Was just looking for advice on the problems I am having with my 10 month dd.
She was a good sleeper as a newborn but hit the 4 month sleep regression and for several months was waking 2/3 times a night. She would feed straight back to sleep (bf) and I didn't find this too unbearable so we trundled on.
A few weeks ago I stopped bfing in the day in preparation for going back to work. She is offered a bottle but takes very little, perhaps 100ml in a day, plus three goodish solid meals. Come nighttime, all she wants to do is feed - she wakes every 1 1/2 to 2 hours and screams unless she is fed, although I have sometimes settled her with rocking - but she needs a lot of intervention. We generally end up co-sleeping as otherwise I would lose the plot. She seems to be losing whatever limited ability she had to self settle.
Other relevant information...she is very emergetic in the day and has always resisted napping. She has already dropped to one nap, 1-1 1/2 hours after lunch. Bedtime is 6pm and she will often sleep past 7 so I guess she is doing a good stint at night although obviously broken.
I am now back at work and seriously not coping with the sleep deprivation so trying to formulate a plan of action. As I see it there are really two issues: (1) that she is getting most of her calories at night and (2) she is used to breastfeeding to sleep and now can't fall asleep any other way (although she naps in the day without feeding, but seems to drop off through sheer exhaustion). I don't want to do CIO but can see that some sort of sleep training is required.
And I'm going to have to stop bfing, aren't I? The thought makes me really sad, but I can't see that she will ever take proper bottle feeds in the day when breast is on offer at night.
Anyway, I would be grateful for any thoughts or experiences - all my friends babies are sleeping through so can't help thinking I've gone very wrong somewhere!