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lia
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| Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:27 pm Post subject: crying |
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Hi,
I am confused as to what to do - Alexis is almost 6 months old and has shown she can sleep 9 hours straight a couple of times. More often than not, however, she wakes screaming after about 4-5 hours in the night and is inconsolable. She is never able to self soothe during these times and I need to give her her soother over and over as she just spits it out while crying. This is frustrating and at 2am I am wondering what to do! I know she can sleep longer, but now that she's awake - she feels hungry, I'm sure!
Any thoughts?
Lia.
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Sarah
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| Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:13 pm Post subject: |
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Are you nursing her to get her back to sleep?
Is there a chance that she is teething?
Is she waking again after a couple of hours or sleeping another 4-5 hours?
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lia
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| Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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I try to avoid nursing unless it's been more than 4-5 hours. There is a definite chance she is teething...but sometimes I try everything from the teething tablets to Orajel to Tylenol (once) and still crying/waking frequently. I suppose patience is key with the teething aspect 
She usually will then sleep another 4-5 hours, but sometimes wakes and can't settle herself before then.
I guess I am most troubled by her need for someone to give her her soother every time she wakes. Will she grow out of this? Like maybe when she can find it on her own? She can't sleep without it...
Anyway, mostly just needing to vent a little.
Thanks!
Lia. |
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Sarah
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| Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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Cole went through a period like this before he got his first two teeth (at 4 months). The only way he would settle was if I would nurse him. Once the teeth came through he went back to longer stretches of sleep again. She will definitely get better about finding her soother on her own as she gets older. Once she is able to find it and get it in her mouth on her own, it will get easier. You can put a bunch of them around the inside of her crib, increasing the chances that she will find one, but she has to be able to get it in her mouth by herself. Probably not a long way off from that age. Cole just cut his 3rd tooth today and 4th is about to come through. He woke last night at 1:45 and settled for DH until he tried to put him back in to bed. It is the first time that I have nursed him during the night in weeks, but again, in the midst of some harsh teething, it was the only thing he wanted. The best thing that you can do is to keep giving her the chance to go back to sleep without nursing as much as possible and leave it to the last resort. Oh... and go to bed early!! Get a little extra sleep in the evening and you will be better able to deal with her in the middle of the night.
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lia
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| Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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I am pretty stressed these days. Alexis has been waking every 1.5-2 hours, sometimes all night! She won't settle on her own and I totally waste my time going in and giving her the soother as she just starts crying and spits it out. I am at a loss and am really lacking sleep, as you can imagine. I have been refusing to feed her if it's been less than 4 hours, as I know she can go longer, but this is making for very long nights (and sometimes naps, as well).
Any thoughts? Should I give in for now, in case she is teething, as you said Sarah? I feel so bad for her, and for the rest of us too...
Thanks. Sorry if I'm repeating myself, I'm just in for another long night and need to get these thoughts down.
Lia.
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Sarah
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Lia, If you think that you have tried everything and that it is a matter of her discomfort than anything else, then by all means nurse her. Or even take her to bed with you if it will help you to get a longer stretch of sleep without having to get up. This sounds just like Cole before he got his first 2 teeth. Do what you need to do to get some rest righ now and see what happens. Does she seem uncomfortable during the day too? It can be hard to figure out what is REALLY going on with them, but you know her best and if it seems like she is needing the nursing for comfort or hunger and nothing else will do, then you be the judge. BTW - she could be on her 6 month growth spurt as well!
Wishing you well tonight!!!
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kma
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| Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 11:14 am Post subject: |
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I would guess either teeth or the growth spurt - I would try to feed her & see how much she takes, she may truly be hungry. If her teeth are the culprit, her eating may be off, so you may just have to give in & let her eat, in order to narrow it down ....
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Kris
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lia
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| Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Sarah and Kris for all the great words of advice and for the support. This feels like a lonely time for me, as I am the one dealing with the disrupted naps, increased crying and frequent night wakings, as DH needs sleep for work and is, of course, gone all day. Having a sounding board where others have experienced similar behaviours with their children is so comforting.
As usual, last night was the same, and today she's really fussy (hate that word) and barely ate her cereal (a new experience that she has been loving), so more and more I'm thinking it is the teeth. I will hang in there and remember that in the grand scheme of things, this too shall pass and I may even be sad about it..and I'm not alone
Thanks again!
Lia.
