Can toddlers cluster feed?

[rubyslippers]

DD is 18 months and her bedtime feeding is driving me crazy!

We had a good phase of her going into the cot and singing/playing and then going to sleep with barely a peep

Now we have full on hysteria and calling for milk - she wants to feed, feed and feed until she is practically asleep

We have had had 2 weeks of this and then she reverted to self settling and now we are having another week of upset

She does stays asleep for the rest of the night

She will also happily go down for a nap in the day - her nanny sorts her out in the week as i work FT

She cluster fed as a baby from 5 - 9 pm

Bedtimes are now taking around an hour and i would quit feeding but having heard her sobs, I don't think I can

Help or advice would be most welcome

Could be to do with the 18 month sleep regression. There are huge developmental spurts going on at 18 months which mess up sleep (as well as behaviour, mood & eating).

More info here and here and here.

Thanks so much for those links

She had a horrendous 4 month regression and she does seem to have phases where she gets very unsettled

Bt scared that one of the links says it can last up to 21 months

I think the 18-21 months is because there's a developmental spurt at around 18 months, and another one (maybe more?) later - and they tend to blur into one sometimes. But you might get a break in the middle. :)

At least with bf you have a strategy to fall back on to help her sleep. A non-bf friend with an 18 m.o. said her son 'seemed to have completely forgotten how to go to sleep' and really struggled.

My 15 m.o. DS doesn't self-settle yet, but he has sleep issues every time there's a developmental leap, but it always does calm down again.

Thanks milk chic - Pleased to hear things have settled down

Angel - thanks again. You're right - at least I can feed her into unconsciousness!