To cry with 18 month old.

[SoddingSoda]

A virtual handhold would be nice.

I have an 18 month old who is currently teething and has a cold. She’s barely eating so up constantly through the night demanding (breast) milk. As a new born we used to get at least four hours between feeds. I feel like I’m lucky to get 1.5 hours these days.

I am the master of my own misery here. Please don’t flame me as I know I’d have a better time if I just slept trained her/got her off my breast/left her with DH for the evening/put her into nursery where she’d have to cope without me.

I feel like life is similar to that game at primary school. One team starts with a couple of bean bags in a ring across the hall and has to race to put more individual bean bags into the ring but the other team has to take the individual bean bags out. At the end of the time limit if the team has the same or less bean bags than what they started with they loose.

DD was ‘helping’ me with preparing dinner. After she decided to sprinkle sugar from the caddy I put her down and she runs into the other room. After two minutes of silence I check on her. Whilst allowing me to peel half the potatoes she’s redistributed my three piles of neatly folded clothes across the room. I’ve just sobbed like a little baby.

While writing this she’s had breast milk so won’t eat dinner anyways. Oh, and pulled out all her books and DVD from the cupboard.

Oh @SoddingSodaI have a 15 month old and greatly sympathise. He was up so early today and I am shattered. Also know I need to cut down breast feeds as think that’s why he is waking early but when you are tired it’s too mentally draining to deal with the back lash. Virtual hug x

Aw I'm sorry OP that sounds rough 💜 it is so bloody relentless when they're ill! The hardest time of my entire life was when toddler DD and I both had tonsillitis and I had to muddle through and take care of us both, I honestly felt like lying down and dying. Made the newborn days look positively dreamy. Funnily enough one of those days I managed to hang up a load of washing and DD pulled it all off the rack again, so I know the feeling of utter despair!

I'd go into survival mode here and just do whatever you need to do to get by. Breastfeed however much she wants, it will help her shake off the cold and keep her hydrated. Let her watch tv and cuddle you on the sofa. Chuck all the clothes in your laundry basket and shove them in another room where you can't see them. Do not do any laundry or housework. Keep her topped up with calpol and calprofen (calprofen is better for teeth apparently) get a Tesco whoosh delivery/deliveroo for you if you need to. Ice lollies for her teeth or chuck some flannels in a bad in the freezer she can suck on later. Most importantly, don't beat yourself up over should've done xyz, easier said than done when you feel so low but it sounds like you're doing a fab job soothing her at night, making meals and keeping her comfy. Toddlers tend to bounce back quite quickly so hopefully she'll be on the mend soon!