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Sarah
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| Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds like teething to me! Have you rubbed your finger around her gums to see if they are hot, bumpy, swollen? Sometimes their gums don't get that bad until just before the tooth pops through. If she is fussy during the day, that is a good indication that it is teeth. Try to remember that although teething is the pits, they tend to cope better as they get older. Like I said before, Cole had a very hard time with the first two teeth and although the next two haven't been a joy, he is much easier to deal with. BTW - he was up screaming at 11:15 and 6:30 last night and I nursed him both times because nothing else seems to work. Today he has had some Motrin and still is whiney, but seems at his best just after nursing. 
It is sooo hard dealing with the night waking and having to cope all day with a cranky baby too. My hubby took today off because we haven't had a full day with him for weeks and it has been heaven!
Get help from anywhere you can!! Can you get help from a relative or friend so that you can have a break?
Hope tonight is better for you!
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lia
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| Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Sarah.
I ended up giving Alexis Tylenol today - she was pretty irritable all day. Plus, to make natters worse (and I am getting worried) she hasn't had a BM since Saturday morning. Not like her at all on breast milk - she used to poop all the time, now she eats cereal and she's plugged. I feel so sorry for her!
Oh, poor girl. It's tough being a baby!
Hey - another quick question. If she goes to bed at 530pm and wakes at 600am, should I be getting her up? She just gets cranky again within the hour and goes back to bed. I feel like I want to try to convince her just to stay in her crib and eventually go back to sleep instead of getting up...what do you think?
Lia.
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Sarah
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| Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:12 am Post subject: |
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Well, that's a tough one. I find that sometimes it is easier to get them up right away and have some good physical play time (tummy time or whatever) and then a good nap as soon as they are showing tired cues. Try not to think about the clock as much and how long they have been awake because when they are OT their sleep patterns are all messed up anyway.
Also, I wanted to mention that my Naturopath suggested that I don't give Cole any cereal until 9 months old because babies don't have the pancreatic amylase to break down starches until then. I do use brown rice cereal once in a while to thicken some foods that I have been making for Cole, but if I give him too much, same thing as you, no poop for 2 or 3 days and when he does it is a little too firm. I have a great chart for what foods to introduce and when from her if you are interested.
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lia
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| Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:54 am Post subject: |
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Thanks Sarah,
Yes, I am definitely interested in seeing your food chart. I am so bombarded with different suggestions for foods - when? what? etc. that it is overwhelming and conflicting. She's not doing so well with cereal (though loves it!), so maybe another option is better.
I have been getting her up when she first wakes up and she is in such a good mood - you're right. I do need to start going to bed earlier though...
Lia.
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kma
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| Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:38 am Post subject: |
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Hi Lia,
Certainly sounds like teeth, if her eating is off .... I know that Tylenol didn't always work for my Sam, but I wasn't thrilled with giving him Motrin (especially when he was under 1 yr, however, Motrin ended up being the BEST for his bigger teeth!!) I did use Hylands Teething tablets & they seemed to help a bit ....
As far as the cereal, Sam loved his cereal & I would mix in some pureed fruits (pears) to keep him regular. It's confusing to get all the different info about what to feed/when .... I had a chart from my pediatrician's office & I stuck to that .... but found that just a little bit of fruit mixed in with the cereal did help. Not sure where you are in that process ... I know I started Sam on a few fruits right around the 6 month mark, as he'd been eating cereal/formula since 4-5 months.
Hang in there... teeth can really be a slow painful process ....
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Kris
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| Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 5:10 am Post subject: |
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Lia,
Just wanted to add my 2 cents. Ana had a really tough time with cereal and cnstipation. I too see a homeopath/naturapath and she explained that rice cereal for some kids is very constipating and hard on their digestion. She suggestion waiting a bit longer to give her cereal and giving her sweet potatoes instead. I did this and she became regular...I then went to pears, prunes, squash and later peas. But I did this all very slowly. At 9- 9.5 months I started giving her oatmeal cereal as that is easy on the digestion for some babies. I never did go back to rice. Remember too that carrots, apples/applesauce are very constipating.
As for the teething, I have had great success with Belladonna, a homeopathic remedy. You can give it to them every 15 minutes or so until the pain subsides. It isone of the igredients that is in the Hylands.
HTH!
Linda |
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lia
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| Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:05 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for your 2 cents-
I am cutting out rice now, and have continued oatmeal only in small amounts. I ended up giving Alexis a bath with baking soda last night and she had a massive BM afterward - very effective home remedy.
I do have those teething tabs so I'll use them, and I'm going to make up some sweet potato this week and give that a go.
Phew, this is all so much to learn -between sleeping and eating - I feel like there's so much to know and so many places to go wrong!
And Kris, the ibuprofen idea is a toughy, as it isn't recommended for little ones, and can be hard on their tummies. I may go there is nothing else works...
Lia.
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