stopping bf at 8 months? Should I?

[goldenpig]

Please help - end of tether reached. 8 month old dd who used to sleep all night, has been up all night for 2 months, feeding the only thing that settles her. Biting quite badly now too, and am shattered as I have a 2.5 ds to look after.

Fed my son for a year, so really want to, but what shoudl I do? I just need some good, honest advice as am in tears in the day from sheer exhaustion. She also has a perma cold, so am less than convinced that bf is all it should be.

Thanks and merry Christmas to all

Oh dear. I know how you feel, I have a 6mo who enjoys my company a lot at night

Is she eating lots of solids? Is she taking a lot of milk at night when you go to her? Could you try and wean her off night feeds but keep BF in the day? As its the frequency of night waking that's a problem not the BF IYSWIM.

These are all the questions that I am asking myself at the moment.

Thanks so much for your thoughts. Am going to ride it out over Christmas and see how we get on.

She's probably waking up as she has a cold and is all snuffly. My dd2 is like this at the moment (she'a a crap sleeper too and I also have a 3 year old to look after)

Of course - if you want to give up bf then you should but I don't think it would be the answer to your problems.

If you ff - you would have to get out of bed - go downstairs, make up a feed, bring it back upstairs then feed the baby. By this time - she will have woken up completely and so would you.

Can you try popping her in bed with you for a few nights and learning to breastfeed on your side. You'll get your much needed sleep and in a few weeks when she is sleeping better you can pop her back in her cot.

At the moment sleep is the most important thing for you. Have a couple of nights going to bed at 7pm (or whatever time your children go to sleep). I'm not sure ff will be the answer for you and you may feel shitty that you have given up bf for no reason.