at my wits end...

[Emi]

ok.. well im not sure where to put this... but i could really use some insight from other parents at the moment...im at my wits end!!!

dd is 7 months old tomorrow... and is usually a pretty good baby! the past month we have tried to change her routine... wanting ot get her to bed earlier and self settling etc... we started off alright and things were going well... she was sleeping form 8pm to 8am with a top up feed around about 10.30pm...

the last fews days though... well did they go belly up or what!!!

i cant seem to settle her... she just screams her head off! shes beginning to notice strangers and just screams... shes fine when we're out somewhere... ie/ shopping or at mothers group... but at home... shes completely different!!!

i just dont know what to do any more!!!

i live with my parents and sisters... (who are in the middle of studying for exams) so things are very stressful at home... DF has been trying to help... he's trying to do more now that we've spoken about it... (well as much a i could between sobs)

is this just one of those things that happen? or am i doing something wrong???

please help!!!

[NibbleCurlynBub]

Could you try to let her make her own routine based on her needs?

I honestly found (from experience, I don't mean any rudeness) that when I tried to adjust my kids routines that they became a bit more unsettled and in turn so did I!

Offer her a lot of comfort. :)

Also, there has been research that says that babies feel safer in their own home and they trust their parents to look after them, so they melt down at home. Its nothing to say you are doing something wrong.. Just that she is getting tired or something like that (you will know best) and needs to let off steam and trusts you to do it with.

Did that make sense? :o

[Pax]

sounds like teething, try some panadol.

[Emi]

i have always gone with her needs... feed when shes hungry, etc... she doesnt usually sleep during the day... and if im lucky will ahve a max of an hour( on the rare days) but next year i have to go back to study and can't have her sleeping until 12 midday (which is what she did before changing her routine)

ncb- that does make sense about the whole letting steam out thing... i never thought of that...

morrigan- i also thought about teeth... couldnt really see much though... i put some teething gel on her gums just incase though...

[ComeBackKid]

Hey Emma

Sorry things arent going too well at the moment :(

It sounds like you are doing the right thing with the routine - especially if you are doing the eat-play-sleep type thing.

I dont really know what to say - awareness of strangers is common around this age. I was told with Lucas to expect it at 8 months and I am still waiting - he tries to run off and get into cars with strangers!! And beth has always been clingy. So yeah, they werent standard babies in terms of developing that sense of stranger danger but it does sound normal.

She may be teething? I dont know, but that is one of the things that may causing her pain and causing her to scream. Does she seem to be teething? Maybe give her bonjela and see if that has any effect?

I dont think you are doing anything wrong at all! I think you are doing a fantastic job. Hopefully it will just pass - just give her extra cuddles and bonjela etc, if you think she may be teething. And make sure DP keeps helping out!! Nah, it is so good that he is helping.

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help
xox

[sara86]

:wave: My DD is almost 7 months old, and she is doing similar things! for the past probably 10 days, she has just been a little horror! getting her to sleep is terrible, she used to be able to fall asleep in her cot, now very rarely she does that. most days and nights im having to fully nurse/rock her to sleep. she has screaming fits for no reason, and she fights sleep so much that she gets so over tired and works herself up so much, which then makes it even harder for her to settle down and go to sleep. she used to sleep from about 7/8pm till around 7.30am, now from 6-10pm she is asleep awake asleep awake, and she just seems to want to be sleeping in my arms. the last 2 nights i have had her sleeping in with me just cos i dont want to have to be up and down all night :laughing:
I have been needing my mums assistance a fair bit the last few days especially cos i just cant handle her! she isnt happy sitting playing, she doesnt want to eat solids lately, she isnt happy just sitting in the highchair, she just isnt happy at all lately!! its starting to drive my crazy, if this is a phase i wish it would pass quickly and give me my happy little girl back!!

[Emi]

hey maddie, thanks hun! ive got the teething gel on hand and will see how she goes with that!!!

sara86- wow! our little 'angels' sound so much alike!!! maybe they're somehow communicating with eachother thier naughty habits!!!
nah seriously... i agree if this is a phase i would very like it to end!!!

dd isnt off her solids... yet... but she has been waking at night and i too have given in a few times and taken to bed with me... jsut to get some peace and quiet and a bit of rest!!!

[Lil Mamma]

If she isn't having a nap in the day she is probably over tired? From memory, babies that age should be having at least 1-2 naps per day. Maybe try a settling bedtime routine, such as a warm bath, then a breast/bottle feed (whichever you are doing atm), cuddles and bed. Try a drop of lavender oil on her pillow and a teddy bear or blankie with your scent on it.

Whatever routine you follow, try to make it the same thing every time.

[zoe20]

I agree with lil mama because that is what i did with my 11 month old since he was born and he is in a routine, where he naps 2 times during the day and then he goes to bed at 9pm and wakes up at 7am and its great, i started him out giving him a bath and bottle before going to bed and i always give him the bottle with the lights out so he knows its time for bed, hope things get better :wizard:

[JabberJaw]

My 7 month old is doing a bit of the same but she has also been a bit sick ( chicken pox a few weeks back) now a cold and runny nose and also a tooth! So i just think it may be from all the changes going on in their little bodies! She may be teething as others have said.

For me i thought my bub was kind of at that faze, moving onto the next big thing, like crawling. She is kinda stuck in limbo not being able to crawl yet wanting to get stuff IYKWIM?? Not sure i am making sense!
Basically my bub is being a cranky bum as she is bored of her current activities, so i have started doing some new things with her other than talking/singing/dancing round the house like an idiot!

Today i put her high chair outside on the patio and filled the tray with water, she slashed and splashed and had a totally great time! I also layed a blanket under our trampoline and we sat under it looking at the sky (through the holes!) we have no trees so its a bit hot! I took her a drink and a snack and she enjoyed it immensely to.

So what i am saying is try to change her daily activities a bit, if you are trying to change her sleeping, stretch out the new activities and try to get an extra 15 min of play before putting her down, keep doing this for a few minutes each day till she is in the routine that suits!

I agree with Nibble, bub is picking up on your stress which is no doubt making it worse for you both! Good luck, hope i made sense, i know what i meant but it does not seem to be coming out right!

[sja]

I think they can start separation anxiety at around 7 months. Certainly all of mine started around this age. DS is now almost 8 months and for the last couple of weeks he's been wanting to be held constantly, will cry if I walk past him without picking him up, and is a little bit harder to settle.

I would let her get into her own routine. I understand that you have to study next year, but by then she will probably be on a different routine from now - after all it is still a few months away. I would encourage her to sleep during the day though - to not have any daytime sleep doesn't seem right.

[Emi]

thanks everyone...

dd has never really slept that much (if at all) during the day... but she always seemed fine without it...

i usually do a bedtime routine of dinner, bath, boob, bed... and she does this bit fine... she'll feed relatively well... and then will be all sleepy and then will wake up and laugh at me and want to play...

i will try the new activities ppl have mentioned... that highchair one sounds good... and i thin she'll enjoy that!!!

she has started to commando crawl around the place... and i have been trying to rotate her toys so she doesnt get bored of them... but it doesnt seem to be working...

my sister are trying to study for thier exams atm and they have alsp been yelling and screaming at me coz shes whinging.... so that prob isnt helping the matter either...

ive started to take her for walks outside on nice days... and she seems happy with that and will laugh and talk for a while and then eventally will fall asleep...