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Please listen- I keep shouting at my tiny baby

40 replies

pendulum · 04/12/2007 13:42

This is my first post in this topic, I am just desperate to get a few things off my chest and cannot talk to anyone in RL.

My DD2 is 9 weeks and I have feelings of real anger towards her. She screams all evening and cannot get herself to sleep in the daytime without being held. If I put her down asleep she wakes after five minutes. Much of the time I cannot even put her down awake (e.g. to go to the loo or eat a snadwich) without her kicking off. Neither is she always happy in my arms, during her crying jags she hit me and rakes my face with her nails. She is exclusively BFed but gets terrible wind. I am never sure whether she is crying because overtired, so should be put down and encouraged to sleep, or because she has a pain and should be picked up and burped. I am going around in circles second guessing myself while she gets more and more worked up. This has been going on since 9am when she first started yawning and she has only just dropped off. I know this measn she will be a nightmare this evening.

I know many babies are like this, indeed my DD1 was similar (I felt like this with her too). But I'm not sure all mothers feel like I do. It's like having someone chained to me and shouting at me that I am crap. My nerves are shredded by the incessant crying and I have shouted at her a number of times in the last few days. I have no idea what she wants me to do at any one moment, she is like a riddle with no answer. I do feel a rush of love when she smiles and whenever anyone takes her away for an hour or so I feel panicky and want hher back. But I am worried that I can't seem to control my anger and frustration and can't see a path through this. This sounds totally ridiculous, but I think I am scared of my baby.

To cap it all my best friend is desperately TTC her first and has had two failed IVF cycles. I feel so ungrateful and guilty and know that she could look after a baby much better than I can at the moment.

Not really expecting any advice, but just grateful for opportunity to say the unsayable.

thanks
p

OP posts:
IdreamofClooney · 04/12/2007 13:48

I think that every one has felt like that at some point. I have shouted at DS when he was a baby when he just wouldn't sleep adn I have shouted at him now as I got so cross with him. I know it is wrong but we are all human and sometimes our emotions get the better of us.

I am sorry that you feel so down. Have you tried a sling? That was how I got any thing done as DS barely slept for 14 months.

Hope you feel better soon

berolina · 04/12/2007 13:48

I have no time, but didn't want to leave this unanswered.

  1. The non-stop waking and confusing crying will pass.

  2. What you are experiencing could (is not necessarily, but could) be the beginning of PND. Would you feel able to talk to your HV?

  3. Can you use the times when someone else has her for a bit for a break, a real genuine break, rather than worrying about her?

BeeWiseMen · 04/12/2007 13:51

you need to speak to you HV or GP. Firstly so they can establish why your DD is crying so much and secondly so you can be screened for PND.

Please don't struggle on alone any longer.

Your dd doesn't think you're crap. You think you're crap. We all do sometimes. Especially when our babies are crying and we cannot seem to comfort them.

You don't say whether DD's dad is around? Are you looking after your children alone?

bertieboo · 04/12/2007 13:51

hi pendulum, firstly i want to send you a virtual hug.
Now do you think you could be suffering from PND? These feelings about losing control must be terrifying for you and maybe a visit to the GP would be a good idea, as I am sure they would be very supportive.
I am sure someone will be along shortly who will be able to offer some advice
xx

littleboo · 04/12/2007 13:51

p I think it is probably important that you try and speak to your HV about how you are feeling. A lot of mums find it incredibly difficult in the early weeks and if you have other children to look after aswell then that kind of makes the sleep deprivation thing a lot lot worse. have you got any support at home, partner, family, who could take her off you for a while, so you could have a little time for yourself.... long bath, walk, hair cut etc, something just about you. Please try and talk to your HV, it could be that you are suffering from some PND, if so the quicker this is diagnosed and treated the better.

santaslittlepeatbogelf · 04/12/2007 13:56

Hi pendulum - a big hug from me too. I felt just as you describe with dd2, and it did turn out to be PND. Do go to see your GP to talk it through and see what he/she thinks. In the meantime there's a useful test you can do for yourself called something like the Edinburgh Test - just a few questions that give you an idea whether it might be more than just the baby blues. I will find a link and be back ...!

onebatmother · 04/12/2007 13:57

Oh poor you Pendulum

youre dd really doesn't think you are crap.

she loves you and needs you - she just perhaps know exactly WHAT it is she needs you to do at the moment.

It really will pass - it really will.

