Please Help- 6.5 month old SCREAMING!

[Casey44]

For the past 3 days, every time I begin to rock DD for her naps she starts SCREAMING. Like I've never heard her scream this way before. It's like she's is in the worst pain you could ever imagine. After the first day of this I was so worried I took her to the doctor because I figured something must be wrong for her to act this way. She usually just closes her eyes and goes right to sleep for her naps. She checked out fine and the doctor said it might just be developmental. I have tried everything else to get her to sleep- rocking her in the chair, nursing her, sitting her up to try and make her happy, letting her cry in my arms for a little bit- nothing works! She even refuses to nurse which she's never done in her life! (She's nursing to eat, but I mean she won't "comfort" nurse when she's worked up like this.) It's like once I try to rock her and she starts this screaming thing- nothing will calm her down. I finally put her in her swing this morning and she was out in a few minutes. I am fine with letting her sleep in her swing for now because I just know she needs the sleep, but she's also pretty close to outgrowing it! The past few days I couldn't get her to nap so we just went out to run errands (because I was going a little crazy) and she fell asleep in the car both times. So, I know she's tired. Has anyone been through this or can you explain to me what is going on? It always helps me if I understand it. I don't think it's just that she's fighting naps in general because she didn't make one sound when I put her in her swing?

The only thing I can think of is that we dropped the swaddle last week. But what I'm confused about is that she was fine without it for like 4 days, and then this screaming started. Also, she doesn't scream like this at bedtime, just for naps! Please fill me in so I don't pull too much of my hair out!

Thank you!

[cristeen]

Combined w not wanting to nurse, i'd suspect teeth. They can start hurting before they're apparent/visible.

[Asiago]

Any vaccinations lately?

[maddymama]

I was thinking either teething or an ear infection.
Once DD1 was acting like that, we went in to the ped, no dice. Went back a two days later and she had an ear infection.
DD1 also has trouble sleeping when she was teething........
~maddymama

[Casey44]

She had Pentacel (DTaP, Hib, OPV) and Rotavirus, but that was back at the beginning of July. These fits just started 3 days ago. That wouldn't be related, would it?

I do think she's teething, but I guess I just thought that would make her not sleep well instead of screaming the instant I hold her to rock her. It's like the minute she goes to that "rocking" position it's crazy crazy screaming. She's been napping in her swing now for almost 2 hours! I guess it could feel better for her to kind of nap at an incline like that instead of laying flat?

Thanks for the help!

[Knitting Mama]

Can you dance/sway/bounce her in a more upright position rather than cradled? I know that with my Cecilia, she really doesn't like being cradled. She very much prefers a more upright hold, so what I generally do is hold her upright, with her head on my shoulder, and pat her back softly and rhythmically while swaying. Or, I hold her the same way and bounce on the balance ball.

[maddymama]

Originally Posted by Casey44

o think she's teething, but I guess I just thought that would make her not sleep well instead of screaming the instant I hold her to rock her. It's like the minute she goes to that "rocking" position it's crazy crazy screaming. She's been napping in her swing now for almost 2 hours! I guess it could feel better for her to kind of nap at an incline like that instead of laying flat?

That's what kind of makes me wonder if it's an ear infection.... that the lying down makes her ears hurt more..... just a thought

[texaspeach]

I would wonder about ears too, even though she checked out fine. does giving her pain meds help?

[Casey44]

I was thinking ear infection too, but then it's strange to me that she doesn't fuss like that at night for bedtime? She also only woke up once in the middle of the night last night and wasn't even very upset. (Probably because she was so tired from not napping well, but if it was an ear infection wouldn't she wake up more?) I haven't given her any pain meds yet since the swing seems to be working... trying to keep that as a last option. Should I try some and just see?

For this last nap I tried rocking her upright but she still screamed?! I guess she knew I was about to put her down in her crib? I don't know- I just went with the swing again and haven't heard a peep!

Should I take her back to the doctor? We were just there 2 days ago so I'm sure he'll think we're nuts, but oh well!!

[1blueheron]

DD started doing this around 4.5 months, and what she wanted was to be put down so that she could wiggle around and then fall asleep on her side, occasionally w/a little side-lying nursing. It took me FOREVER to figure it out b/c rocking and nursing to sleep had just always...worked. And then one day it didn't.

But she was doing this before naps AND bedtime, so I dunno if our experience is relevant for you.

[leaves]

Originally Posted by Casey44

She had Pentacel (DTaP, Hib, OPV) and Rotavirus, but that was back at the beginning of July. These fits just started 3 days ago. That wouldn't be related, would it?

i have a friend whose mother had a reaction to a vaccine 4 months after it was given. i don't know if that means something though, it's probably something else, like all these ladies are saying - ear infection, teeth, or something.

