omg the crying! I'm going to lose my mind!

[Everrgreen]

What is going on?!??!?!

For the past week and a bit my DS has been waking up around 4am CRYING, if I try and hold him he freaks out and arches back, if I try and put him on his belly and rub his back he SCREAMS this totally possesed-sounding scream, he will nurse, but then within 30 minutes he's up screaming again. And I CAN'T nurse him every 30 minutes, not gonna happen! My breasts are sore in the morning as it is because he's nursing so much. Last night he also woke up around 11:30pm, I hadn't even fallen asleep yet, and cried so loudly for about 30 minutes - with me trying to comfort him.

I have no idea what is going on. My ideas are teething (but I can't feel anything and he isn't chewing/mouthing things), gas (but I don't know what is different about our diet that would cause this sudden change), or something more serious that I should make a doctor's appt for - but what??

And as I type this he is again crying. He is standing at the side of his toy truck and just crying - wtf??!?! My head is going to explode - I am SO frustrated!!!!!!

[scrandall1173]

I would definately go to the doc to rule out anything serious.

My daughter just turned one year old as well. Soon after she started walking and her behavior and sleep habits changed dramatically for two weeks, but were never quite the same. She always wants to be up and about, practicing this new walking thing. She rarely, if ever, falls asleep in my arms. I have to put her in the crib awake and she whines a bit but then drifts off (I don't let her cry from more than literally 2 minutes, and it's a weak cry). Also, the separation anxiety is setting in more (I think it peaks around 15 months) so she'll walk away from me and then cry b/c I'm too far. She's craving autonomy and security all at the same time-- I've read that it is very emotionally frustrating for toddlers. So sometimes, they just need to cry.

To keep my sanity on the rough days I put her in the ergo baby carrier on my back. She doesn't whine at all when she's there. Sometimes I wear her down for a nap that way too. I swear, the Ergo has been my life saver! I also try to make sure her cup is full as far my attention goes, and play with her at a length of time. She won't tolerate me doing much else at some times so I just have to put down the computer, phone, housework and sit down and play . Also when she's even slightly sleep deprived its like a four-alarm fire-- so naps and bedtime are a priority. I'm also trying to keep things on a routine, but it goes against my very nature, so it's a challenge!

I'll bet you are doing most of these things already. Sorry if I'm telling you stuff you already know. I feel your pain. I'm just dumbfounded by the increased amount of crying/whining on some days.

On the worst days, I do try some ibuprofen to "test" to see if it is teething. If she's suddenly content within a half hour of taking it, I know that's the culprit. But I don't keep her on the ibuprofen much b/c it seems like when it starts to wear off after a couple hours she's in an even worse mood-- it's like she loses her tolerance for it.

Okay, enough of my rambling. I hope this offers some kind of help. The toddler transition has been a challenge for me and I wish you all the best

[LadyCatherine185]

sounds like an ear infection, or maybe teething (molars?)... hope you figure it out soon

[Everrgreen]

Thank you for your responses. Shortly after posting I was holding him and he felt a bit warm, plus his nose is running, so I gave him a bit of medicine then held him and he fell asleep on me. And now he is napping (Thank God!!) But that doesn't really explain the entire past week. I think I will book a doctors appt, we're both due for one anyway.

I have noticed him being a lot more clingy, always needs to come and get a hug, gets upset if I'm not sitting on the floor playing with him, etc. Which is hard because I feel like I never get any time to myself. I will admit that I could probably do better in the 'get down and play with him' area.

I have a hard time with routines too. Although we have been having naptime at about 12 or 1 every day for a while. And I try and do bedtime around 8, but he is a talented sleep-fighter, and I often give up.

Being a mom is soooo hard, I'm having a rough time at it lately, I wish I could do better

[LadyCatherine185]

it is hard. I had no idea it would be this exhausting.

[earthmama4]

We're right with you. My youngest is 14 months and does the same thing off and on. He is getting all four molars at once, but still, he will sleep great one night and terrible another, sometimes motrin helps sometimes not, there is no easy answers! Its a constant guessing game that gets frustrating. Even though he's my fourth, I feel clueless half the time!

It helps to know others w/o food intolerances are going through it, because the first thing *I* do is start stressing about his diet (he's dairy and wheat intolerant) and sometimes I miss other things that are just typical toddler stuff (teething, milestones, separation anxiety, frustration).

FWIW my kids are often "off" for a few days before they get symptoms of illness. Germs have an incubation time, so its quite possible he didn't feel well long before his fever started or nose got runny. Hope he gets feeling better soon!

[Luke's mama]

It is hard, but it's the best, isn't it? Hang in there--it seems like all these frustrating episodes pass in time. on my end, for some reason DS won't go to sleep tonight--I swear it is the full moon!

[GoGoGirl]

DD acts like that when she's teething. She'll wake up SCREAMING a bunch of times every night. Her body is totally rigid, and if I try to hold her she dives away. She screams even harder when I try to latch her on to nurse. I usually have to get out of bed and walk her around the house for a while until she settles down enough to nurse back to sleep. If that isn't working I try tylenol, which usually helps.

Hugs, mama. It's so so hard for me to deal with those night wakings. I feel awful because I know she's in pain and I wish I were more patient and gentle with her. I think I just can't perform my best when I'm woken up by those possessed banshee screams that never seem to stop. And then I'm exhausted from not sleeping well, which doesn't help me be patient at night. I've yelled at her a few times on nights like this.

I hope you figure out what it is, and it gets easier for you both soon!

[StephandOwen]

Could it be night terrors? DS had those as a toddler and they SUCKED. The first time it happened he was sound asleep and suddenly started screaming like I'd never heard. He wasn't awake though. Nothing I did seemed to help. After a little bit he stopped crying (he was still asleep). Within an hour it happened again. This time I flipped and put him in the carseat to take him to the hospital (thinking something was seriously wrong with him). By the time we made it there he was no longer screaming (still asleep). I didn't want to look like an idiot bringing my toddler, sound asleep, into the ER and insist something was wrong so I drove back home. About 10 minutes after I got him out of the car he did it again I called his dr in the morning and after describing what had happened, we decided it was probably night terrors. He got the night terrors randomly for the next couple years but hasn't had them in a little bit (knock on wood!). If he had one then he always had more that night, never just one. So after the first one I always knew I was in for a long night!