My baby won't stop crying - help!

[GabbyChalice400]

I'm at my wits end, he's been like this all day 😭

He's probably had about 30 minutes sleep all day. He's not hungry because he's had his 7oz before we put him down, he's been winded and nappy changed.

He will stay asleep for a little while then wake up screaming. It's been like this for the past hour and we just don't know what to do now.

AIBU to ask what to bloody do!? He looks knackered but just won't sleep.

You definitely need calpol and nurofen. Can you get out for some?

A couple of times he's been like this then fell into a deep sleep.

Will he sleep on you/with you?
Sounds like it could be teeth if he’s on/off sad. Laying down puts extra pressure on gums.
He’s also coming out of fourth trimester and that can knacker sleep - google four month sleep regression.
Hope he settles soon.

I reckon developmental leap plus teeth. Hang in there OP, it does get better, I promise.

Days like this make me feel like I just can't do it anymore. Being a parent is so bloody exhausting, I miss my happy baby

Calpol, Ashton and Parsons powders, teething wipes, baby bonjela (however that's spelt), teething granules, neurofen.

Anything cold he can chew on? Mine loved chewing on ice poles (still in the packet).

If he is well in himself, no temperature, no rash, not grabbing ears, having wet and dirty nappies, feeding well, then next time if he wakes and starts screaming, bundle him up and take a walk about the block. In the pram, sling or in your arms. Always worked for my boys. Sing in his ear and let the fresh air and movement soothe him

GabbyChalice400
You can do it, it's just temporary, it's not a permanent situation.

I think it's already been mentioned - 4 month sleep regression. You have my sympathies op. Batten down the hatches.

I think 4 month sleep regression also. He usually sleeps from 7-6 and last night he was up twice in the night for a feed. He's not done that for ages

Your doing a great job so please don't doubt yourself - babies do this sometimes and there is no simple solution!!
As long as he's peeing and pooing normally, eating/drinking normally, hasn't got a high or low temp, check for any rashes, he obviously isn't more sleepy than normal then that's reassuring.
It could be teeth, upset tummy, sniffly, hot or cold, hunger (growth spurt = no sleep and guzzling milk) overstimulated (a bath and baby massage used to wind my lb up & not relax!). Start of 4month sleep regression amongst many other things. If you can get out to get some paracetamol or ibuprofen then try that and at least it would rule out pain/discomfort. My lb always does this with teeth, if he needs a poo or is coming down with something, just when you think they are finally asleep..........wahhhhhhh .
Won't work for all but only other suggestion is to try rocking and patting his bum in the rhythm of a heartbeat in a dimly lit room. Good luck x

Ibuprofen worked much better for teething with DS than paracetamol.

Awww feeling your pain @GabbyChalice400 my little one been crying all day too, we can do this, it is only temporary, promise. Does sound like the dreaded 4 month sleep regression and maybe his teeth starting to jiggle under his gums, mixed together is a total nightmare.
Get some chocolate and try to get some sleep while he is sleeping, if he does wake in the night maybe try putting his cot on a slight incline incase it is silent reflux, it will help to keep the acid down in his tummy.

thank you @Auramigraine ❤️

@TheHauntedFishtank I don't think you can use ibuprofen before 6 months

But agree, it's much better for teething pain.

Oh man, I'd forgotten about the sleep regression! I remember sending my NCT group a picture of DS with eyes like saucers at 5am! Sounds like your baba normally sleeps (very) well. DS does too, and his sleep regression only lasted a week or so and really wasn't too awful. FX it'll be similar for you!

Does anyone know why sleep regression happens at 4 months old?

It's because their sleep cycles go through a permanent change to become more adult-like, versus the newborn sleep phase where they basically just sleep in one kind of state. We cycle through light and deep sleep phases, and we wake up and put ourselves back to sleep without really noticing or realising, but babies haven't learnt how to put themselves back to sleep very well so when they wake up, sometimes they can't get back to sleep. Some babies learn how to deal with it in a few days; others take a lot longer.

4 months is a difficult age. Could you put him in the car and drive and get some calpol. Car could settle him then you have the calpol if needed too?

So it's actually not a regression, but a progression, in that it's developing a more mature way of sleeping. But it's styled as a regression because it feels like your baby's sleep has got worse. Newborn sleep is a weird thing in general - it's not that uncommon for newborn babies to sleep very well for the first few months and then kind of stop sleeping so well. If you're a lucky one, you have a good sleeper as a newborn and that continues all the way through, but it's fairly common IME for a good sleeper to become a worse sleeper for an extended period as sleep isn't linear in that respect. As with a lot of things baby related, you just have to ride it out!

Days like this are so hard. But they do pass. If nothing else works, just keep cuddling and singing to him. My DD is 20 months now and we have had a rough week with a cold, teething and constipation from eating too many bananas simultaneously robbing us all of sleep and making her feel even worse. I have spent a lot of time cuddling and praying. I felt like such a crap mum for not being able to fix it all. Then the other night when we were putting her to bed she picked up her horse and said "neigh". So we said "clever girl, what does a cow say?" "moo." Then I thought 'we have never discussed what humans do. I wonder what she thinks we say?' So I asked her "what does mamma say" and she picked up her horse and cuddled it, then gave me a look to check if she had it right. That made me feel a lot less like a crap mum if she thinks the thing that I do is cuddle her. This is what they take out of being ill, that mamma cuddles it better..

4 months is tiny and sometimes they are just like this. Lots of cuddles, calpol. It will pass

What happens if you just hold him and let him sleep on you?

He's woken up again. There's a pool of dribble next to his head.

What is going on?