Help! My 10 month old won't go to sleep

[Glowbuggy]

He has his tea, then bath, story, and then BF usually to sleep. Now after his feed he is wide awake and screams when I put him in his cot. He just won't go to sleep. I go in and pat him, calm him down and walk out. I wait a few minutes and do this again. He can scream for up to 2 hours, by then I cuddle him in bed to sleep. What am I doing wrong?

I can also only get him to take an afternoon nap if I go for a drive.

Any tips, am going INSANE!

Can you bf him to sleep in your bed? This is what I did during particularly bad phases. Ds2 is now 18 months and goes to bed like an angel. Sometimes it's more important for them to get to sleep wherever they are.

Agree with staines, try feeding him lying down. I would also have a look at 31 ways to get your baby to sleep and stay asleep and No Cry Sleep Solution.

Please don't get stressed by it though, he's changed his pattern and it will change again, and probably soon. What things have you tried his naps, assume you've tried things like taking him for a walk?

Do you go to any bfing groups too? Sometimes they can be really good for picking up tips .

My DD is the same. She's 9mo and for the past week it's been just like yours. Bf to sleep is not happening anymore. Grrrrr!

I have noticed that she's often hungry about half an hour after her morning bf. Like she didn't get enough. I usually give her breakfast an hour after the bf. So I was wondering if she wasn't 'full' in the evening anymore. I offered some formula (we use it now I am dropping feeds to go back to work in 3 weeks) and she drank it all, rolled over and went straight to sleep. No fuss!

I wonder if my milk supply is dwindling. I don't want to express to boast as I'm trying to cut some of the feeds out. Ideally I'd bf morning and night only. But offering half a carton of formula seems to help us out.

Button if you do want to continue bfing morning and night, and it can work, I did it with DS, I would talk through your plans with a Bfing Counsellor or post on the Breast & Bottle feeding section as you seem to have some concerns about your supply.

Thanks Jilted - I plan on speaking to one of the HVs next week. It seems to have been ok over the last few days without the top up. Maybe DD was just extra hungry earlier last week. She has been teething so might not have eaten as much as she normally would.

I do think that bf is now more for me than DD though! I think she'd not notice that much if I stopped so long as we have plenty of cuddles as bf is much more than just feeding. I, on the other hand am not ready to give up those one on one special times just yet

I don't think that it is more for you at all, at 9 months you'd be surprised how many benefits she is still receiving including the nutritional and immunological. Have a look at everything you've acheived so far .

Unless your HV is very clued up on breastfeeding I would call one of the Bfing Helplines instead and talk to them about returning to work, top ups and your plans to carry on Bfing. It is a sad fact that many HCPs all to often give out information on Bfing that is misleading, inaccurate or just wrong. Have you got one of the Helpline numbers?

If she is hungry again could you just keep offering the other side every time she comes off until she is satisfied? Giving the top up will impact on your supply.

Bless you Jilted. Thanks for the link. Will take a look.

I've not topped up with formula at all since I posted previously. Must've been just one of those things. She's not bf to sleep now but is nice and sleepy, we have a cuddle and she lays down easily.

I might well call one of the bf helplines. Although lovely my HVs do just tend to say 'yes, yes' to everything I ask so I often feel that they'd just agree with anything I said/asked!!!