so we will try osteopathy and night weaning (not looking forward to that bit).

So I'd say to anyone who is having BF, weaning and sleep problems that don't seem to respond to any other solution, check for TT but ask the right person; there is a really useful article here that outlines the difference levels of experience of BF support workers.

I know this won't help many of the sleep problems on here (I guess some babies, probably mine included, just don't want to sleep ) but it might help a few.

[minipie]

Oh you poor thing. I thought I was unlucky to have only discovered DD's tongue tie at 15 weeks (which caused all manner of sleep issues until we had it snipped), I cannot imagine 17 months.

Hopefully weaning off BF and on to cups will help you a lot (though there will probably be some habitual waking habits left even once the wind/reflux is sorted...but habits are easier to sort than physical discomfort)

[surgicalwidow]

I thought I was unlucky having my dd's posterior tongue tie missed til I went sobbing to a lactation consultant at 8 weeks. Hats off to you for surviving and good luck into the future with a hopefully happier and more settled baba

[pickledlily]

If someone had told me at the start that we would still be having problems 17 months down the line, i think I'd have thrown the towel in and done a runner!! We've just been taking it one day (hour) at a time, but we are pretty broken.

i cant understand why health professionals don't get trained up in it. It's such a simple thing to fix if you catch it early. I'm glad you were both able to find it sooner rather than later.

[gotadifferentnamenow]

Thanks for posting this. My abysmally-sleeping DS' tt was picked up at 7mo but we agreed there was no point doing anything as bf was no longer painful (it was until he was 5mo) and weight gain had never been a problem.

Cranial osteo worked wonders for his colic as a newborn and I've been contemplating a return visit for sleep problems for a while. This has given me the impetus to make that appointment.

[gotadifferentnamenow]

I know I'm not going mad, that it isn't my crap mothering skills and that something is not quite right!

Yes. Yes, yes, yes. I feel a bit tearful at this. I'm sure plenty of people have silently judged me and my non-sleeping, permanently-nursing toddler.