Help! Someone has stolen my angel baby!!

[petster]

Aaarrgghh!!! My 6 and a half month old DD has turned into the baby from hell!! I previously have never had any trouble putting her down for sleeps - I've very rarely needed to rock, pat or breastfeed her to sleep... The last few days she has thrown the most massive of tantrums every time I put her in the cot... As soon as I get her up, she pretty much stops crying! Luckily she hasn't been too grumpy through the day though... The only way I've been able to get her to sleep is by rocking or breastfeeding her to sleep. I don't know what's wrong - it's driving me nuts!! She's screaming her lungs out at the moment - I've been in twice and picked her up and cuddled her - but as soon as she knows she's going back in the cot - WAAAAAHHHH!!! Help!! Please someone tell me their bub did the same, and it will pass!

Thanks!

Cheers!

[Briannabear]

My bub sometimes goes through that senario when she is teething. When she does, it passes usually in a few days!
Hope it gets better for you... :)

[Harmony83]

Oh big hugs to you... I can't offer any advise but we are having sleeping issues at the moment as well, but I think its mainly due to teething, so we're just going to have to wait it out :( . I hope your little angel comes back to you soon.... :o

[drewid]

Hi :)

Mine too. Last week he was especially like that, every time I put him down he'd scream but pick him up and he was smiling like a goofball.

After a whole day of that at every nap time, I would take him back out the lounge room if he jacked up, waited till he was yawning again and then he went back in. Some days we were in and out about 5 times before he fell asleep.

It only lasted a few days, I still have no idea what it was. He wasn't sick or hungry or overtired (to start with!) or anything obvious, so I'm inclined to think it was teething.

Really not much you can do but just keep on keeping on, if you know what I mean. Andrew was happier if I was holding him, so I just kept on holding him till he felt good enough to let go and go to sleep.

This too shall pass, this too shall pass...... :D

[Chickadee]

At around 6 months I started leaving board books and a small toy in DD's cot. She loves her books, so if I put her down and she didnt' want to sleep she'd look at her book for a bit. I figured even if she doesn't sleep she's getting a rest (and just as important I'm getting a rest!). She'd also sometimes look at her books or play by herself when she woke up in the morning so I got a mini sleep in. Basically I tried to make her cot a safe enjoyable place. I suppose it could go too far so that bub thinks the cot is for playing and not sleeping, but we never had that problem.

Unfortunately if bub is screaming over being separated from you (not unusual for it to start at that age) then no amount of toys is going to help. But it should pass so don't feel bad if you "give in" and offer comfort. You're not spoiling them. You could also try putting them in the pram and going out for a walk if they're usually happy to doze in the pram.

[mum2rhys]

Yep, my little boy, just this week, has started SCREAMING every time I go to put him in his cot whereas previously I have always been able to pop him in when I see the tired signs and he goes straightr to sleep. I am now having to hold him until he is actually asleep which I don't like doing as I feel that I might be setting myself up for trouble later on but I don't know what else to do. So I know what you are going through!!

[Peaceangels]

Hopefully this will pass for you petster and your angel will be back!
We went through the same with DS2 with every tooth (you can't tell me that teething doesn't cause them some pain), as a matter of fact he is getting some of his molars now and going to bed at night has been very hard.
We put him down normal time (7pm) and as soon as he is in bed he screams the house down, we get him up (so as to not wake/disturb DS1) for a while, then try again, still screams so we lay in our bed with him, then he wants to play, so its back and forth from his bed to ours until finally we get him to sleep about 11pm - phew!
BUT, this only lasts a week or so AND its DEFINATELY related to teeth for our DS2.

[Angelique]

Don't think of your child as being, bad, but think about what could be wrong. Babies don't cry for no reason and you have to really pay attention to what has happened to create this problem.

Do you put her to sleep before you put her in her bed?
Have you ever let her cry herself to sleep, even once?

She may be afraid of her bed and fear being left alone in it. She may also need to learn how to fall asleep on her own.

Since I don't know these details all I can suggest is how to make her feel safe in her bed.

So,
Everyday, let her play in her crib with you in the room. Don't pay attention to her, maybe fold laundry or tidy up but don't leave her alone. She may only last 2 minutes before she starts to get upset and you take her out. Don't push her, she will slowly play for longer periods of time. Also, try to take her out before she starts to cry.

Soon she will feel safe in her bed and even play in the mornings when she wakes up.
Word of caution, If she does not know how to fall asleep by herself you should start trying to teach her soon or you will be getting up many times a night to sooth her back to sleep.

