Will he return to old ways?

[eggsandham]

My 13 month old is ill at the moment - with a sore throat. He hasn't eaten more than a few mouthfuls in 5 days. And his sleep, which before this illness involved just one waking between 7 and 7, has truly gone to shit. He's waking almost every hour all through the night and cries for ages each time and then will only settle after I've fed him milk. He only wants me, won't be soothed by his dad, and it's killing me. However, my biggest fear is that he will lose the habit of sleeping well even when this is over. What's normal on this?

Poor thing. Will be settle in your bed? He will obviously go back to sleeping normally eventually. Sounds like he really needs you at the moment.

Is thus your first child? Dealing with shit sleep due to child illness isn't something that stops once they are no longer babies.

This situation of needing extra tlc for a few days/weeks while ill is just par-for-the-course parenting. It'll be the case for the next decade or do. Just occasional, discrete periods of time.

Sometimes you might get a bit resistance in going back to normal, sometime not. But it's jut usually any big deal, once child is better.

I have a travel cot in my bedroom that gets whipped up any time my toddler is poorly. She's usually a great, independent sleeper but when poorly, it's Mummy she wants. I like my space in bed, but she needs me when she's poorly. So the travel cot is the compromise.

We've just had a nasty virus sweep through our household. I've been quite ill with it and my 3 year old got it too. She had several nights in the cot in our room. But the last 2 nights has been in her own cot all night without any issues at all. All very easy now she's getting better.

So I say, give baby all the extra TLC needed whilst poorly. You'll be able to go back to normal when baby no longer needs that extra comfort.