7 mo sleep going from bad to worse.

[Minicooper]

The last three nights have been appalling - up with her every 1-2 hours. I've been trying so hard with her sleep and keep reading that I should go into her, but soothe her in her cot, not pick her up, but what do you do when she doesn't do what all the 'experts' say, but just cries herself into an inconsolable frenzy? I've never fed her to sleep, but over the last fortnight it seems to be the only way she'll go down. Oh, and she's given up sleeping during the day too - just 30 mins yesterday, struggled to get her to sleep at her normal bedtime, finally in bed at 9, then awake and screaming at 11.30, 3.30, 4.20 and 6.00, finally up for the day at 8 (and this is a marked improvement on the night before!) I think I'm losing my ability to cope - any ideas? Teething? A stage? I just need to understand what's going on and know that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

And to clarify, what I said about the 'experts' doesn't mean that I'm leaving her in her cot, I don't have that option when she's in the state she's in - a sshh and pat doesn't touch it - neither does a cuddle - at the moment the boob seems the only way to calm her - I'm concerned that she's becoming over-reliant - both on the milk and on me, as DH can't help, but what other options do I have when she's so inconsolable. Please don't say leave her to cry - she chokes and vomits if I do - even if I'm in the room to demonstrate that I'm there for her.

could very well be teething. some babies are a lot more sensative than others. alos some are ok during as they have enough distraction but at night the pain is just to much for them. and teeths can cause weeks if not months of pain for some babies.

when my son has his worst nights with teeth we have a round of nurofen and paracetamol. i mix the right does in with 30mls of milk and give this when he stirs and can't settle. i don't like to drug him but otherwise he is in pain and just cannot sleep enough.

we did try teething gel but he does not like it and it is to hard to do in the night without waking him right up. although we do put some on bfore he goes to bed.

we also co-sleep on the worst nights as he finds it more comforting and i can give him some pain relief quicker when i feel him stirring. we seem to get loads more sleep co-sleeping and he is so soft and sweet to cuddle up to.

i am forever repeating to my sel 'this is only a stage,........................'

i am having the same with my ds 4.5mth and i am suspecting an ear infection

Sounds very much like teething to me. Try some nurofen before bed. I routinely feed my ds to sleep at nighttime and for naps, and go through phases of worrying about it, but really it's a natural thing your dd to want to do while she's so upset and unsettled so don't worry about it. My ds is really sensitive to both teething and illness - atm the moment he is teething and has a bad cold so last few nights have been absolute hell, so I really understand how you feel. I do know that he won't do it forever and will settle back into his normal routine of feeding once or twice in the night. your dd will settle down again, there's clearly something bothering her.

Getting to the end of my tether now - its been 5 nights in a row or her waking every 1-1.5 hrs - and spending up to 2 hrs with her at each waking. I've just phoned the health visitor in tears cos I'm just too tired to do this. She says its prob because dd is not taking v well to solids, so she's making up the calories at night. Her solution is not to feed her between midnight and 5am in order to make sure she's hungry in the morning, but I don't know how I'll stop her crying at night if I can't resort to the breast. And how do I'insist' on her taking more food? She normally eats a bit but then starts crying and arching her back and refuses to take anymore. Anyone been here and survived?!

Anyone, please???

Hi, I know how you feel and its awful. I am probably not telling you anything you don't know but what worked a bit for us was the bedtime milk (hipp and c&g do one) and a rusk at bedtime. Keep some of the bedtime milk for when she wakes up at about 11/12pm and give her the rest. Apart from that for us its fingers crossed! My dd normally gets another 3 or 4 hours sleep then wakes again, those hours are magic after weeks of no sleep, if she doesn't settle I just bring her to bed. Sanity is important so you can enjoy your baby - I've decided to worry about getting the 5 year old out of bed until it happens! I'm sorry that I can't be much help but I hope it works out for you.

Hello minicooper, poor you

There is a case study and some tips on this site:

www.andreagrace.co.uk/

which might be of interest.

I can't offer a solution as I have some of the same problems with DD. But we are trying to feed as much as possible in the day (my HV recommended lots of milk and less of the heavy stodgy veg), and to put her down awake, and to ignore anything in the night which is not full-on wailing (as often it subsides on its own).

Just one other tiny idea- DD is crying a bit less now we have moved her into a bigger size grobag. Her toes were obviously squashed in the last one and we didn't notice .

Your night is not wildly unusual BTW- asking round my post natal group many of us have babies suddenly forgetting how to sleep at 6 or 7 months. It may "just be a phase". At least, that's what I'm hoping!