Coping with sleep deprivation

[BabyHaribo]

Any tips? I'm on my knees

DD is 6 months probable CMPA, she's EBF and won't really take a bottle. She only feeds once maybe twice per night but.... Wants to be held like a newborn all the time. She just won't go in the cot and if she does she won't stay asleep.

We co sleep sometimes but I don't really like it and don't sleep that well.

Also have DS 3 yrs so no naps in the day!

What helped most when you were feeling zombiefied?

I feel for you. DD has CMPI, refused bottles, not a good sleeper... EBFing has been wonderful in many ways but I felt very trapped when I decided to introduce a bottle and found I couldn't.

Top tips: get the allergy test done as soon as you can so at least you know what you're dealing with. Ask your HV for a referral to the community dietician in the meantime, so that once the allergy result is in you don't have to wait weeks for an appointment for some advice.

Non-dairy formula takes some getting used to but they DO get used to it. You'll be introducing solids soon so you can add the formula to food to sneak extra calories in, and acclimatise her to the taste. For my DD it was bread that did it - she loves bread so I soaked bits in formula to start her off with it.

Bottles - just keep putting it in front of her. Eventually curiosity will work for you, just don't turn it into a battle in the meantime. Mine took literally 2 months to accept a bottle but now finds it comforting just like the boob, which is massively liberating for me.

As for sleep, can only sympathise, we haven't cracked it either. Sorry

hmm currently up with ds whos also got cmpa, theme here?! whos not sleeping on his back for more than 20mins at a time (seems to have developed reflux at 3 months, what is that about?!) hes never slept for more than 5 hours (and that was just once) and i havent had more than 3 hours at once since sometime last summer. i find trying to get a shower every morning and some fresh air every day helps, and contradicting myself, things work better if i concentrate on how i feel rather than how many hours ive had. when hes had an especially bad night dh gets up for work an hour or two early to let me sleep which is a massive help (ds only usually sleeps on me or in the car during the day so dont nap either)and i get myself ready for bed at the same time as ds so im ready to sleep the minute he does!! it is tough going though eh?

Dd is also CMPA! She has always been a bad sleeper. She slept in our bed out of necessity but we had to address it at around 7-8 months.

A few nights of controlled crying and she was back in her cot.

I think she got scared of pain. She was an anxious baby, clingy and easily scared. I am convinced this has something to do with her experience of pain.

She's 19 months and were still up with her most nights but it's for 10 mins average and shes teething badly at the moment.

Do whatever you need to do to get sleep. When they're a little older you can start and look at techniques to help.

Ruth is right.

Showers, fresh air, plenty of water and eat well. Not to many carbs/sugar.

If you can nap then do it!

It's really not easy but it doesn't last forever.

I think the key is splitting the night into shifts with your DP/H

On really bad periods I've gone to bed at 8 in the spare room and slept til 1 then took over til morning and my DH slept 1-7. Just getting that block of sleep at the start makes all the difference.

Also making sure you get showered dressed and breakfast before your DH leaves for work so you feel semi-human when you're left alone.

Fresh air too.