Not sure what I'm doing wrong here..

[Dakin]

My 8 month old baby always slept well until around 6 months old. This had gotten particularly bad with night waking mainly due to turning on front etc and hunting for dummy but weirdly she started sleeping through again when we forgot dummy on a trip ( and thereafter we didn't provide again) last month.

She had a bug about a week ago with vomitting and a bit of diahorrea. We have continued to have loose nappies of varying degrees 7 days later due to intense teething (chewing hands, lots of saliva etc). I am using Calpol but she continues to wake in the night v upset until fed at which point she will usually go back to sleep. I am away and will phone GP if loose nappies continue but she's does tend to have these when teething (though is a long period). She's bright and alert, drinks water with meals so I do not think she's dehydrated.

She's a great eater and has 3 good meals a day inc. diary, but she has started refusing to take all her milk (about 3 bottles a day 7oz). I'm adding to porridge etc but I'm now thinking she's hungry in the night as she's not getting enough in a day or she's relying on this now to get back to sleep.

Tonight I gave an extra bottle at around 10pm where she took 5oz and again now at 3.30 she wanted another 5oz ( up originally with a leaked nappy).

At a bit of a loss where to go from here, I'm exhausted up everynight and worried I'm setting a bad pattern feeding in night to get back to sleep. At sametime feel like if she wants milk I should be giving as much as possible?

It sounds like you're doing everything right. Sleep is developmental and can go up and down, especially when they're unwell. And feeding at night is completely normal, she's still very little. Keep supporting her in whatever way she needs and she'll continue to thrive.

Until she’s 1 I’d keep giving the milk.

Is it possible that she's having too much solid food at the expense of her milk? Could you play around with the ratios?

If I'm honest, I read through your post 3 tubes because i couldn't spot what the 'issue' was.

Night feeds at morning at this age
Teething goes on for ages and can be very unpleasant for them.

From the sound of your post, baby is only waking up for one fed anyway, which is pretty good sleeping for 8 months and teething.

If she wants feeding and soothing at night, I'd just carry on doing what you are doing tbh.

8 months is a separation anxiety peak.

This all sounds quite normal? If she is hungry in the night then she needs to wake up and have some milk, it’s quite normal to do that at 8 months old, if she has recently been poorly then she ought just be stocking back up or she might just be growing.

Ah ok, potentially we've previously been spoiled as she was sleeping from 7pm to about 6 or 7am. I was worrying about the continual loose nappies and the fact she seems to be in pain over the teething and unsettled at night. She's always ate well and never needed a night time feed since maybe 3 or 4 MTHS old.
From what everyone is saying though this seems to be as expected at this age and we just need to get through it and give her whatever she needs.