My boy is 6 months old next week.

He is such a blessing and I am so grateful. He has such a beautiful content nature, always smiling, very rarely cries, we can go weeks without hearing him cry.

He is combination breast and formula fed.

He prefers breastfeeding especially at night.

I cannot go long periods of time at night without breastfeeding now as I end up with blocked ducts in the morning if I do, he wakes on average 8-9 times a night to feed. He is hungry each time, it is not just for comfort. I started solids 3 weeks ago, this is going well, and milk has remained normal consumption atm.

He has never been the type of boy to go the “recommended” length of times between feeds, he feeds every 2 hours through the day on average, but half the recommended amount, he can’t take any more.

From 4 months he started a sleep regression and started to refuse to sleep in his crib.

Things we have tried...

We brought a softer mattress

Changed to a full size cot

Night light

No night light

White noise

Light show on ceilings

Put to bed asleep, awake and drowsy.

Mum or dad in room and not in room

Cry it out (broke my heart- can’t do this he is not a crying baby and he looked so hurt) Formula before bed as a knock out bottle instead of breastfeeding

Teething gel and calpol to help prevent the teething pain for longer

There is 2 ways he will sleep and neither are feasible options...

In our bed- this is not an option if we are both in there the bed is too small and no space for bigger bed, we live with my mum so partner sleeping on the sofa is not an option and we cannot financially afford to move out

On me - he would sleep all night on me or his dad, in our arms or on our chest

As soon as you transfer him to his cot he wakes up and demands to be taken out

Help I have not sleep in days.

My partner works 12 hour days he cannot help out much at night, my mum is in her 60’s and I don’t want her waking in the night to help me.

When he naps during the day he falls asleep on the pillows I have to feed him on from doing rugby hold and as soon as I move him wakes up so I can’t get rest or sleep in day either

I feel like I’m at breaking point.

It’s making me feel like a failure.

I can’t enjoy my time in the days with him as I am constantly overtired

I’m ill atm as well and on antibiotics I need some rest even just to sleep for 2 or 3 hours straight at night would be amazing

Any advice?

Edit....

Aly - thank you. He sleeps initially for about 2-3 hours then It is once a hour he wakes through the night. Pumping doesn’t really work for me, I get about 1oz of milk in about 20 mins pumping

I’ve tried pacifiers too they don’t work

Sleep sacks- are they ok if he rolls around? He throws his legs in the air and slams himself down and rolls over in the cot