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Desperate for advice, exhausted mum!!

Hi just to give a bit of background, my 10 month old gas been waking up crying anything up to 15 times a night for the last week and a half, we assumed due to being full of cold. I work 10pm till 7am fri sat sun and sometimes a tues or weds stacking heavy crates of products in tesco so I'm already knackered! 5 year old developed hand foot and mouth on Sunday, the nurse said it was the worst case she had ever seen, and now it seems the little one has picked this up albeit only very slightly.

tonight she has screamed all night and is refusing to sleep so I am sat downstairs with her. She's had medicine, teething gel and a bottle but nothing is working! She's tired because she's yawning but I just can't get her to stay settled, she's quite happy being held and sat on my knee but screams when I put her down. Docs checked her today and she definitely doesn't have an infection that requires antibiotics.

any tips or advice to help her settle appreciated. Her dad works weekdays and is also working Saturday and I'm due to start my 3 night shift stretch tomorrow. Were both exhausted not to mention my 5yo who's being kept awake and trying to recover Herself.

thanks in advance x

Replies

  • Oh no! Sound like your having a bad time :( joshua went through a phase around that time after he was ill and it lasted 3-4 months! I was at my wits end, nothing would stop him from waking up, I tryed everything! I also work full time and was exsausted. Can't be of much help I'm afraid, my only suggestion really is if your sat down stairs with your little one, don't turn the light on and don't turn the telly on. I tryed the cry it out method after a while, eventually he just stopped waking up and started sleeping till morning, no idea if it worked but now we have no trouble! Does lo have supper before a bed time bottle? I started giving josh a crumpet or porridge half hour before bed then bottle and straight to bed, he now sleeps from 7pm till 7am and rarely wake up unless its for his dummy :) good luck 

    there light at the end of the tunnel I promise! Xx

  • I'm thinking of trying to bump her food up in the day to see if that helps. Health visitor said she should only b havin 3 milks and 3 meals a day but stuff it if it helps her sleep I don't care. Think id b used to this as my first stopped sleeping at around 5 months and didn't sleep thru till about 3 years lol but with these 9 hour night shifts it's killing me off! Hopefully the virus clears soon x

  • Hi. I sympathise I really do. We have a 16 month old and back when it was so bad (when she was 7 months) we hired a sleep consultant as the baby was waking literally all Night. The first things we were asked, was the baby in good health? Has she slept through before (cause if she's done it before, she can do it again) and has anything changed. Also habits form really fast. For example we thought we'd cracked it, the baby was sleeping well (this is happening to us now) And then She started waking. (She shares a room with her sister). We were quick to respond, giving her water which settled her fine. This increased over time, with several wakings a night, to getting silly and not resettling herself at all. So, we are now 'sleep training' once again whcih for us means letting her cry it out. Not everyone agrees with this, but for us, we are hoping it works again. 

    Just remember everything is a phase, and things will change, but if you can bear it, maybe leave your girl to cry it out. Defo try and not take her out of the cot (we've been doing this too!) good luck x

  • Well there's no way I'm going work tonight. Feel like death! Shes asleep for now but it only ever lasts till about 9pm. Fx for a better night x

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