Please help!

[silvertogold]

I'm feeling like a shit mum right now. DS is 18 months. He's currently going through a sleep regression, I'm exhausted, he's exhausted and DP is exhausted.
Tonight he went to sleep at 9pm and was up at 12. We're still wide awake and screaming if I dare to try and take him upstairs or put the tv on (trying desperately to keep myself awake!).
I honestly don't know how much more I can take, not too bad this week as I'm not at work but next week I am and if this continues I don't know what I'll do!

On top of all this he seems delayed in his speech. He only really says 'mama, dada, bye bye and hiya. Occasionally he'll say NanNan' he seems really behind. He understands what you say though. If I ask where the dog or cat is he will point and go over to them. He will got and get his ball or his book if you ask him too. He babbles to himself all the time. Health visitor and GP are no use as not seeing anyone at the moment. Did anyone else have a late talker?

I just feel like shit and that I'm failing him and I don't know what to do!

Ahh him hang in there it gets easier. Firstly his speech doesn't really sound delayed, both my boys were about the same at that age so don't worry about that.
Is he teething? Have you tried bonjela/Calpol? Are you in the living room? Turn down the lights and try get him to doze on the sofa? Maybe some soothing music?

You're not a shit mum btw, just a tired one, we all feel like this, you're not alone and you're doing brilliantly xx

You poor thing. You're not a shit mum; you're just knackered. Dd is 18 now so my baby days are well behind me but I do remember the lack of sleep being an absolute killer.

Dd was a very late talker, so much so that I was asked at one of the checks whether I wanted to try and pursue speech therapy. I remember talking her to a friend 's 2nd birthday party. There was only about a week' s difference in age between the 2. The friend greeted us with a complete, grammatically correct sentence. My dd was still only using a couple of words and not putting those together.

I used to alternate between panicking and reminding myself that it was ok because her understanding was good (she could point, follow simple instructions and we did a lot of baby signing). I also tried to make myself feel better by reminding myself that Einstein was a famously late talker.

It's so longer ago that I can't remember when she finally began to catch up but she was definitely talking fluently well before she started school.

Thanks both. Little terror is currently playing with some fluff he's found!

He is teething at the moment and we've given him calpol and popped some bonjella on.

I know it's a phase just a tiring one!

Off to make a cup of coffee

No help, but I'm in the same boat. I stupidly decided to stay up to see in the new year and before I'd got to sleep my 17mo woke up. She is now wide awake, having a party. I have given up and we have come downstairs, put little baby bum on the tv and I'm lying on the sofa.

Also in the same boat with talking. She say mama, dada, her name and one other word. I'm trying not to worry as she has great understanding and she knows more than 30 signs but I can't help but worry! Hope we all get off to sleep soon!

OP its hell, but it will pass! My 13mo DD stirs approx 5-6 times a night, and half the week wants a night feed at 3am ... im sat downstairs with her since she was refusing to sleep upstairs, just lurching around the cot (then my bed) tired but wanting to be awake.

Oh and on the speech thing my HV said that at 18m they would expect 6-10 words (mama, dadda etc) so i wouldn't worry too much.

Fingers crossed we all get some sleep soon, its truly truly shit to have no sleep, when working too and at an age when everyone expects them to be sleeping through!!

Glad he is more settled now with calpol , sitting up for a bit and cuddles.

When my oldest son was 18 months he kept waking through the night screaming and we took him to GP, nothing abnormal found. Many sleepless nights later, spent trying everything to resettle, we took him to another GP and he was diagnosed with a nasty ear infection ( antibiotics sorted it in the end). So if it’s ear infection sometimes when they lie down the ear pain becomes much worse. They may wipe at or pull at their ear sometimes , or ear may be slightly red, but sometimes they don’t do this.

You are doing a great job as parent, it is absolutely exhausting when sleep deprived. Try to sleep in the day when he sleeps, and take turns each night with DH when u r back at work.

It’s not forever but is tough time for parents . This too shall pass. When he’s a teen hewill prefer late nights, sleep all night so you will sleep well, but he may hate the mornings and and getting up early

Oh so knackering and downright dementing.
You are doing a great job, not a bad job by meeting their needs, sleep will come. Honestly!

You're not failing him, give yourself a break.

What's his nap schedule? I ended up having to wake DD up most days to make sure she slept better at night. She needed loads of exercise too to help her sleep, not much fun when it's freezing cold and raining though.

Re talking, DD had barely anything at 2yo, got referred to SALT after the 2y check but by 2.5 she had loads of words and was putting 2-3 together without seeing the therapist. At 3, you can tell she's a little bit behind her peers but she can hold a conversation and doesn't ever shut up He's got lots of time so just keep reading and talking and I'm sure it'll come along quickly.

He finally went to sleep at 5:30 and a successful sofa to cot transfer happened!

Thanks all