I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in breast and bottle feeding.
DD has just turned 1. She has never been what one could call a good sleeper and usually still wakes up once or twice in the night to breastfeed, she usually feeds enthusiastically for several minutes, then rolls over to signal she is finished, and can be easily put back in her cot, even if she is still awake.
The past few nights she has woken loads, maybe about 6 times between 11pm and 6am, but has totally refused to feed every time. She screams, I take her out, shush her, put her back, she screams... She is happy snuggled against my shoulder for a bit, but then she starts kicking, wriggling, screaming again. If I offer the breast she shouts nonononono and screams and flails.
Don't get me wrong, I am very happy to stop feeding at night
. I just don't know how to get her to settle without it.
Last night I put her back in the cot when it was clear I couldn't really get her to sleep any other way. She grumbled and grizzled for what felt like quite a long time then either fell asleep or started crying again (at which point I took her out for a cuddle again). But she didn't sleep for long before waking again.
I thought it might be teething (she has yet to get her first tooth) so gave calpol, but it didn't seem to make any difference. And it didn't really sound like pain crying, more general grouchy crying.