Screaming baby!! WTF!!

[Loika]

My DD who is nearly 6 months has started screaming. I don't mean crying uncontrollably, I mean screaming. The sort that makes your throat sore and she has managed to be sick with the effort! I am clarifying this because all the results on google were "ten reasons why your baby cries" which is not the issue.

This occurs when we try to put her down for a nap or at night for her sleep. She seems to want to sit up more but can't stay sat up so i don't try to leave her but she cries when I lie her down on her baby gym. I think this is frustration at seeing what she wants to do but not being able to do it. The screaming is something else, she goes into "re-heat" at the drop of a hat and can't be cheered up with any of the usual methods once started. However, I am bf her to sleep then putting her down successfully once she has nodded off, because she has been able to self settle from very early days she doesn' wake in the night (10pm-7am) but just can't seem to sort herself out to start with.

Are we just not getting her to bed in time, while she is tired? Eye rubbing and yawning has been for me too late, she needs to go down before. Is it teething?

[Snowbeetle]

OOoo so hard to judge but didn't want to read and run.

Re sitting, maybe you could try getting her a sitting aid (various available, horse-shoe shaped cushions special support seats etc) so she can reduce some frustration.

Re screaming before going to sleep maybe increasing awareness is altering her perceptions and she is struggling to switch off? Have you tried a mobile over the cot so she can be out down in plenty of time before over tired and watch it twirl while she gradually gets dozy?

Sorry if that's not very perceptive advice. :-)

[Albrecht]

Ha, I remember googling this myself and thinking, not crying, actual screaming! In our case yes I think partly frustration, partly overtired as he was/is very hard work to get to nap or sleep and woke so much at night.

The sleep is still a nightmare but he has stopped screaming. I am sad to say it was at about a year, so if he is anything to go by you have a while of this to go. We evolved ways of coping - loud music and sling dancing with earplugs if necessary, take it in turns to go into another room far away from the screaming.

It got better when he could sit up and definately when he could crawl. We used to put him in the highchair (with a cushion or towel to prop him up) so he could see plenty and give him a treasure basket to fiddle with lots of interesting things.

Also I really recommend trying baby signing, it will take a while but being able to ask (for milk mainly in our case) seems to help with the frustration, before they can talk.

[Loika]

I think most of it is over tired but she has kicked off tonight after I fed her and she won't be fed to sleep so we have lost our only solution. Trying mobile but it doesn't go loud enough to make her hear it! She is worn out but so angrey.

Oo, mobile has worked so thats one more night over... for now!

I live in the middle of no where (lincolnshire) and the baby signing classes are nearly an hour away, each way. They look ace and I would love to go! What a pain!!

Thank you for your advice, I am getting the feeling this is almost a normal stage in her development as I remember my mum saying my sister did the same until she found her thumb!

[Albrecht]

Ds started sucking his thumb eventually (both at the same time actually!)

I can trump you on the distance to nearest baby signing class - would involve us travelling over the sea. We used a Baby Einstein dvd and just did the basic signs at him. Its american sign language so if you care it might be best to look into proper makaton.

[Snowbeetle]

Glad mobile worked... I used to blow very gently across ds face when he was like that it made him stop long enough to realise a pretty tune was playing and make him listen, sometimes took a few tries but eventually he would be listening instead of screaming and that helped him take his mind into the 'mobile zone'.
Remembered another thing we used to do... would cuddle him over my shoulder (ear plugs if necessary) and put a light (so he didn't get too hot) hat down over his eyes. He wasn't adept enough to get it off and it made him stop getting visual stimulus which in turn helped him switch off and sink into the blessed relief of sleep (for him as much as me).
:-)

[Popsmum06]

I have the same issue my little girl is 6 months and for the last couple weeks has started screaming again like your self for no reason she's not upset hungry tired or any other reason and again like your self she screams until it makes her cough and she red in the face...it also seems to get worse around tea time it's non stop it's very stress full and also ear pearcing so if you have found anything that works please let me know
Tia a very stressed and half def mummy

[omama]

Awake times can jump quite a bit at 6ish months so it might be she is trying to tell you she's not ready to nap. Or the complete opposite & she's way overtired.

Roughly how long is she awake before you put her down for a nap? Assume you go by the clock as you say her tired signs come too late? And how long does she sleep? If you can post a typical day it might help in working out if she is over/under tired. hth