I do understand the being scared of your baby feeling - I remember it v clearly. sometimes that can be a projection of being scared of o/self, I believe (tired, emotional, angry self). It's okay.

agree sling, agree quick visit gp check pnd? if you can bear to?

wowoo · 04/12/2007 13:57

It WILL get better - you are too tired to be rational. I paced and sang alot; helped to calm me and babe. Put some chilled out music on and try to breathe deeply (easier said that done?!)

I bf and it does drain you and takes up so much time. Tell yourself that you are doing the best you can and are doing really well. glad i stuck with it, even though there were times I had to leave him in cot screaming and go and chill in another room for 5!

Talk to whoever you can about getting some support - I called our hospital and health visitors alot. Hope you get some rest soon.

Sam100 · 04/12/2007 14:03

Oh P - I feel for you - it sounds like your dd2 might have colic - had this with our dd2. You are full of hormones and your body is programmed to react to your baby's cry. The only way our dd2 would calm down was if she was carried around flopped over your arm with her tummy resting in the palm of your hand. The only way I could cope was by getting my stepmum to come over and walk round with her for a couple of hours so that I could have a break. I too would find myself one minute brimming over with maternal soppiness and the next screaming at her to be quiet as I just could not take anymore.

I don't know what your age gap is between the two - 18 mths between mine - but looking back part of this was down to sheer bloody exhaustion.

Have you got anyone who can come and just hang out with you? I always found it much easier to be a "good mum" when other people were around than when I was on my own. If no family or friends then there are organisations like Cry-sis who have people you can talk to. see here.

A big hug to you.

FioFio · 04/12/2007 14:06

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santaslittlepeatbogelf · 04/12/2007 14:07

www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40002172/

here it is.

And having another, sympathetic, adult around is such a help, as Sam100 says. Is there anyone you could call?

pendulum · 04/12/2007 14:10

thanks for replies, it really helps to read them.

yes, I have a lovely supportive DH who does as much as he can to help. He knows things are not quite right, I have tried to talk to him like this but ended up backtracking and making a joke of it because I could see he was getting scared that I might hurt the baby (despite my anger, I know I would never actually do anything). I also have a great family and some good friends nearby, but cannot tell them any of this.

I also have DD1 who is 3. She is another source of guilt because I am always holding DD2 who is more often than not screaming so loudly that I cannot hold a conversation, let alone play with her. I am also often short-tempered with her. Luckily she goes to a great nursery for a lot of the week (I was WOHM before DD2 and will go back to it next summer) where she feels really secure.

I did feel dreadful after DD1 was born. Although I didn't exactly answer the PND questions truthfully I had a fantastic perceptive HV who kept a close eye on me, dropped around occasionally etc. I did get better in the end without any intervention, although I'm ashamed to say that going back to work part-time helped. Now there is a new HV who keeps telling me how busy she is and delegates much of her clinic. I can't imagine ever articulating these thoughts to her. My GP is a nice 50ish man who I don't think would understand, but there are a couple of nice female docs, maybe I could see one of them...but I am worried about starting a chain of events that scares me- ADs, therapy, social services(if I tell them about the shouting) etc. What are others' experiences of bringing this up with the GP? What happens in the first instance?

OP posts:
yomellamoHelly · 04/12/2007 14:12

Some babies are hard work. Sounds like yours is at the moment as was my ds1 for the first 9 months. It is a phase though and you will both eventually get through it. Personally I'd decide on a plan and follow it. (I'm always less stressed when I've got a strategy and time limits for each thing I've decided to do.) If you've exhausted your list of ideas, I would honestly pop her in the cot and go have a cup of tea for ten minutes before starting afresh.
My memory of nap times for a 9 week old is already a little hazy (ds2 is 11 months), but sounds like it may be tiredness if she starts crying at 9 am. Maybe she just hasn't learnt the knack of nodding off on her own during the day yet and what you need to be doing is helping her with that.
You don't say how old dd1 is, but I assume she also needs you. So I would also put dd2 down at regular times in the hope that she'll sleep so you can spend some proper time with your first-born. Even just ten-fifteen minutes three times a day will really help your dd1 adjust and also serve to remind you of why you wanted another in the first place! (I've found having two much easier than just one because ds1 demands so much of me and limits how much time I have to worry about what ds2 is or isn't doing and breaks up the monotony of sorting out a tiny baby.)

littleboo · 04/12/2007 14:13

My GP was great - just had a box of tissues to hand. Don't worry about the shouting .... it doesn't in anyway mean ... social services will be involved. Please go and talk to one of GP's , the first step is just that and just by talking about how you are feeling i'm sure will be a great help.

rubik · 04/12/2007 14:13

poor you. this sounds so familiar. my ds was like that. i felt utterly incompetent and veered between despair and overwhelming love for him. even if he started off tired he ended up with wind from all the crying.

it will get better.
she doesn't hate you.

maybe go out the house with a pair of earphones in. even if she cries you know she is safe and you don't have to listen to it.

big hug.

bertieboo · 04/12/2007 14:21

Pendulum, how lovely for you that your DH is supportive - take advantage of it!
I do feel that you should explain to him how you are feeling without truning it into a joke. He KNOWS you would never harm your DD, and if he was aware of really how bad you feel, would no doubt do all he could to help you. Be it taking time of work, getting friends in to take over or even taking you to the GP himself. Give him the chance to look after you!

