15 month old multiple night wakings

[cuntinghomicidalcardigan]

Just wondering if anyone can help. Ds is now 15 months and has never managed to settle himself once he's awake, day or night. We live in a terrace and he shares a room with his (luckily deep sleeping) 3 yo sister so I am limited to how long he can be left to cry/shout.

He wants bf-ing back to sleep every time he wakes. At the moment he goes to bed around 7pm and stays in his own bed until approximately midnight. He then wakes and cries until I go to him and feed him. His volume escalates if dh goes to him or I don't feed him and he gets more and more worked up. I then co-sleep with him and he wakes every hour and a half until 5am when he is up for the day.

He has a nap most mornings around 9.30 for around an hour. He then may or may not have an hour around 2.30/3.

I need help! With a 3yo at home as well and dh about to go off for several months (forces) this just isn't sustainable!

Just to add, he doesn't really eat anything other than bread and dry cereal. He is dairy intolerant so has soya milk and has a cup of this after his morning nap and before bed. He has been walking independently since he was 7months old and gets lots of fresh air and exercise every day!

Thank you, I'm really hoping for some solutions

My initial suggestion would be that you need to night wean. However, if his diet is so restricted during the day, that does explain his night time hunger.

I would say you need professional advise regarding his nutrition, maybe see your doctor for a specialist allergy referral.

Where are his vitamins coming from? Fruit? Vegetables? Dry cereal and bread are just carbs - does he have a protein source? What about meat?

He will occasionally eat a bit of banana or chew a bit of cucumber. Sometimes he will eat a bit a pate on toast or peanut butter. Sometimes he will eat a few peas. He used to eat raisins but has at all this last week. Sometimes I can mix a scrambled egg with rice and he'll eat some of that. I've repeatedly asked for help with his restricted eating but because he's naturally tall (91st centile) they just say 'he's not wasting away!'. I'm at my wits end. DD has curry, pasta sauce, lasagne, spag bol, toast, omelette, prawns, chicken, lamb, pork, fish, salad, any type of fruit and veg she can get her hands on and exactly the same is offered to ds. He just won't even try it. I've tried leaving him to it and lots of time and space, I've tried puréeing and spoon feeding and everything in between.

Am I right that this just isn't 'normal'??

The diet you explain sounds like a normal early-weaning diet - maybe a 7 or 8 month old. They say "food for fun" until 12 months old but I think that by 12 months old, I would be expecting a full, varied diet were "milk is for fun", but most calories come from a child's meal-time diet. Personally, I would be worried about a diet that restrictive (my DD is 16 months so I can age compare). I'm just a mum though, not a nutritionals professional.

I keep asking for help, hvs and gps, but because he is 'thriving' they're not interested. He's constantly ill with one virus or another. He won't even take the multivitamin willingly. I've tried everything I've ever read. I think I will book another appointment for next week. Quantity-wise, even of the things he will eat he doesn't eat enough to fill even a small plate over the course of the day. It's like he's worried about his tummy feeling full

Just had lunch. Offered grapes, apples, celery and a smoothie to drink. Ate non of it. Ended up with half a slice of bread with vitalite. I'm pulling my hair out!!

I really don't know what to suggest with regards to his diet, maybe try posting on the weaning board? Or is there an allergies board? Signposting CMPI in your title might attract the attention of other parents dealing with allergies.

What I would worry about in terms of sleep would be restricting milk intake. It might be that if you limit his milk he will eat more food? It might be worth trying. But the worry with a restricted diet is that he needs his nutrition from somewhere.

In terms of sleeping, I don't feel confident in saying to you "night wean, stop allowing all milk at night" because of the risk of malnutrition. This might be the right answer, but it should come as advise from a professional I would say, not from me.

I'm going to the doctor this week to ask for help. I can't carry on like this, especially with dh going away. I want to cry all the time and I'm not enjoying my children. There must be some way they can help.