Hope this helps

[petster]

Thanks everyone for your tips, advice and sympathy...


Word of caution, If she does not know how to fall asleep by herself you should start trying to teach her soon or you will be getting up many times a night to sooth her back to sleep. Angelique, I just have to quote myself:


I previously have never had any trouble putting her down for sleeps - I've very rarely needed to rock, pat or breastfeed her to sleep...
Sorry - I just had to make that clear!! The reason that this is so distressing for me/us is because it hasn't happened before - DD has always been so good at settling herself... Your tips are appreciated...

Cheers!

[Jessicasmum]

Hi Petster

I am going through exactly the same thing myself, Jessica used to be perfect, but now will scream guaranteed each time she is put in her cot - only for naps, never in the nighttime. I never wanted to do controlled crying, preferring to let her know i was always there. BUT my Mum was here last week and said she is playing you, let her cry for longer, then go back in. previously i wouldn't leave her for much longer than 30 seconds. She would start crying the second I walked out and closed the door, you could see her watching, she was so tired - eye rubbing everything, I would go back in and she would be smiling and laughing, so i would take her outside. WELL no more, I don't take her to bed until she has 'grizzled' for half and hour then will leave for about 2 minutes (depending on strength of cries), go in, pat etc, this only happens about twice, instead of 10 times. I don't know how you feel about cc but it has seemed to help.

GOOD LUCK

Mel

ps Jessica is 6 months

[Bronte'sMum]

Wow ...must be something in the water..or formula, or breastmilk! My bub has also just started doing this same routine this week . Previously she would go to sleep with hardly any help but this last week has been screaming and kicking as soon as I start to lay her down in it. Some days after 45 mins of trying to soothe her enough that i could leave her i have just given up and tried again later. It is very tiring!This seems to have happened spontaneously with no trigger. We have never left her to cry for longer than a minute.

I have tried to resolve this by making the cot a safe place and a form of controlled comforting but actually have found for us that this has just led to further escalations.

We actually had a 'break from the cot' yesterday and she slept while we were out and about and she was much better today.

Last thought, does anyone think the sudden heat could be an issue? I know I couldn't sleep during the day in this weather??

Look after yourself
Really hope it improves (for all of us who are experiencing the same thing!) :rolleyes:
Bronte's Mum

[lottiesmum]

I sympathise as this happened with my anel DD at about 6mths. she was a great sleeper and would self-soothe after a bf with her lullaby cd at night. i found that at 6mths though, my 'formula' stopped working - it was taking her longer to fall asleep and so would cry. I bought a fischer price aquarium for her cot - has soothing music with a light show that turns itself off after 20mins. this seemed to distract her and help her sleep. About 6weeks ago (at 16mths) she decided she didn;t need it anymore and would turn it off herself! A mobile or similar would do the trick - but it is hard finding soothing (rather than stimulating ones) Also needs to go for at least 15 mins - and that can also be hard to find. might be worth a try for those in a similar situation....Have to say this doesn;t work for me during the day, though. that's abit more hit and miss but I don't mind that so much. :)

[Aprilsmum]

Okay, there is defenitely something funny in the air I think. My DD has just started doing the SAME THING!!!- screaming when put to bed at night and during the day (although not as bad) and she has also started waking during the night too. I really think that she is teething because of the drooling, loss of appetite, mild temp of 37.4, a little grumpy, chewing everything and also ear pulling. She has been sleeping through the night since 6wks of age and on the odd occasions that she has woken - I usually feed her and that puts her straight back to sleep. But, the last two days, she is not satisified with the feed (which leads me to beleive that it is teething). Should I still offer a BF or am I setting myself up for future troubles? :eek: If I don't feed her, does anyone have any suggestions of how I should be trying to resettle her?

[petster]

Update!! I think we have a tooth - which is great, because we had the worst night with DD last night EVER!! She just wouldnt go to sleep, and she was so sooky... I love the cuddles, But not in the middle of the night every 2 hours!!

I just put her down for a nap and she didn't even whinge... Yay!!! Hopefully that's the end of it for the moment... It's been really hard, because I've just started her in daycare 2 days a week and it was making me wonder if it was a daycare issue... I have been "transitioning" her at daycare - just a few hours a day until I start back to work in mid-November.

Thanks everyone for your tips and support... It's nice knowing that other people are going through the same thing...

Sending lots of hugs to those others who have cranky bubs at the moment!

Cheers!

[petster]

Hi Aprilsmum


Should I still offer a BF or am I setting myself up for future troubles? If I don't feed her, does anyone have any suggestions of how I should be trying to resettle her?

