I feel like crying - back to work and my nine-month old won't sleep

[ibuiltahomeforyou]

I'm feeling really desperate. My nine month old is getting up at all hours despite us having had the same routine since she was about six weeks. Can anyone help?

Literally every night we start the bedtime routine at the same time (6pm). Usually bath (if not, a wash), then bedclothes, story and i feed her to sleep.

Last night she woke at 8.30, 10.30, midnight and three and was awake for around an hour feeding.

The night before she slept 7-4am then fed sleepily until 6.

I'm at my wits' end with tiredness and am going back to work on Monday. If I stop feeding her to sleep do I have to sit and pat her for an hour? She had virtually no naps yesterday. She is a good eater, a bit late to crawl and very jolly in herself mostly.

She naps usually at 9am and 3ish for about half an hour.

I feel for you OP, going through something similar here. After going to hell and back in order to exclusively breast feed my baby, I am considering re-introducing formula for one nightfeed, just so I can get at least 3 hours of sleep in a row.

My baby went from doing lovely five or six hour stretches at night, to waking for a feed every one or two. I’m hoping it’s going to pass on it’s own because my sad attempts at sleep training don’t seem to be working. Zzz

I just thought I'd update on this. Since going back to work my daughter has actually been sleeping better. She has a huge feed before bed which seems to fill her up, then she wakes at 10ish for a top up. Last night she then slept for six solid hours until 4, then fed quickly and slept again until 7. So really only one night waking for us.

I think I build up a head of steam with my milk during the day and she just chows down when she is going to sleep! Not ideal but much better.

So glad to hear, OP. A similar pattern emerged for us too- I'd be engorged come home time so he'd tank up prior to bed : )
I'm only doing morning and evening bf now but I'm not sure how long we can keep it going now- my supply is slowly waving goodbye. Sleep was pretty good and consistent for a few weeks for us, even after moving him to his own room (wrong order of things, I know) but we now have the joy of teething to contend with. I had to lay on the floor next to the cot from 3.30am onwards on Sunday morning for a particularly long winded resettle (paracetamol was involved).
Definitely got cramp from hanging my arm through those bars!

DC1 was great night sleeper till I returned to work at 9m / DC2 13m always wakes 3-4 times a night and feeds to sleep, went back to work at 9m again and just got into routine of early nights and weekend catch up - work 10-12h shifts and so focused on work don’t notice tiredness till get home - hope next week goes well

OP thanks for the update I have just read your thread with interest as I am rteurning to work in April and DS is still a pretty poor sleeper. I have heard so many horror stories about babies sleeping worse when Mum returns to work so they can bf more I was almost certain this would happen to us but hopefully our story will turn out the same way as yours!

Hope it continues to improve!