Hi all, received some stellar advice in the past so I'm Hoping somebody will be able to help me with my tricky bird, dd2.
She had severe silent reflux from birth which was caused by milk intolerance. Endless hospital stays and medication changes, endoscopy, biopsies, yadda yadda yadda, couldn't be flat or even reclined in car seat or pram until 5.5 months.
She is now almost 7months, she has grown out of her reflux but is left with the cmpi so are weaning dairy free.
Had repeatedly tried to get her into an age appropriate easy but kept failing so just went with her (bonkers) flow.
Our current routine, that is based around her eating (she doesn't drink much milk due to associating bottle with pain) is not an easy routine, it is what suits her so have only included sleep times. Her activity time is made up Of tummy time and snacking as instructed by dietician.
Wake 5.30-7
Sleep 9-9.45
Sleep 12.30-2.30/3
Bed 6.30/7
Now, up until 3 weeks ago, she was only comfortable napping in sling bit now takes first nap in pram and second in cot. This is MASSIVE back saving progress.
However, our nights are utterly hideous.
Since the beginning we have had a set bedtime routine (dd1s) so soothing tub, story massage etc have always been in place.
For the past three weeks she has woken every hr from 7-12 had a cot party 12-3 then I've caved and either slept with her in sofa in her room or had her in our bed.
As her early months were full of pain, feeding issues and distress she was always fed to sleep- if she didn't she wouldn't feed or sleep. She went three months only eating during night when sleepy, the pain association was too strong in the day.
She was always swaddled and on her tummy with a dummy in a raised cot.
I don't know what to tackle first.
I feel that I have created bad habits (totally necessary at first) that now need to be broken but I'm
At a loss as to what to do.
She has a little cold, is teething I think, is trying to commando crawl and has mild seperation anxiety (or maybe just used to being stuck to me 24/7?)
So basically, when she cries at 8, I top up her feed and give her dummy.
An hr later I give her some anbesol and dummy.
10 I sometimes feed her- dream feeding didn't agree with her in the midst of her reflux
From 12-3, I'm so tired I go in with everything- milk, calpol, reswaddle, dummy, cuddle to sleep, whatever it takes. I know this is not right but I haven't had more than two hrs unbroken sleep in 7 months,
I'm desperate.
I know you will look at the routine and say it's a routine issue, but due to her feeding requirements, I do not want to change this unless absolutely necessary, her weight isn't great and we are often threatened with tube feeding by a particularly sensitive dr.
I need a plan of attack for the nights. I think I need to interfere less and leave her to 'fuss it out' -
She rarely cries Initially, she just rolls about giggling and singing-I just dash in to try to prevent it escalating
Which it does if I don't go in.
I apologies for the rambling nature
Of this post, I'm fairly broken, sleep
Wise.
If you need any more information I can give that, trying to put what I think is relevant.
Thank you so much x
