Help! Back to work in a week and 6mo now waking every 2 hours

[londontj]

My DD is super lively and has recently decided she wants to get up and play at 1am, 3am and 5am every night. I find her in all kind of different positions in her cot, throwing her cuddly bunny around. I try leaving her for a bit and she occasionally goes back to sleep but I go in and feed if she starts crying insistently. She's very small for her age and has been exclusively breastfed so I've always fed her when she wakes in case she's hungry but she's now eating solids (with varying level of success) so I'm hoping she's getting a bit more food. I absolutely can't stomach controlled crying (we had a very shortlived attempt and it felt completely wrong) but am starting to get really stressed about having to work when I feel like a zombie. Really can't put off going back to work any longer as a new project just about to kick off and my job only really exists when i'm in it. Anyone got any gentle sleep solutions for lively little wrigglers - or reassurance that it'll all just sort itself out? (wishful thinking, I know!)

Hi there,

hoesntly - it will pass. You are doing the right things, don't bother torturing yourself with controlled crying. I went back to work utterly exhausted and was rubbish at my job for ages, you just have to accept that that is how it is - and you do get through the day somehow. Keeo giving her lots and lots of food, and when she's at nursery she'll be in more of a routine plus she'll be tired too.

I was glad to give up BFding at 6 month, and kept sterilsed bottles with water on the landing with measured out formula in. It meant I could just mix i in the night - was better and faster than going downstairs. Also (I don't reccommend this) at about 9 months I ended up leaving the bottle int he cot with her. This meant she went back to sleep sucking it but resulted in a very hard week of weaning her off it at age 2. Hope that helps - hang in there!