[cristeen]

For us, teething means cranky during the day when upright, but the moment i put him in a horizontal position, the screaming starts. So it could be either.

[RiverandJulie]

Originally Posted by 1blueheron

DD started doing this around 4.5 months, and what she wanted was to be put down so that she could wiggle around and then fall asleep on her side, occasionally w/a little side-lying nursing. It took me FOREVER to figure it out b/c rocking and nursing to sleep had just always...worked. And then one day it didn't.
.

Same for me-mine is 7 months, and he started doing exactly what you said-arched back screaming. Finally I set him down to take a breather, and he calmed down and fell asleep. That was about a week ago and since then, sometimes he wants to be walked upright, and sometimes he wants to be laid down. But he does not like the cradle hold anymore, and the rocker isnt working so well either....

[Adaline'sMama]

My baby is younger than yours but when she is crying uncontrollably (and I do believe she is teething ...gumming at everything, lots of drool) I try to redirect her attention towards something else. We have one of those foil pinwheels that we put in front of a fan and she will stare at it for a long time. Also, we will sometimes put her in the stroller and stroll her around the house. I have also been known to put a little taste of juice or something on the tip of my finger or on a pacifier. These things seem to be a change from what we normally do, so she seems to be shocked for a second, which makes her forget that she was upset. Then, it seems to be easier to use our normal methods to get her to sleep or be happy.

[WindyCityMom]

Originally Posted by cristeen

For us, teething means cranky during the day when upright, but the moment i put him in a horizontal position, the screaming starts. So it could be either.

This is us right now, our DD is 7 months old today. She's teething (no teeth yet).

I'm thinking something along the lines of an ear infection for your DD.

*hugs*

[Casey44]

Thanks so much for all the input. I forgot to mention, she is perfectly fine laying down on her play mat or on her changing pad, so I'm really not thinking that laying down is actually hurting her?! What do you think?

Maybe for her naps tomorrow I will put her in her crib before I do any type of rocking at nap time. I have tried putting her down in it once she is all worked up, but she just screams even louder. I've also noticed recently that she will scream very loud if she doesn't get her way... like if I move a toy away from her that she wants. Is it possible she's just overly dramatic?? I mean, I have NO idea where she would get that from??

We'll see how tonight and tomorrow's morning nap go! If she keeps up the screaming we may try to go back to the doctor tomorrow. Thank you all again for the help!

[Casey44]

Just wanted to post an update on our situation. I have tried just putting her in her crib without rocking for nap time and that TOTALLY does not work. She desperately needs to be soothed to sleep. Sometimes she has been fine in the cradle hold, but sometimes I have to rock her at a little more of an incline. I really can't figure out any type of pattern- sometimes she goes down super easily but wakes up after 45 minutes and is just done napping. Other times she fights it and fights it (Like right now, for example, DH has been in there about 45 minutes trying to get her back to sleep.) It's just so strange- I feel like once we figure out how to get her to sleep, she changes her mind completely and then needs MORE soothing to get to sleep. I always thought as they got older the less they would need! I don't really think there is an answer here, so we'll just keep doing whatever we have to do. I do have a question though...

For those of you who have been through this before- how do your kiddos ever learn to self soothe or to put themselves to sleep? I am obviously not a fan of CIO, but does anyone know of other ways to teach them to self soothe? DD has never, and I mean never, fallen asleep on her own. Like I said, I'm ok with doing what we have to do, but I just want to make sure there will be a way for her to learn eventually!

Thanks!

[1blueheron]

A little more detail on what we do - she likes to be down, but not necessarily down in a crib. I generally put her down next to me on the bed with a pacifier while i sit and read and generally act very boring, and she looks at a glass globe we have hanging up and snuggles against the side of my leg. Sometimes I then move her to a crib. Sometimes she wiggles away from me before falling asleep. So, she still gets a little help but much less than before. We haven't done anything to encourage or discourage any particular method, just doing what seems most efficient for her with least crying. YMMV, of course, as it always does...

[1blueheron]

Oh, also, one more tactic (you will probably think I am insane): while looking boring, I smile down at her occasionally and send her a mom-baby ESP message saying, "I don't care if you sleep. Whatever, it's cool." And I try to act like I really, really mean it. (Which of course I don't, not one bit! )

Maybe that little bit of nap zen sends her the message that it's ok to sleep, because mom's not worried about anything. Or maybe not, but it helps me stay calm even though I'm itching to do a million other things.