nursing burnout

[doulawoman]

DD is 14 mo. She is definitely spirited/high needs and always has been. before she started gettign 8 teeth at once she was sleeping better, nursing to sleep for naps (we logged over 1500 hours bouncing ona  yoga ball with her in the ergo for naps and to get her to sleep and keep ehr asleep at night, it was rediculous). anyway, she has been biting and just...grinding her teeth and I\'m getting very sore. Also, she is pretty much not napping whether she has advil or not, but is asking to nurse constantly, she nurses a lot before bed too..with dh and i trading off, him rocking, me nursing until she finally sleeps (at 11) and she will actually wander away oftentimes with the nursing...it;'s dh more than either of us (at night) that pushes the nursing, i guess he doesn;'t know what else to do, but it's getting to the point where I'm crying and so very touched out. She also wakes up about every 20 mins, although it isn';t much better when she isn't teething either...what can I do? she is too little to understand explanations, i don;t want to traumatize her, but i cannot go on like this, I was already feeling it was too much before the teething...I am sore, touched out, irritable...she doesn;'t take a pci, although i could try again now...ideas and help please!?

[goldenwillow]

Your perseverance is commendable. 

Have you considered crainio sacral therapy?  This is a link to our therapist but explains it quite well.  It is amazing work. 

http://home.comcast.net/~bellinghamcst/cst.html

I completely understand the being touched out issue.  DS is 22 months and still going strong. 

Hang in there. 

[doulawoman]

yep, we've been seeing   pt/crainio since shortly after her birth -both of us. I actually just had an appt. yesterday. We also see an amazing homeopath, and we have a great naturopath. There is only so much they can do.

I just don't know how to go about this. Nightweaning would help me a lot but then she may never sleep as very little else gets her back to sleep...

[goldenwillow]

Hummm...  I hear you on the night weaning.  I haven't done so for the same reason as you, it is what gets him to sleep as well. 

Well, after reading about you a bit in your blog, seems we are in the same boat.  I can only offer commiseration as my DS sounds pretty similar.  He has NEVER enjoyed his car seat, car rides, unless I am sitting with him, nursing. 

At 14 months... it was hard for us too.  I can say that it is getting better at 22 months.  He has always been really expressive with ASL (we do watch signing time every now and again) and that has been such a warm relief in communication, think we are at about 100ish signs.  In the car now, he is able to talk more about what he sees. 

I am sure you have heard it all so I won't go into our own challenges.  I find that when I am having a hard time (touched out, family stress, etc..) that he knows it and then wants more, naturally.

I hope you are able to take some time for yourself to regroup.  I find that so very hard for myself.  I always just want to be with my family and forget that I need some space sometimes too. 

[MaybeSparrowMaybe]

i hear ya, we werent 'blessed' with a good sleeper, but a happy easy going child in the daytime and she rarely cried. sleep is a wondrous thing when it happens, i know she needs it!! im starting to think these same things so while i dont have too much advice for you (i just posted my own help post!) i hope it helps to know you are not alone!!!

xo