To ask for help here as I'm at the end of my tether.

[Ifyourawizardwhydouwearglasses]

I have a 6 month old baby and a 2 year old.
Baby has always slept really well, sleeping through 7-7 with one sleep feed around 11pm from 8 weeks old.
The last few days however she's been a nightmare. Constant feeding, cries every time she's put in the cot, constant feeding (can't stress that enough). She's awake now. She'll go to sleep on the boob but then when I try to move her she wakes up.
I do not want to co sleep. I can't sleep with the baby next to me.

I am really at the end of my tether, I've barely slept in days, DH works long hours and I have no help or family nearby. The constant feeding and no sleep is really affecting me.

Why oh why is she doing this? I thought growth spurts should be over by now? Why change from being so good?

I wish I knew more about babies :(

Sorry for posting in AIBU with a non-AIBU.

do you think she could be ready to start solids?

ds was like this, easy baby he always wanted a lot of milk then suddenly he was never satisfied

you can do blw or a little baby rice, pureed vegetables etc

At 6 months, both of mine went a bit funny like this!!

DS2 was always a great sleeper, and it knocked me for six when he started sleeping really badly. (DS1 was always terrible, so the 6 months sleep nonsense seemed quite "normal" then.)

I remember it lasting a few weeks... Just hang on in there! It's a very turbulent time for babies, this age.

Have you read The Wonder Weeks? It explains every developmental leap, and when it happens, and sleep is always disturbed at these points. Definitely worth a read!

I think she is hungry
And sorry to tell you that they continue to have growth spurts until they....stop growing

Yes how's she doing with solids? (Though I remember it took months after we began weaning for DD to eat anything appreciable.) Is she ebf? would you consider introducing some formula just to give yourself a few hours' break from the chomping?

I think there are large developmental changes, not least in the gut, around this age. And so many new things they're attempting. Can she sit? crawling? DD was always an epic pita just before she mastered something.

Sympathies, it's bone-achingly exhausting, isn't it? My 6 month old is doing the same, unfortunately. Agree with bumgrapes, there is supposed to be a developmental leap about now, followed by your baby's realisation that you're 'walking away' when you put them down. Oh, and mine's also in a 'feeding frenzy' phase too - maybe a mix of growth spurt, comfort, and the fact that he is far to interested in the world to want to feed enough during the day. It'll all change again soon (I bloody hope!)

Thank you for the replies.
She's just started solids, she's doing finger foods and I'm also shovelling slop into her, but she's not bothered about actually eating much.
She has been able to sit up for almost a month now, but isn't crawling.

I can vaguely recall DS doing this around the time of starting solids now I think about it.

I lasted until about 3 this morning then just brought her into bed with me. DH is working away but there won't really be room for her when he's back. Plus I'm so tired that I'm sleeping too deeply when I do fall asleep for it to be safe really.

How will I ever get her to sleep in the cot??

it has been cold the last few nights. What about an extra layer?

At this age, I think it's still less about habit forming and more about getting through in one piece. Have a bed time routine, keep trying to put her down in her cot, but don't make yourself miserable over it.

Can you rig up something in your bed that will make co sleeping safe for the next night or two?

The book the wonder weeks might be useful to you? Talks you through developmental stages and attendant clinginess /increased feeding etc. I found it very reassuring. Your 2 year old never went through anything like this? It sounds tough but also I'd say you've been pretty lucky up till now. I hope it passes soon. I'm guessing you've ruled out teething?

Is she teething? mine had very different illnesses when teething. We had to go to drs looking for whats happening. at the end dc would have a new tooth and all those weird symptoms go away.

Could it be the cold?

My daughter started doing this towards the end of summer, she went back to normal when we added a couple of extra layers at night.

Does she seem well in herself?
Mine used to do this when they had an ear infection (not necessarily with a temperature) I think the suckling helps to relieve the pressure??

Could starting solids have given her a bit of constipation? My DC1 got bunged up starting solids. Puréed honeydew melon with some puréed boiled prunes, mixed together kept her plumbing moving.

Or teeth. One of mine had 11 teeth by 11 months!!

Or I found sleep went a bit wonky when they were about to get a new skill, crawling, walking etc. Almost like the brain was trying too hard to process too much new information.

What about the bottle? I know a few friends that bf who had a similar problem.

They moved onto bottles with expressed milk and formula feeding and after a week or so baby was happier and sleeping longer.

As you know though they are all different.

Gosh that sounds hard. All the above ideas sounds sensible - getting used to solids, the cold, teething. I think just try it all!

Also it might be worth trying a bottle at bedtime rather than bf, unless that goes against the grain for you. Or snack of solid food a bit closer to bedtime?

My ds started teething while he was on the boob and he was very wakeful with it, using breast milk as a pain killer. He has almost been better with his teething now he is on formula and solids (he is 11 months) with calpol to treat the teething pain.