My DD is just shy of 7 months and has so far been a dream baby, went down for naps quickly and easily, slept well, eating well and very happy and placid when awake. Never been ill, never had a temperature even after her jabs, never been particularly sick-y either so this change has hit us hard!
Over the last week teething has started in earnest and it is like I have a different baby! No teeth yet but gums are rock hard and swollen. She is now wanting to go back to sleep after sometimes only half an hour awake, but it is now taking the best part of an hour or more to get her to sleep. She used to feed to sleep but now doesn't seem to want to, she is breastfed and we cosleep. Rocking, cuddling, white noise nothing is working to speed it up. Night waking she will drift off again with a cuddle rather than a feed now most times. She has been biting my nipples and grinding her jaws on them I think to soothe her gums, but it hurts so much I simply cannot endure it. We have got teething gel, but after applying it she pulls a disgusted face and spits and dribbles and I assume this is reducing its effectiveness because most of it will be washed out by the drool.
We have tried dummies even though I didn't really want to, and although initially they help, she spits them out after a while and then starts hysterically crying. She isn't very good at moving objects to her mouth to chew so teething toys haven't been working very well once she lets go they come out of her mouth and then more crying.
The last two nights when I have gone to feed her at around 10pm (she generally goes down for the night at 8 and this 10pm feed is done when DP and I go to bed) she has vomited up what looks like her entire stomach contents after feeding. No temperature or any signs it would happen, and she is totally cheerful and normal afterwards. I think that these extended periods of feeding and rolling away over an hour could be her eating too much, because she is sucking for comfort but still getting milk. She has been very enthusiastic for food since weaning at 6 months and we have been giving her some purées at around 6-7 pm for her dinner. (Her hand eye coordination didn't work for BLW, she just shoves whatever food it is straight to the back of her throat and chokes so we are just using purée for now) The vomit has seemed to be mostly milk though, so I don't think it is an allergy, she has a wide range of foods and has enjoyed everything she has been given. My diet hasn't changed and I haven't eaten anything out of the ordinary.
She has just started to take her first steps when standing holding onto the sofa or our hands, and in the last two days learnt to roll back to front so I did think maybe she is squashing her tummy when she is too full by half rolling over and this makes her sick? Or the developmental leap disturbing her sleep? She has always hated tummy time and I don't think she will bother trying to crawl despite my encouragement!
I can't get anything done in the house at the moment as her naps are shorter and it is taking so long to get her down, but she is definitely tired, rubbing her eyes and yawning, not making eye contact etc. All her usual cues that a nap is needed but then won't sleep!
Any advice would be much appreciated, even if it is reassurance that it is a phase and to ride it out. I'm lucky I cope very well on little sleep!