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7 month old grinding me down - I just want to cry

14 replies

Chocolateyclaire76 · 14/06/2013 10:26

My LO is nearly 7 months old and I'm sat here crying as I type. She has always been a very bad sleeper and spent the first 3 months waking every 2 hrs and would only nap if I walked her in the pram and that was after screaming. I finally managed to transition into her cot and have recently felt like I was making some progress and could actually have some time for me whilst she slept. She was doing really well and sleeping 1 hr 30 stretches and her night sleeps were better with us only needed to replace the dummy around 4am and she'd go back to sleep. That was until the weekend. Everything has changed and I feel like a broken women again. She only sleeps for 30mins in her cot, if I try and resettle she wails. Today I got her up and then after 30mins playing she was going crazy with tiredness so I put her back down after she massively kicked off, screamed, scratched me and drew blood and tried to bite me. Her nights have deteriorated too with her waking at 4 and then just cat napping and crying until 6am when we ended up getting up. We just can't resettle her. I know she must be tired but she just won't sleep and it's all happened out of nowhere.

She's on solids and eating well and I'm pretty sure she's not teething as we've had a bout of that already and the signs aren't there at the moment.

She is super hyper and alert and when in a good mood is an absolute joy but she is incredibly strong minded and fights sleep like some sort of monster!!

Can anyone sympathise or offer some advice as it's breaking me (a bad case of PMT doesn't help either!!)

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kimblesj · 14/06/2013 10:31

Sounds horrible for you Hun, think the most important thing is not to give in. When she wakes at night you can try sitting with her but with ur back to her just hushing her down, maybe place a hand on her tummy but try not to talk or make eye contact with her and don't get her out of cot. Is there anyone who can help in day so you can catch up on sleep? Can you and dp do alternate nights for now?
I know how horrible it can be being exhausted all the time, just remember she doesn't mean to hurt you she doesn't know what she wants and babies tend to go a bit over the top when tired and just want you to magically fix them xxx Brew x

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 14/06/2013 10:41

you sound exhausted poor thing. Sad Have you any help with her at all? Is there anyone who could take her for a few hours so you can sleep?

I can't imagine a 7 month old trying to bite you though...that would surely involve more thought than they're capable of. It's very, very small still and some of the little ratbags just don't take well to sleeping for ages.

How many naps in the day does she have?

wannabedomesticgoddess · 14/06/2013 10:46

Trying to bite you does sound like teething. A 7 month old isnt going to be biting to hurt you. (DD2 is 7 months atm and she tries to chew my hand/arm/shoulder.)

I know it feels horrible to do, but if shes crying non stop just leave her. Take ten minutes for yourself in another room to breathe. Then go back in and try again.

Is she in her own room? We found moving DD2 into her own room has helped her sleep better at night.

Chocolateyclaire76 · 14/06/2013 11:32

Kimblesj - we've tried the hand on chest thing and my partner was successful with it after 45mins! With me she just picks up my hand, pulls my fingers, rolls around and cries. I tried an hour of that and then gave up, took her out of her cot and rocked her. That worked but she had been awake for 2 hrs at that point!

We haven't got family nearby and all my friends have little ones of their own so it's just me, myself and I during the day.

As for the biting, she kind of lunges at me, a bit like a feral animal - I know that sounds awful but she sort of gets a bit possessed when she does it. It's quite funny to see but I'm slightly concerned about what will happen when she has a full set of teeth!

I've never known a baby to be so strong willed, vocal and determined before - both myself and my partner are so laid back so it's all came as a bit of a shock.

OP posts:
MaMaPo · 14/06/2013 11:38

OP, my daughter is 6.5 months old and also lunges forward to bite at things - not me yet, luckily, but the spoon when feeding, toys, my clothes. This morning I found her first tooth - with no symptoms except for drool. Could she be teething but with very different symptoms? Try some bonjela/calpol to see whether it calms her down?

Best of luck - sounds very tough.

Chocolateyclaire76 · 14/06/2013 11:40

MaMaPo - she already has her bottom 2 teeth, they came through at 3 months! She's always done the biting thing but will try some teething gel again just in case.

I think it's a case of what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

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SharkSkinThing · 14/06/2013 11:56

You poor thing, my DS is nearly 3 and has always been hard work with sleep, and I remember feeling exactly like you at 7 months. He used to lunge for my chin!

DP and I also very laid back, but we seem to have created a hurricane of a child!

Can you give her something safe to chew on? Teething granules from Boots really worked on my DS, the homeopathic own brand ones, with camomile. They seemed to calm him down a bit!

Good luck, it's a tough time. xx

Chocolateyclaire76 · 14/06/2013 12:04

SharkSkinThing - I'll try the granules, I did buy them a while ago but then thought it felt a bit odd putting them in her mouth. Now I'll happily try anything!

OP posts:
frustratedashell · 14/06/2013 12:23

I used the granules they're really good. That was 20 years ago! Sleep deprivation is awful. I remember it well. Have you got a health visitor or don't they have those now? Maybe she could advise you? It's tough going i know but you will get through it. Could it be croup?

valiumredhead · 14/06/2013 12:46

Teething granules are great. Sleep deprivation is a killer Sad

SharkSkinThing · 14/06/2013 12:47

Do it! You have nothing to lose!

Also, we don't realise as adults just how bloody painful teething is. I used to give my DS a double dose of pain relief - 2.5ml of Calpol and 2.5ml of children's neurofen, which apparently you can do (but please, please check the does guidelines, it may be different or have changed). This really helped him (and me!).

Cut yourself some slack, too, and rest whenever you can. Unless you've been sleep-deprived yourself other people just dont get the massive impact it has on you, physically and emotionally.

Let us know how you get on. xxx

valiumredhead · 14/06/2013 12:47

Croup is a very distinctive barking cough afaik.

BashfulBunny · 14/06/2013 16:53

That does sound like teething...does she do anything else like pull her ears or arch her back?
The lunging could just be seeking to nurse in a desperate need for comfort.
It might be worth checking she doesn't have an ear infection or possibly reflux

PleaseLetsGoToSleep · 14/06/2013 20:40

Agree that it's likely to be teething, my ds was exactly the same around 6-7 months, I remember how awful it was, so lots of sympathy. Try all the good suggestions above, plus a stick of celery to chew on straight from the fridge always used to help.
Remember, 'this too shall pass'.

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