How do you get a sick baby to sleep???

[CluelessMummy]

DD is 11 months, is sick with pneumonia. She's actually been better today but it's now 2.15am, she's been awake screaming on and off since 11.45 and so far the following hasn't worked:

Feeding - she barely drank at bedtime, won't drink at all now (the doctor said this might happen on her medication) - if she even sees a bottle she shrieks louder and when I tried to syringe milk in, she spat it out.

Co-sleeping - has never done this, was hysterical when I tried to get into the cot with her in desperation.

Cuddled - she'll be rocked to sleep by DH but won't "allow" him to sit down with her in the same position - clearly he can't walk all night.

We've also tried putting her mobile on, a humidifier, and offering a sippy cup of water and Calpol (the sight of both made her cry tears).

Any ideas anyone? I'm supposed to be at work in the morning (DH is looking after DD).

In these circumstances I would do anything to help her sleep. If DH sat with her on the sofa and put the TV on something she might like, would it distract her enough to calm her, and fall asleep on the sofa? Not ideal, I know, but I think sometimes you have to do whatever it takes.

A walk in the pram or a car ride maybe? If one of you feels safe (awake enough) to drive that is.
I hope you find something to work and that she's better soon.

WIll she go in your bed as opposed to you getting in hers ?

Poor thing, hope she's on the mend soon. I have a 2.5 yo who has never wanted to co sleep either. When she was ill when younger I would sleep on the floor next to her cot and take the bars out so I could reach in to comfort her - would that work?

My DC have never had pneumonia but when DD has had a chest infection, we've ended up sitting up for hours in our rocking chair with her. If you don't have one, when we're away sometimes rocking backwards and forwards on a bed helps. Lying flat will make breathing harder for her - raising one end of the cot may help, or putting her in a pushchair with it partly upright? If she has even a slightly snuffley nose clearing that out with a nose sick thing sometimes helps DD, as does putting a bit of Snuffleoil on a tissue under her sheet. If it's the middle of the night and you don't have any of these things then it may just be a case of taking shifts so each of us gets at least some sleep.

Nose sucky thing not nose sick, silly autocorrect!

Thanks so much everyone - she eventually passed out around 3am in DH's arms and this time didn't keep waking so at least she has had some sleep.

It's definitely the case that she doesn't want to be lying flat (so being with her in either bed doesn't help), but if we try to sit with her upright on us, she loses the plot - she only wants to be walked around.

I think if she just drank a bit of milk she'd be able to sleep but of course that's the last thing she wants. It's really sad to watch but also incredibly frustrating. Like, please just have something - anything! Hopefully we have a better night tonight and thank you all again for your advice.

She could have a belly full of gunk my dd did when she had penomnia. And wouldn't eat or drink.

Have u tried raising one end of her cot with books?

DD had reflux when very young so we used to prop her Moses basket up on books. But DH won't let me prop up her cot because it "looks ridiculous" and if she turns in her sleep "all the blood will rush to her head." It's frustrating as the coughing always starts the moment she lies flat but since he's the only one who can rock her to sleep I can't really argue. When I'm off work later this week and he's out I'll try it then