My daughter is 2 and a half. She is diagnosed with ARFID, which we picked up on being a problem since we started weaning at 6 months. It’s been quite frankly awful and getting her the correct support has been near enough impossible. Under a long battle with local services she is now under Evelina Children’s hospital, who have been great. DD local paediatrician about a year ago mentioned ASD. I discussed a few things we were concerned about and he said sounds like ASD features, we are awaiting an assessment for her. One of these concerns was DD sleep. She has never slept through the night, and never slept longer than an hour at a time. She was BF from birth and up until she started eating her safe foods around age 1, all she did was BF, she refused fluids also, this is part of her ARFID. Because of this she has ended up very attached to me. She is a bloody nightmare to get to sleep, she is pinging off of the walls for hours, and once she eventually falls off to sleep, I get about half an hour before I am in and out of her room throughout the night. I give up in the end and bring her into our bed but even then she still wakes. She has not started nursery but will be starting September, which I am hoping will help. She has meltdowns constantly throughout the day, she has a 4 YO brother who is also being kept awake and getting upset by the constant screaming/crying. Everywhere and anywhere we go there is also some sort of meltdown. I would find it easier to recuperate if I had my evenings and some actual sleep. Her speech is not great either. I just feel so terribly bad for her and the whole situation breaks my heart over and over again each day. She hasn’t had an easy start to life. My partner does what he can at nighttime but it’s hard in the night when all I can hear is her screaming ‘mummy!’
Partner works and we don’t have much support.
Paediatrician has advised we try melatonin as well as Evelina. Can I please hear some positive stories because this is sort of our last option. We are just awaiting a prescription.