7 months old - separation anxiety? Terrible nights!

[Islaclaire]

Hi there, after following Tracy's advice at 5.5 mths we've had an excellent month and a half of our dd sleeping through the night with great naps during the day. Knowing what sleep at night feels like again makes it all the more difficult to cope when sleep eludes her again!

She's 7mths old tomorrow and the past 2 nights she's had really long night wakings. Last night she went to bed at bedtime and was asleep by 7pm but she woke up screaming at 10pm. I sh patted her back to sleep and she settled but literally 5 minutes later she did the same thing, she did it until 2am. We changed her nappy, fed her, gave her Panadol incase it was her teeth but nothing worked. My husband took over and once she was settled laid by the cot but still she'd wake up screaming and only patting or cuddling got her back to sleep. I'm now a bit worried that sh pat is her prop and if that's the case I'm lost as to what to do!

She's breast fed and eating 3 meals of solids a day, she's gaining weight beautifully and is healthy. She has 2 teeth and I think there is a bit of movement with the top set but no sign of them yet. Our daily routine is good

Awake 7am
E 7.15 - solids and topped up with milk
A until 10am
S 10 - 11.30 (may need resettling after 40min)
E 12 solids topped up with bf
A until 2.30
S from an hour to hour and a half
E bf 4pm
A until about 5.30
E. solids
Bath time 6.30
Bf
Bed 7pm asleep generally by 7.30
Df 10pm

This has been working really well for a month and she's been a happy smiley baby but now it's like someone's swapped my baby and given me a cranky one! I'm thinking its a mixture of separation anxiety teething and maybe just a big developmental change coming on but I'm struggling to cope and I'm shortly for to start back at work.

Any hints or advice would be wonderful xx

[ZacsMumme]

Sounds like teething. Does she have any teeth cutting or any coming?

[Islaclaire]

Hi Sara, thanks for your reply. I'm not sure, she does look like her top two teeth are thinking about making an appearance but they've been like that for a while and nothing has cut through. Saying that I can see them up underneath her gums. She mouths a lot of things during the day and has had a bit of nappy rash which she's never had before so that all points to teething again doesn't it? I just don't know and we gave her some Panadol last night but it didn't do much for her. Maybe it needs a while to kick in. Any other suggestions that I could try? I just hate the thought of drugging her up to get her to sleep but I don't want her in pain either

[katie80]

I agree, it does sound like teething esp with the other symptoms.  The top fronts can be tough too.  Is panadol an acetaminophen or ibuprofen drug?  I often found that ibuprofen tended to help a bit better, but it doesn't always make things perfect.  I'd give the medicine, then hold and cuddle for 20min or so and then sing our lullaby and back into bed.  It is normal to have to stay and pat a bit, though.  Have you tried meds before bed?  And for sure you aren't drugging her to sleep (I know you didn't mean it that way), you would want some pain meds too if you're teeth hurt. . (((Hugs)))

[ZacsMumme]

Panadol is paracetamol - not ibuprofen
ITA with Katie, I've had to give both meds (staggered) during Ts last few days as he has 1 tooth erupting and another about to pop through. It's always what your comfortable giving but I look at it that as long as ou give an age/weight appropriate dose of both and not for an extended period of time - and it helps. Then it's worth it. I wouldn't want to be in pain and not take something YK?

If you don't wa toto give ibuprofen that's fine too. So expect sleep to really suffer though as the tooth does its last push. Maybe APOP through it and expect short naps, refusals and long or frequent NW (as a worst case really)

With T if he short naps I attempt to resettle or APOP and if it fails offer more naps after a shorter A x

[Islaclaire]

Thanks ladies, I tried teething gel last night and it seemed to help, I've also bought some baby nurofen just incase. She had a much better night and I feel much better giving her pain relief if it does sound like teething, I was just a bit hesitant because she wasn't bothered when her bottom teeth came in. I'm also giving her frozen fruit like rock melon, pear etc in those little mesh bags and I think that's giving her some relief.

Thanks so much I don't know what I'd do without this forum sometimes xx

[ZacsMumme]

I hope tonight is ok