Help me. Hysterical baby :(

dec07nj

My baby fights sleep. Ok, so lots of babies do. She screams at bedtime, but she's doing it more and more and more lately. She is absolutely hysterical and screaming herself hoarse. Right now my DH is in the nursery pacing the floor with her and she is screaming and I want to go jump into traffic. It is awful. We have tried a consistent routine, different bedtimes, and soothing rituals. She is not swaddled anymore (she breaks out of everything) and I wont do CIO until at least six months. What else can I do? Please help. I'm getting desperate.

andoolittle

Gas drops? Does she have a fever? Hungry maybe?

MNgirl326

Does she have gas?  have your tried micolin or collic calm?

IS she formula or BF'd? What time is her last feeding session compared to bedtime? 

Bredins wife

It sounds like you might be entering the 4 month wakeful period. If not, maybe you are putting her down to late? She might want to go down earlier and she is just too tired at this point? Have you tried putting her in the bathtub and trying to "re-start" bedtime routine? Maybe she needs to be snapped out of it, ya know? Strip her down, sing to her, make really loud noises? Sometimes babies cry because they are crying and they just can't snap out of it.

I'm sorry she is screaming! I hope you guys figure out something, and I'm glad your hubby is there to help you out! Be strong mama! Remember, she wont cry forever!

dec07nj

Thanks for the help(sorry for no formatting ... iPad). She is BF and gets a bottle of expressed BM at bedtime, but its really no different if I nurse her. We have tried both letting her fall asleep while eating and eating half an hour before bed. She only freaks once she realizes shes being put to bed, so I don't think it's gas. For instance, she will be perfectly fine until the lights go out, then she will scream, or she will be fine until she hits the crib matttress, then it's over. I'm so sad and frustrated and tired.

dec07nj

Bredins wife:

It sounds like you might be entering the 4 month wakeful period. If not, maybe you are putting her down to late? She might want to go down earlier and she is just too tired at this point? Have you tried putting her in the bathtub and trying to "re-start" bedtime routine? Maybe she needs to be snapped out of it, ya know? Strip her down, sing to her, make really loud noises? Sometimes babies cry because they are crying and they just can't snap out of it.

I'm sorry she is screaming! I hope you guys figure out something, and I'm glad your hubby is there to help you out! Be strong mama! Remember, she wont cry forever!

We are definitely in the four month wakeful. She went from waking up once at 3 or 4 to up every two hours. From falling right back to sleep to being up for hours. I am burnt out. That said, she has always fought bedtime. Just not THIS hard.

MNgirl326

dec07nj:

Thanks for the help(sorry for no formatting ... iPad). She is BF and gets a bottle of expressed BM at bedtime, but its really no different if I nurse her. We have tried both letting her fall asleep while eating and eating half an hour before bed. She only freaks once she realizes shes being put to bed, so I don't think it's gas. For instance, she will be perfectly fine until the lights go out, then she will scream, or she will be fine until she hits the crib matttress, then it's over. I'm so sad and frustrated and tired.

okay, is it when she lays flat?  Can she sleep elevated like in the swing? 

Is she overtired? overstimuated?  do you have a nightlight? 

Are you sure she is not hungry? 

Does she sleep in your arms?   Lo used to sleep in my arms for almost a half hour before I would put him down. 

The biggest thing I can tell you to do, is to not get worked up.  The more worked up you get, the more worked up she gets.  

It is possible by this point she has picked up on your own anxiety and she is now having anxiety of her own.  

Try and stay calm, and just try different things. good luck

 

 

IAM4UK

Temperature of the room? Are you dressing her too warm/cold? Have you tried elevating her crib and letting her sleep on an incline?

dec07nj

abartow:

dec07nj:

Thanks for the help(sorry for no formatting ... iPad). She is BF and gets a bottle of expressed BM at bedtime, but its really no different if I nurse her. We have tried both letting her fall asleep while eating and eating half an hour before bed. She only freaks once she realizes shes being put to bed, so I don't think it's gas. For instance, she will be perfectly fine until the lights go out, then she will scream, or she will be fine until she hits the crib matttress, then it's over. I'm so sad and frustrated and tired.

okay, is it when she lays flat?  Can she sleep elevated like in the swing? 

Is she overtired? overstimuated?  do you have a nightlight? 

Are you sure she is not hungry? 

Does she sleep in your arms?   Lo used to sleep in my arms for almost a half hour before I would put him down. 

The biggest thing I can tell you to do, is to not get worked up.  The more worked up you get, the more worked up she gets.  

It is possible by this point she has picked up on your own anxiety and she is now having anxiety of her own.  

