please help we're going backwards!

[woodstock3]

my 21 week old ds started sleeping thru two months ago and had been doing 10 hours a night every night. now all of a sudden we are back to square one - waking every three hours, feeding for blimming ages, difficult about going back into cot - and it's doing my head in.
when he wakes he clearly wants food and is furious if just offered a cuddle so i dont think its attention he's after. at first i thought it was growth spurt but this has been going on for nearly three weeks, surely too long for a growth spurt? he is chewing a bit but dont think it's teething either as doesnt seem to bother him in the day.
he has started solids on hv's advice a week (has always been exc bf) and a bit ago but tho he seems less hungry he's still waking just as much. i am totally knackered as he doesnt really nap in the day - will drop off in carseat or sometimes pram but wakes up when the movement stops and howls if left in cot for a Proper Nap, so i dont get a break either.
he is going longer between feeds in the day now. it feels to me like he's just got into the habit of night waking again and dont know how to kick it - dont want to leave him to cry at this age. my worst fear is i have got him in bad habits (bf'ing to sleep, he refuses to go in cot unless asleep, doesnt nap properly in day) because i happily overlooked everything when he was sleeping thru, and now am paying dearly for it! sorry to witter on but pathetically grateful for any advice....

I feel for you - it is horrible when you are sleep deprived - all reason goes out the window. If it was me I would look at trying to sort out the daytime napping first, to try and get him to nap at a couple of regular times in his cot. So that he builds up the ability to get himself to sleep and feels secure in his cot. Easier said than done!!! But if you are still b/f can you b/f feed till drowsy and then place him in? Can anyone else take him out for a walk so you get a chance to nap? My DS2 is not the greatest sleeper. I have just had crainial osteopathy on him and in one week it has made a difference. Maybe try that?

Really strange to see your thread today as I've logged on for the same advise for my ds.
He is a similar age to your ds, (dob 17/05/07) and has been sleeping through for a good couple of months often from 8.30p.m. to 07.30 a.m. I've always b/f him until he's asleep but by the time I put him in his cot he's woken up and settles himself off to sleep.
However for the last 2-3 weeks he has been waking at about 4a.m. and feeding for over an hour and then waking again in an hour for more food. I started him on solids last week to try to solve the problem but it's made no difference, he's also exc bf & doesn't appear to be teething.
I can get him to nap in the day but only by taking him for a walk in his pram - this is also starting to worry me as he is starting to outgrow his pram.
I've tried ignoring him when he wakes at 4 to see if he drops off again but he doesn't. I've also tried feeding him less in the hope he decide it isn't worth waking up, neither of these worked and it's also difficult as he's still in our bedroom and my dh gets disturbed.
I makes me feel better to know that it's not just me as like you I've been wondering if it's due to something I'm doing something wrong.

another gruesome night last night (down at 7, up at 8 and then again at 12, 3 and 5.30 - how come he is now sitting chirpily playing while i am on my knees with tiredness!)
so v grateful to log on and see all this advice and sympathy. will try again with the daytime napping and dh has been firmly instructed to get out there with the pram so i can get some sleep (tho he's not much less tired than me)
rachel our dss were clearly separated at birth - if i find anything that works i'll let you know! tipex how long did it take before your ds started sleeping thru again? (if the honest answer is two years, please lie reassuringly...)

4-5 months is a BIG growth spurt time and I know many babies whose sleep went pear-shaped at this time, so this is NORMAL. (DS's sleep was always bad so it didn't make that much difference to us!). Don't get too stressed about naps etc. as it will prob all change in a month or so anyway. Get through as best you can - can you get a nap during the day?

Hi again, Woodstock your night sounds awful so I feel gilty moaning about mine which in comparison doesn't seem that bad.
Our night - ds woke at 4a.m. for a feed and I think he would have probably gone back to sleep at 5 after an hours feed but dh was now awake and this involved alot of huffing, moaning and then a trip to the loo - none of which my dh can do quietly. This meant ds didn't really go back to sleep so the rest of the night was punctuated by playing noises then crying for feeds.
I've looked back at lots of previous threads and its does appear that many babies do have a backward step that this age, although I haven't found out how long it lasts.
As ds was such a good sleeper we reverted to our old habuts of going to bed late (after 11p.m.) I think we're going to have to start going to bed earlier.
Good luck with tonight Woodstock.

rachel if this is any use - last night had slightly better night (down for 5.5 hours - tragic that this feels like a triumph but hey by comparison it was) and the only thing we did differently was an extra blanket so he was warmer. not sure if this has anything to do with it at all but did occur to me that the nights are getting chillier and we've always erred on the cool side rather than risk overheating him so maybe we had gone too cool! worth a try.....