However, the past few weeks
she has started to wake 2 or 3
times a night and I know she isn't hungry - just looking for a 'comfort
suck'.

She's in need of the comfort because she's uncomfortable. It's very, very
common for babies around 6 months to start waking more frequently than they
used to, for a number of possible reasons:

-Growth spurt, leading to hunger. Older babies are often so busy exploring the
world during the day that they "forget" to eat enough, and then want to make up
for it at night when there's nothing more interesting happening. Try
increasing offers of daytime feeds, especially in the evening. You might be
able to get her to "tank up" before bedtime.
-Teething pain. Try bedtime ibuprofen if you think that's it; take heart in
that if this is the reason for the waking, it's probably pretty temporary,
although it may happen many times for a few days each time over the next couple
of years. You can also try offering a cold washcloth or the like rather than
the breast when she wakes, if that's easier for you.
-Illness. Ear infections, particularly, may be symptomless during the day but
bother the baby when she's lying down. Or a stuffed up nose might be a minor
bother during the day but worsen at night. Try a humidifier, elevating the
head of her bed, and/or appropriate medication.
-Digestive upset. Babies who are just starting solids may just have an
uncomfortable tummy, even if the problem doesn't rise to the level of an
allergic reaction or true food intolerance. Their digestive systems may just
be struggling a bit with the new experience. BTW, at 5 months your DD is still
a bit young to be eating solids, so it's not at all surprising that she hasn't
"taken to" them. Try no solids for several days and see if that improves her
sleep.
-Developmental progress. A baby who is just learning to crawl, stand, and walk
may "practice" in her sleep and wake herself up with physical activity, and
then have a hard time going back to sleep. There's not a whole lot you can do
about this one, although changing your bedtime routine and/or sleep training
might help if the problem is that she just can't fall asleep without nursing.
I do know one mom who found that her daughter would stand up, hanging onto the
crib railing, and then not know how to get back down. Once they taught her how
to lower herself back down to the mattress, the daughter was able to go back to
sleep on her own.

Even if you are willing to use cry-it-out methods (which I never was), I would
advise considering all of the above before you do it. In this case it does
little good to treat the symptom (night waking) without curing the disease
(whatever's causing her to wake).

Holly
Mom to Camden, 2.5 yrs
EDD #2 6/8/04