Try and stay calm, and just try different things. good luck

 

 

Thanks. I'm trying to stay calm, and my DH handles bedtime most nights largely because he is better at staying cool. Angle doesn't seem to be an issue, but I guess it can't hurt to try to elevate her mattress. We try really hard to avoid overtired/overstimulated, though I am sure she is sometimes, especially now that she has been on sleep strike for three weeks. She is not hungry and has a nightlight, will sleep in our arms but only AFTER her 20-30 minute freak out. Argh. I know that there is no simple answer, but i appreciate you all troubleshooting with me.

IAM4UK

dec07nj:

Thanks for the help(sorry for no formatting ... iPad). She is BF and gets a bottle of expressed BM at bedtime, but its really no different if I nurse her. We have tried both letting her fall asleep while eating and eating half an hour before bed. She only freaks once she realizes shes being put to bed, so I don't think it's gas. For instance, she will be perfectly fine until the lights go out, then she will scream, or she will be fine until she hits the crib matttress, then it's over. I'm so sad and frustrated and tired.

 

It may be gas. Drinking from a bottle is different than drinking from a boob. She may be taking in way more air which can cause gas.

MNgirl326

dec07nj:

abartow:

dec07nj:

Thanks for the help(sorry for no formatting ... iPad). She is BF and gets a bottle of expressed BM at bedtime, but its really no different if I nurse her. We have tried both letting her fall asleep while eating and eating half an hour before bed. She only freaks once she realizes shes being put to bed, so I don't think it's gas. For instance, she will be perfectly fine until the lights go out, then she will scream, or she will be fine until she hits the crib matttress, then it's over. I'm so sad and frustrated and tired.

okay, is it when she lays flat?  Can she sleep elevated like in the swing? 

Is she overtired? overstimuated?  do you have a nightlight? 

Are you sure she is not hungry? 

Does she sleep in your arms?   Lo used to sleep in my arms for almost a half hour before I would put him down. 

The biggest thing I can tell you to do, is to not get worked up.  The more worked up you get, the more worked up she gets.  

It is possible by this point she has picked up on your own anxiety and she is now having anxiety of her own.  

Try and stay calm, and just try different things. good luck

 

 

Thanks. I'm trying to stay calm, and my DH handles bedtime most nights largely because he is better at staying cool. Angle doesn't seem to be an issue, but I guess it can't hurt to try to elevate her mattress. We try really hard to avoid overtired/overstimulated, though I am sure she is sometimes, especially now that she has been on sleep strike for three weeks. She is not hungry and has a nightlight, will sleep in our arms but only AFTER her 20-30 minute freak out. Argh. I know that there is no simple answer, but i appreciate you all troubleshooting with me.

I know it is hard, I remember that when LO was going through the 4 month wakeful, and i was so tired, I couldn't even think staight. 

I would play around with her bedtime and routine, and see if that helps.

It sounds like you and DH are a good team - so I am sure it will work out! Once again, good luck.

dec07nj

IAM4UK:

dec07nj:

Thanks for the help(sorry for no formatting ... iPad). She is BF and gets a bottle of expressed BM at bedtime, but its really no different if I nurse her. We have tried both letting her fall asleep while eating and eating half an hour before bed. She only freaks once she realizes shes being put to bed, so I don't think it's gas. For instance, she will be perfectly fine until the lights go out, then she will scream, or she will be fine until she hits the crib matttress, then it's over. I'm so sad and frustrated and tired.

 

It may be gas. Drinking from a bottle is different than drinking from a boob. She may be taking in way more air which can cause gas.

I will try nursing only for a few nights and see if it makes a difference. This is a good point. I really want someone else to be able to put her down so I don't HAVE to be there for bedtime, but I am desperate here.

MNgirl326

IAM4UK:

dec07nj:

Thanks for the help(sorry for no formatting ... iPad). She is BF and gets a bottle of expressed BM at bedtime, but its really no different if I nurse her. We have tried both letting her fall asleep while eating and eating half an hour before bed. She only freaks once she realizes shes being put to bed, so I don't think it's gas. For instance, she will be perfectly fine until the lights go out, then she will scream, or she will be fine until she hits the crib matttress, then it's over. I'm so sad and frustrated and tired.

 

It may be gas. Drinking from a bottle is different than drinking from a boob. She may be taking in way more air which can cause gas.

Very good point, I missed that one. 

Maybe you could nurse, and then DH could take her and finish bedtime?   That way he help but yet she isn't taking as much air in while feeding. 

hjk5000

I'm sorry she's so upset.   DS is going through the 4 month wakeful now as well and it really sucks. 

