Irregular Breathing - 6 month old

[Marthasmama]

DD has had fairly irregular breathing patterns, while sleeping, since birth. I know that newborns often have irregular breathing patterns as they have to learn to breath but dd is 6 months now. She pauses for a few seconds when she's asleep but never as long as 10 seconds which I have read is the real concern. She has recently started what appears to be seperation anxiety at night and will not return to her cot when she feeds at night (yes, at 6 months, she is still feeding 2/3 times a night, aren't we lucky?). DH is away so she has been sleeping with me and last night I think she stopped breathing while we were alseep and woke up me becuase of it. I really can't be sure that's what happened as I was asleep but you know when you just get that sense of what had happened. I'm not sure what to do about it as I can't tell if that's what really happened or if my paranoid mummy brain just thought it did. Has anyone experienced this with their DC? Does it get better? She is fit and healthy otherwise.

I think many people have irregular breathing when they are asleep- my dd(3.2) still does, and DH (34!) does- having spent more years sleeping by him than dd... I would say that if its normal for them it isn't a problem- sometimes he goes 40-50 seconds then does a huge intake, often when he has rolled over. It is scary though, I know.

If you think she is stopping for a longer period then I would speak to your gp, in case there is something underlying it.
Was she responsive afterwards? did she go blue round the mouth? Our 'mummy senses' are amazing- the fact that you woke up is incredible- baby breathing is so soft and gentle, but your instincts kicked in and woke you.

Hopefully someone with more experience will be along soon.

She wakes herself a bit takes a huge breath then settles back down to sleep. When she was very little s he was very bunged up and stopped breathing a couple of times, never for long but she always screamed her lungs out when she did it, which, was very encouraging! Thank you EPEM, you have made me feel a bit better. And yes, I am spidermum at the moment with my spider senses.