5 month baby hard work pls pls help me

[Mcphers]

Please, please can someone help me or tell me I'm not alone .
My DD will be 5 months this week. She slept through the night from early on and was a dreamy baby...we were very lucky...
Then it all changed.
We are now entering week 3 of incredibly sleepless nights and an incredibly grumpy baby during the day who just wont nap. I am up with her on average 4-5 hrs per night & three night feeds.
She had a big appetite, taking 8oz almost every two hours during the day , hence why she slept at night perhaps. Now she pulls away from the bottle crying so hard and I know she is starving. I've introduced baby rice to just try and get her to take milk and also one pureed veg meal a day. She takes this no bother, but the milk is a nightmare.
Everything is just hard. The sleep deprivation on us both but also the fact she wont take bottles unless its 1am, 3am or 6am.
Is there something wrong with her or me? She is absolutely exhausted and her wee voice is husky from crying. I'm crying with her now, I feel like I'm failing at motherhood.

Has she got any teeth? Could her gums be too painful for the teet? Although if she is taking bottles at night that can't be it. You could try bongela before a feed maybe. Or even calpol just as a one off to see if it helps.
Does she need a different speed teet? Faster maybe?
Sending big hugs. This is really tough for you xxx

Sleep deprivation is so common. It could be teething, sleep regression, a developmental leap.

Try anbesol teething liquid not gel if she is teething.
Is there a chance she is not happy with the formula she’s on have you changed it? Has she got trapped wind or colic or reflux?

Also baby rice has zero nutritional value. Food at this stage is really about learning to accommodate new textures and experiences and learning to use the mouth differently so just little bit of fruit or veg ouree but baby rice is really not worth giving.

Have you tried taking her out in the pram as this will get even the most stubborn babies to sleep normally.

You have my every sympathy. My first was a dream baby the second very difficult the third some sort of Duracell bunny who has at almost two and a half only just stared sleeping before 10 pm and never napping at all during the day plus waking at least three times a night. And never sleeping in a cot or bed of his own.

It is normally a process of elimination or riding out a tricky growth / development spurt though

It may be easier to feed her at night as there is less stimulation and she is calmer. Just another thought. Not that helpful!!

Thanks @stophuggingme & @wildthingsinthenight for replying.
She doesnt have teeth, but very rosy cheeks and constant need/panic to chew on things through out the day. Now that you mention it, the odd night I have given calpol she has been feeding fine during the night.
I'll try Bongela or Parsons powder tomorrow. I'm actually becoming terrified of her.

The rice thing I thought as a way to get her milk (basically service milk via a spoon tbh). I havent changed formula as HV advised against it.

I've tried feeding her in quiet every time during the day but she atill wont take it. Perhaps she is teething, I'll give the powder or gel a go.

It's just nice to know I'm not alone , my heart is breaking for her and it's hard to think straight & with common sense when I'm so tired

Aha! Yes try painkillers for her gums then. Just to see.
I understand you trying to get milk in her with the baby rice too.
You're not alone.

Husky voice and pulling away from the bottle makes me think she might have cows milk protein allergy or intolerance. What are her nappies like and her skin? Does she hiccup a lot?

1. 4 Month sleep regression. It's a bitch.

2. 8 oz every two hrs sounds like a LOT of milk. There's a chance she is being over fed and the resulting tummy ache is causing her to comfort feed which in turn is feeding a cycle of over feeding.
   Do you pace feed baby? It ensures they can't feed too quickly and subsequently overfeed (and also ensures that the milk can't go into their ears -common problem)

It could be teething - DS had teeth from 4 months - bright red cheeks, furious chewing and endless dribbling for weeks on end. DS' sleep went to absolute shit when we started weaning too as he was up half the night with wind - whoever said it helps sleep clearly hadn't met my boy!

The thing that I found was that his sleep changed so much during that first year for a variety of reasons and it was really hard going at times.

You’re not alone as I have a teething, milk refusing, sleep abstaining 5 month old too.
I rang the HV today, as like you, I convinced myself I’m shite but she reassured me that it is all normal and just a phase/developmental (hopefully a phase which passes soon ).

I'm sorry to say that I haven't much advice to offer but I just wanted to say that I found 4.5 - 6.5 months so so difficult. It's horrible when things you thought you were getting to grips with go to pot and the sleep deprivation is so horrible, but it sounds to me like you are doing an amazing job at keeping going for your little one and trying different things which is all you can do!

When I was at my wits end in the night I used to go for a drive with my baby, then once he was asleep carry him inside in his car seat, which I know isn't ideal a long term solution but sometimes you just need them to stop crying and sleep for your own sanity.

It can be tough at that stage - my babies started teething about 4 1/2 months and went on to have a new tooth roughly once a week for a while!