Crying after her bath (before milk and bed)

[user1481221334]

My DD (10 months) has got an odd habit of screaming/crying after her bath but before milk and bed. It seems to happen once I've dried her off and as I'm dressing in her PJs. She cry hard, getting worked up, until I pick her up and take her to the chair for her bedtime feed. She instantly calms down when I feed her (breastfed). I don't know if she's impatient for milk, if she's tired, or if she now associate getting dressed negatively.

She's been doing this for a few months now, and before that things were calm. I've always done the same routine; bath, milk, bed. We do this routine at the same time, starting at 5:30 and she's usually in bed by 6:30/7. The milk does soothe her, she can go to bed and fall asleep well.

I would really like to have less screaming before bedtime, partly as I'm thinking of the future when I'll be stopping the bedtime feed.

I don't know if it would be better to swap the milk and bath around (do milk first) but I'm worried she get just as upset and will have drank all her milk! She down to 2 feeds in a day now; a morning feed around 9am (formula) and evening feed around 5:45 (breastfed)

Anyone else had this or got any ideas that might help?

My DD is nearly 3 now, but I remember she went through a phase just like this, she would arch her back and scream hysterically when I got her out of the bath, dressing her was a nightmare, but then milk and bedtime stories were lovely and she slept like a dream.

I have absolutely no idea why! It was just a short phase though. It will pass!

Do milk first instead?

I would also bath or shower in the morning instead to save the faff. They don't need a bath every day

Has she recently cut down on naps or started nursery or anything that could be making her more tired than usual for this time? She could just be overtired. Any chance of any earlier bath / bedtime?

Mine both did this. I think they just get cold and pissed off. I wouldn't do milk first....just try to be quick with the changing and do it in a warm room.

She started nursery but she was doing this before that so I don't think it related to that. She often drops her morning nap, so only has a sleep around 2ish. But she's done this on the days she's had two nap too. It a mystery to me...but it good to know I'm not alone.

My 11 month old was like this. We now do baths in the morning and there is no crying at all. Not sure why he didn't like them at night, but it didn't lend itself to a calming bedtime routine so we just removed them!