8month old not sleeping, not eating, driving me mad....

[mupps]

My dd is 8 months old and has slept poorly since about 5 months, waking 5-7 times a night, won't go to sleep without a feed, not sleeping in her cot.
(She used to be a great sleeper, and i used to put her down awake and she would settle herself.)

But just when you think things can't get any worse......She is now very difficult to settle, will not go anywhere near the cot, is sleeping with me, wakes every 1.5 - 2 hours for a feed throughout the night and is refusing all solids.

I think she is teething again (she has 2 teeth).
She is a very active baby, always crawling and pulling herself to standing and she hates to be constrained in anyway. She is very bright and alert, but I'm not! I'm finding it really hard to cope with.
I have discussed this with HV and her advice is to move her into her own room, and refuse to feed her during the night, and let her scream. I feel uneasy with this advice.

Sorry for the ramble, but I don't know what to do.

Sorry - health visitor is spot on! You probably wake up when she is having a little sing song and would have gone back to sleep.

Doent your dh find it hard with her in your room?

start putting her in the cot for a nap in the day the at least you are not tired and emotional when she goes bananas. Go into the garage or wherever and give her 5 minutes.(Or rather stop yourself from going back for 5 minute) She is probably over tired.

I would ignore teething as a cause if she is alright in the day. After all you could give her calpol and eliminate that from the list.

its grim isnt it?

I did cc at 8months and it saved our lives. She won't touch solids if you are constantly feeding her as she won't feel hungry. I know how hard this is and my ds didn't sleep through ever until 8months so I know how shattered you must be. I stopped feeding ds at night first - cutting down slowly so first didn't feed between midnight and five am and increasing so I didn't feed betweeen 7.30 pm and 6ish am. Once that was established we left him to cry and it was OK, 20minutes crying then sleep. Within a few days he was sleeping through. It's fantastic. Oh, and I found with ds in his own room we all slept better as we weren't waking each other up.

mupps
she probably doesnt need the night feeds, so maybe water in her bottle (small amts so you know what shes taken) and maybe she likes the sucking to soothe her to sleep?

my dd went off solids for ages and even now, shes nearly 9mths, shes not great and picks the days she'll eat.
my dd had to sleep with me from 2am on because she just wouldnt settle back to the cot and it was every 2hrs sometimes less. i was afraid this would always be the way (from breastfeeding)but she has now changed and will sleep in her cot for the night and is satisfied with just a rub or pat in the night to settle again.sometimes a suck on her bottle empty! not a soother girl.

i just offered dd her food and left it if she refused even though i was totally frustrated with her. she came round to weetabix in the morn and toast.

i stick rigidly to the amt she sleeps in the day and maybe you are not able to (other children or work), but she only gets 2 sleep times in the day and even if i am wrecked and she hasnt gone down at the right time, she doesnt sleep after 4.30 / 5 and i'll try to keep her active til bedtime . she maybe rubbing eyes etc but if she went then she'd be up at 3AM.

i hope that helps i appreciate your tiredness.