The only new idea I can add to PP is white noise.  The past few days when DS won't settle down I hold him tight and rock him in a dark bathroom with the fan on.  It doesn't always make him go to sleep but it calms him down.

Also, maybe try swaddling and then putting her in the crib?  DS used to do the same thing and wake up when he hit the crib mattress.

Dreamsicle23

This might sound nuts...but have you tried just putting her down?  When DS was younger if he was all worked up at bedtime, he would calm down way faster if I put him down and left.  If I tried to rock him to sleep he'd squirm and fight me and eventually start crying, but if I put him in the crib he'd just talk to himself or roll around a bit then drift off to sleep.

weberm05

My LO just started doing this the last 4 nights.  She screams bloody murder. You can't do anything for her....hold her, feed her, rock her, sing, let her alone etc. 

Finally after like 30 min she just conks out.  Someone said to me that maybe she's overtired.

Good luck, I know it's difficult.  I don't know why my LO is crying like that either.  Nothing is wrong I"m pretty sure.  We checked everything.

TiffanyTheMom

Turn the vacuum on. Get a crib soother, this one is my lifesaver. Try swaddling anyway, with a Swaddle Me or Woombie. (Got a Woombie for my friend and her LO loves it!) Sing, give her gripe water, pat her butt, put her in the stroller and parade her around the house. Just thinking of anything you could do. Maybe she has silent reflux and laying flat exacerbates it.

KerryHS

I don't have anything to add from the previous posts, but you did say that you baby broke out of every swaddle.  I attached a link for a double swaddle method that I learned about from another poster on the bump.  Our babies are just about the same age and this swaddle method keeps him snug all night.  When he is crying because he is tired, I swaddle him and give him a pacifier and bounce him (think deep knee bends - not just gentle pats).  If the link I gave you doesn't work, you can look up "Swaddling 102:Escape Prood Swaddle" on youtube,  If I had known about this swaddle method for my first child I would have gotten HOURS more sleep.  I wish you luck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K4VdZxwsu4

 

 

eileen12183

She's probably over tired mixed with she wants to stay up and play with you. were going through the same thing these past few days. Here is what we've been trying - making sure she's taking better naps during the day, starting bedtime earlier, no napping within an hour to hour and half of bedtime, rocking, turning up her white sound machine, natural teething gel, burping. When all else fails we've been trying to "clean her palate" I guess you could say. Well put her in her crib with the mobile on and the ceiling projector on or turn on the tv for a few minutes. It allows to to calm down and cool down too. Then we start over again with trying to get her to sleep. I hope it gets better!

dNoodle

I just want to say that I know how you feel. This is how my LO gets during the day for naps. He used to do this sometimes at night too. The only things I can add are maybe move bedtime earlier in the coming nights. The butt patting works well for my son.

Oh, also, sometimes, the cool mattress vs. your warm arms wakes them up. You could try putting a heating pad on low on the mattress, and when you finally get her to sleep in your arms, remove the heating pad and set her on the warm spot.

 These ladies are awesome and are giving you some great tips!!

rms879

I'll second the earlier bedtime!  Our LO's pre-bedtime fits have all but disappeared since we began aiming for 6PM--and moreover, she sleeps for 11-12 hours afterward.  While it sounds drastically early, it's worked wonders for us!  Apparently she'd been extremely overtired...

RouensDream

KerryHS:

I don't have anything to add from the previous posts, but you did say that you baby broke out of every swaddle.  I attached a link for a double swaddle method that I learned about from another poster on the bump.  Our babies are just about the same age and this swaddle method keeps him snug all night.  When he is crying because he is tired, I swaddle him and give him a pacifier and bounce him (think deep knee bends - not just gentle pats).  If the link I gave you doesn't work, you can look up "Swaddling 102:Escape Prood Swaddle" on youtube,  If I had known about this swaddle method for my first child I would have gotten HOURS more sleep.  I wish you luck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K4VdZxwsu4

 

 

 

Wow...that is awesome.. 

TBLilyRose

Maybe she is teething? Did you check her gums and/or try Tylenol? Honestly when DS started fighting bedtime like that he was ready to just be put to bed on his own. Yes he CIO some nights still but it is just a few minutes of his tired cry and then he's out. Maybe she is overstimulated by the rocking/etc.

sbuxsweetie

Late on this, but I wanted to second Tiffany's suggestion to swaddle anyway with a Woombie or Sleepsack. We use the Halo Sleepsack Swaddle and DS can't break out of it, even though he got out of all the swaddle blankets we had previously used. Calms him down almost instantly.

IncogNeato

This was us last week. We finally moved her entire bedtime routine (bath, boob, bed) 45 minutes earlier and she started calming down. Now she goes to bed before 6:30.