Help please! Is there hope?

[GingerMaman]

Hi,

My 9 month old DD has been waking up at night every hourly since the past 5 months. I have no idea why. She has been teething since the past 2 months, but now all four teeth have come through, though the last one is still coming through but has cut through.

I am utterly exhausted and completely shattered! Thankfully I don't have PND but honestly I feel like it is coming and I really can't do this anymore I have no energy left and feel like my body is shutting down. I have no family nearby for outside help.

DD has milk allergy and sometimes when she wakes up is gassy. For the past two nights, on a couple of occasions I have let her cry, twice she fell asleep again, and twice she went hysterics, and I ended up giving her the breast. She wants the breast hourly and refuses to take a bottle or dummy (tried both).

Please help me. Is there hope? Will this end? What can I do? Will a night nurse/sleep trainer help? She just doesn't appear to go in to deep sleep at all!

Sounds like your going through a tough time. Do you co sleep? Maybe that would help?

Chicks, thanks, yes I do cosleep. There is no way she'll sleep in the cot, never has.

Gosh in that case I don't really know what to suggest. Ashton and parsons teething powders or calpol before bed?

We had this problem with 8 month old ds. We ended up using controlled crying which sorted him within 3 nights. It's not for everyone and it wasn't pleasant but it worked for him.

Our DD refused to take a flat dummy but took immediately to a cherry style dummy. Have you tried both styles? Sorry you are having such a hard time, you may need to see your health visitor so you can get referred to a clinical psychologist who can assist with child sleep matters.

Has your DP tried to help her during some of her wakeups? It was around this age with both boys that we found DH was actually more use to them for some night wakeups than I was. If I attended to them then the only thing they could think of to do was feed, which wasn't the answer. DS2 still has a couple of feeds per night at 11m but it's been much better since DH started cuddling him back to sleep for some of his wakeups. He sleeps much better.

Agree, get your DH to help, there are some tips here. Have you read the No Cry Sleep Solution too?

Nurofen?
Maybe in a habit of waking.
Is this since weaning.
Could they have reflux from the milk allergy, has that been tested could they also have soya allergy?
When i was bf and mine was teething / allergic she wanted to feed all night.
I cut out soya and she sleeps a lot better.
How are naps?

Oh honey, hope you feel better soon.

How much daytime sleep is she having? Do you have a routine at all? Is she just waking through hunger, or because she is not sleepy? How much food in the day is she having, are you sure you are producing enough milk?

Sorry, so many question, but without knowing a bit more its hard what to suggest.

Xx

Thanks everyone for your support, help and suggestions!

We have a bedtime routine, bath and massage, followed by feed. She eats very little during the day, equavilsnt to quarter of a banana, so yes I think she is hungry. I'm triumph to give her more to eat and drink during the day.

Wow, no wonder she's starving all night!

There was something on the radio recently about a child that kept waking up and they'd got experts in to help. They had suggested eating half a banana before bed, which had worked for them.

Not going to work for everyone, but if your dd likes bananas, might be worth a shot? Or even having dh give some in the middle of the night instead of milk...

Good luck!