What is this?

mwlove

My DD turned 4 months last week.  For the past two and a half weeks she has been displaying traits that are not like her.  She won't nap long during the day, she plays and is happy but during the other parts of the day she is fussy and rubs her eyes like she is tired, wakes up multiple times throughout the night unless she is by me, will only sleep with me if I put her down she screams, has been fussy during breastfeeding during the day, and fights sleep so bad. I'm so tired because I have to constantly hold her all day and night unless it's during her playtime on the floor, exersaucer, etc. 

Four month wakeful, growth spurt, teething (she has every symptom), any other ideas?

 Any ideas on how to get her to sleep without holding her all night? I'm against CIO and I've tried shushing her and patting her but she continues to scream. 

JuliaJAG

My baby boy (5 months corrected age) has been this way for the past month. I am worn out... he's waking all through the night again like a newborn, and I'm only getting snippets of 90 minutes of sleep at a time at night, yet he's ready to play and wants me to entertain him all day... I am getting worn out!

As for fighting sleep, we're going to try the SleepEasy thing that some people on the board are talking about. I don't believe in CIO, but when Jack's cry is more of a whiny/fussy half-hearted cry, I don't mind letting him "fuss it out." I've done that a few times in the middle of the night and he half-heartedly fussed for about five minutes then fell back to sleep. In the past, I would have rushed to him immediately, but I guess the lack of sleep is making me a little more lax... but it turns out it's helping him learn to self-soothe!

The worst is when Jack is having a teething pain spell at night and I can't do anything to help him. I comfort him during the screaming and give him things to chew on, but nothing seems to help.... will be stalking this thread to see what other BTDT moms recommend. 

jjt616

Are they hungry/eating at night? My DD slept through the night starting at two months old. She is 4 and a half months now and about a month ago she started waking up in the middle of the night. Some nights every two hours. I was feeding her and eventually I took her t the drs. He said to try rice cereal and that if she still wakes up to not pick her up and take her out of the crib but to just talk to her and pat her butt/rub her back. The cereal helped because she was no longer making her sucking/hunger noise but she was crying. I would just pat her butt until she calmed down (usually 20 minutes) which were the longest 20 minutes ever. I so badly wanted to pick her up but didn't to see if it would work. After three nights I decided to watch her onthe monitor and see if she would soothe herself to sleep and she did within 5-10 minutes. Now she is back to sleeping through the night. Some nights she might wakes up and cry but within minutes she is right back to sleep. I also made sure that when I went into her nursery I just had the night light on and no other lights.

I really had a hard time letting her cry but I am glad I did it now because she can smoothe herself back to sleep.

mwlove

jjt616:

Are they hungry/eating at night? My DD slept through the night starting at two months old. She is 4 and a half months now and about a month ago she started waking up in the middle of the night. Some nights every two hours. I was feeding her and eventually I took her t the drs. He said to try rice cereal and that if she still wakes up to not pick her up and take her out of the crib but to just talk to her and pat her butt/rub her back. The cereal helped because she was no longer making her sucking/hunger noise but she was crying. I would just pat her butt until she calmed down (usually 20 minutes) which were the longest 20 minutes ever. I so badly wanted to pick her up but didn't to see if it would work. After three nights I decided to watch her onthe monitor and see if she would soothe herself to sleep and she did within 5-10 minutes. Now she is back to sleeping through the night. Some nights she might wakes up and cry but within minutes she is right back to sleep. I also made sure that when I went into her nursery I just had the night light on and no other lights.

I really had a hard time letting her cry but I am glad I did it now because she can smoothe herself back to sleep.

 

Some nights she eats and eats and then some nights like last night she just ate once like she used too. Everyone keeps telling me to try rice cereal but our pediatrician said to start her on that 2 weeks before her 6 month appointment so we can discuss how she's doing. I was thinking it was hunger but then sometimes she will go right back to sleep when I pick her up from a screeching scream. She just doesn't want to be by herself to sleep it seems like. 

mkflower3000

Could be all of the above + this is the stormy period before WW19.

Good luck - it'll pass soon