FioFio · 04/12/2007 14:23

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santaslittlepeatbogelf · 04/12/2007 14:24

Please please don't worry about SS getting involved just because of shouting. We've all done it while at the same time knowing we would NEVER hurt our babies.

Perhaps try to see a woman gp if you think that would help. If they're any good, they will give you all the options (yes, ADs and perhaps therapy) but let you decide. If they try to force anything, or dismiss the symptoms, then of course you must go somewhere else.

more hugs.

santaslittlepeatbogelf · 04/12/2007 14:27

www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40002172/

sorry, was being a muppet with the link

ChubbyScotsBurd · 04/12/2007 14:29

Oh pendulum, I have to respond to this but excuse typing as DS is currently on my shoulder whingeing.

I can identify so closely with your feelings of anger and frustration. My DS is 4 months and very, very like your DD. I've shouted at him, walked away from him, slammed doors, punched walls, wept, screamed, you name it. It feels at times like he's testing me, as if he's waging a campaign against me, although logical me knows that to be impossible. I have pent-up anger and short patience. I feel like I'm all out of sympathy for him, sometimes.

I spent a long time questioning whether I am normal, whether our bond is normal (there definitely is a bond - like you, I don't like being parted from him and I feel possessive), whether it's "OK" to feel this anger.

I think sometimes people get babies who give them a rough ride, and certain combinations of parental personality and baby's demeanour can result in this rough ride becoming a deeper resentment. I've posted loads on MN for help with various sleep/wind/crying problems and been reassured that my baby is normal, and that my reactions are normal - it's just we have landed difficult babies.

Things are better now DS is getting older, although the anger is still there and I know I need to find patience every day. But I take comfort that before long he will have other ways of communicating beyond wailing, and he will be better at falling asleep when he needs to, and the wind will settle down. It won't be like this forever. Some good advice from another mumsnetter was to put on a veneer of "calm parent". It's just an act but if you can do it you'll find an extra few minutes of patience which is often all you need. I also consciously lower my expectations - I go to settle him and tell myself it will take 2 hours. These days it can happen much quicker but I check the clock first so I know how long it is taking me (often less time than it feels). This helps prevent me becoming frustrated too.

I understand why you can't talk to people in RL (my DP understands so I am lucky in this respect, and my mum had 3 babies like this and has been very supportive, but I don't feel I can talk to my HV about it), but if there is an element of depression then maybe you should try finding someone to confide in. I worried about this but I do feel it is mainly tiredness and the sheer frustration of having such a difficult baby to deal with all the time.

On a practical note I too would recommend a sling, it's been of great use to us. And also just believe it will pass - as the good times increase in frequency, the smiles become giggles and the crying abates I am finding the situations in which I feel real anger are much less common. As I said before, soon we will have so many other means of communication that it will be much easier to find problems and deal with them rather than this infuriating battle of guesswork and trial and error.

Keep posting on here, it keeps me sane!

pendulum · 04/12/2007 14:30

thanks
sorry if offended anyone- to be clear, I don't think ADs or therapy are shameworthy at all... it's just that they would kind of make it official that I am not dealing with it well IYSWIM

OP posts:
FioFio · 04/12/2007 14:31

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littleboo · 04/12/2007 14:32

Pendulum, don't think you offended anyone.

Piffle · 04/12/2007 14:37

where abouts in the country are you pendulum, perhaps one of us could offer you a shoulder of support?

FWIW I have never suffered depression, but I have experienced the very things you deescribe, despite this being my 3rd child (he is 8 mths a very easy baby) I had this with all 3... it is part slepe deprivation, part loss of control
When you feel yourself getting angry, pop your baby in her cot, safely wrap her and walk away

she may scream but at least you can avoid the cycle of shouting/getting angry
Do count to 10 -20 100000
she will be ok.

do also seek support from your HV, it could be depression or it could just be you being overwhelmed.
xx

santaslittlepeatbogelf · 04/12/2007 14:39

haven't offended anyone, don't worry.