On the rare occaisons Eleni has woken through the night, I've just gone in and "shushed" her... I just rub and stroke her tummy and head and whisper "Shushhhh" :o . Sometimes she'll go back to sleep, sometimes I need to pick her up and cuddle or rock her... I try not to rock her back to sleep - I try to just get her calm. Obviously though this doesn't always work and I have to rock her into oblivion, or breastfed her back to sleep... I don't see it as a problem, especially if she only wakes occaisonally...

It's so hard to know what the right thing to do is!! I guess it's whatever gets you through...

[Aprilsmum]

Thankyou Petster. I think that tonight I won't offer her a feed if I can help it and see how she goes. Congratulations on the new tooth, it much be such a relief to have an explanation for her behaviour. Enjoy your sleep tonight!

[petster]

Hi All

A further update! We had another shocking night last night - had to give Panadol and big cuddles every 4 hours when DD woke... She had a fever of 39.9 this afternoon and I nearly had a panic attack!! I took her to the doctor - she has tonsilitis!! Her teething symptoms somewhat disguised the tonsilititis symptoms, and it was only the really high fever that gave it away... I still feel like I'm a bit of a bad mother though... We live and learn!

How did you go last night Aprilsmum?

[Aprilsmum]

Poor you Petster. Don't worry - you're not a mind reader. I hope your little bubba's throat feels better soon. Would you beleive that the other night she slept right through without waking even once! But last night she gave us a bit of trouble. I think that her gums were really giving her trouble - and we were out at a friends place so silly mummy FORGOT THE PANADOL! There were no chemists close by, so dad raced home to get the panadol and brought it back without dropper LOL!!! Anyway, we got through it and today she has been back to her normal self.......but still no tooth.

Will keep you posted.

[Notchalk]

My lil 4mo boy has just started waking after every sleep cycle, too... He used to go a good 6 hours over night before waking to be fed and changed, then back to sleep for another 3 hours or so. Wonderful. Now he lasts only 45 min - 1 hour before waking again. This has been going on for 2 weeks now. Temp? no... teeth? Can't see/feel any. Recent vaccinations? no - 2nd lot due tomorrow.

I, too, wonder if I'm setting up for another problem by BF every time he wakes. He used to not eat at all if he wasn't hungry, but he's now eating every time I offer, even if it's just for a quick drink.

Just give us all a good night sleep and we *could* be supermums!

Jo

[Bronte'sMum]

I have had the same dilemma! I give Bronte a drink before each sleep and whilst i try to not feed her during the night, sometimes it is just easier as it gets her to sleep much quicker. Its that, or face over an hour of crying. I guess i justify/rationalise it to myself that

- if takes over 200 mls she really was thirsty
- I try to use shushing and patting first, but if this hasn't worked in 15 mins and there's no other issue eg pooey nappy, too hot, too cold etc then it is a feed issue
- the suckling really soothes her and links in with the Happiest baby on the Block thought that suckling is very calming

I do worry that i have created the biggest prop for myself and that one day it will come back to haunt me but having tried so many ways to get her sleep without it without success i have just decided to do what works rather than face the trauma of changing it. I'm sure one day i will have to resolve this but hopefully will do this when we are refreshed, both hubby and I can dedicate lots of time ( and sleepless nights to it!)

Not sure if that helps, just wanted you to know that I have the same dilemmas!

Bronte's Mum

ps I guess too I think that if it wasn't drinking , there would be some other prop. I am also trying to introduce other props which don't involve me eg soothing CD and cuddly blankie and these really help get her ready for sleep.

[Aprilsmum]

Yippeee! We have a tooth. After another hairy night I was checking her mouth this morning and I finally felt something sharp. Now I just have to break this night feeds thing now. :eek:

Hang in there everyone.

[petster]

Yay Aprilsmum!!! Clever little April!!

After the tooth and tonsillitis Eleni now has a cold!! She is still really sooky and last night woke 3 times - I just cuddled her back to sleep... I worry like everyone else that I'm making a rod for my own back - but you've gotta do what works! Heck - we'll worry about that later! I know I always wanted Mummy cuddles when I was sick as a child, so I guess it makes sense...


I do worry that i have created the biggest prop for myself and that one day it will come back to haunt me but having tried so many ways to get her sleep without it without success i have just decided to do what works rather than face the trauma of changing it. I'm sure one day i will have to resolve this but hopefully will do this when we are refreshed, both hubby and I can dedicate lots of time ( and sleepless nights to it!)

Couldn't agree more Brontesmum!!

Hugs to all of you with unsettled bubs...

Cheers!