Angry 7 month old!!!

[Sadeyedladyofthelowlands]

Oh my god! DD has always been the most good natured and gentle baby I ever knew and suddenly, out of no-where she's cross nearly all the time! Last nite she woke and screamed 3 times after 7 months of sleeping all night, she cries really angrily if I put her down, if I pick her up, if I play with her, if I leave her to play alone, etc, she kicks her legs with such force and lets out an instantly hysterical cry, she resists taking naps and she's got little appetite.
I've put it down to teething but she's already got her first 2 teeth and the process of them coming through was difficult but not like this, she's a completely different child to the one she was and I don't know how to deal with the angry crying. Don't want to encourage it my picking her up but she screams even more if I dont, same goes for night waking. I'm a bit at a loss here. Just want my quiet little baby back!

Should have said also, distraction stops her crying so she doesn't seem to be in pain or anything, just really really cross!

Sorry, have to keep stopping cos of screaming! These are like real tamtrums... is she too little to start this kind of behaviour?

teething? i see you've considered this but i know with dd3 she's a different creature when teething.

boredom? it's very frustrating not being able to crawl or express yourself, some babies find it hard.

one of mine started tantrumming at 10 months.

I really need some advice on how to deal with it. To pick her up and calm her down or what. Never had to deal with a crying baby before as she has NEVER cried until now, not even in the mornings to get my attention, she's just played with her mobile til I come in to get her 4 breakfast. Don't know where this doom and anger has come from, it's scary to me!

Could still be teething. My dd wasnt as extreme as your dd sounds but was different signs of teething for top teeth (more sore) than it was for bottom two. Have you tried giving a small amount of calpol or teething powder or something to try calm her? She might be cross because she is in pain?

I know she's teething.

Gave calpol the 2nd time she woke in the night. She wont drink her bottles today, not even an ounce all day, but will eat weetabix so she's obviously hungry.

What I need is advice on how to deal with the tantrums and the constant screaming? I'm so unsure how to deal with it, do I cuddle her until she stops crying? Surely if I do that she'll realise all she has to do is scream and I'll pick her up. Never had crying before and don't know how u're supposed to manage it.

i would cuddle her. she is only little and she's in pain... she just wants to be comforted.. totally natural!

what is she doing in terms of moving/sitting up etc? I did find with ds that he got VERY frustrated before he sat up, because he wanted to do things and couldn't. once he had been sitting for a while it started again and he just wasn't happy because he wanted to do more iyswim?

Im afraid you just have to go with it. I know ds was really bad tempered when his top teeth came through and his whole routine went out the window.They just need alot of comforting during this time and obviously it is a shock to your system to have a constant screaming and demanding baby. Ive had to adjust ds routine a number of times after hes been though a teething period.I just give him loads of cuddles, calpol and teething gel and fresh air.

sorry didnt meant to sound patronising mentioning the teething, if she not settling with pain killers like starlover I would definately cuddle her too make you both feel better and calmer.

Cuddle her - she is in pain and has no other way of telling you about it or complaining about it than screaming. It's not tantrums, it's pain - you won't be encouraging bad behaviour, just giving her comfort through a nasty and painful time.

Another thing is she is probably like you very tired if she is used to sleeping through the night and now is waking up. Try giving her sips of water if she she wont have her bottles and take her for a walk in her pram anything to distract her plus the fresh air will be good for her and may make her sleep better. Apparently medised is good for pain relief and is also a mild sedative.

I've been so careful since day 1 to not pick her up when she's crying, to put her in her cot awake and settle herself etc and it was just a dream come true, she was an angel, now she cries so much I don't know how to treat her. She wont eat. She wont go to sleep without being cuddled to sleep, a habit I'm terrofied will stick when this is over. Cuddling her every time she cries is hard cos it's just so often, then sometimes when she's screaming and I pick her up she just stops and starts playing with my hair not in pain at all. I'm scared it's put on and I don't want to start bad habits. Feel like all the hard work I put in to stop this behaviour is down the drain now she is crying or whinging about 50% of the time.

Starlover, she's sitting but not crawling, she can roll tho, she does seem frustrated by her lack of mobility.

Anyway, thanks everyone. LynnC I'm sorry, just tired. Our boiler packed in a few days ago too, got no heat or hot water and I've not slept a full night in weeks, I'm cranky myself!

No need to apologise I know what you mean and want to do best all time and dont want them getting used to bad habbits. Started exact same too and like you had perfect angel only now I'm into habits I'm now trying to get out of. Unfortunately not best one to offer advice apart from I know its frustrating sometimes when she stops as soon as you pick her up and dont think she is in pain but maybe she is just comforted by cuddles. Hoping someone else can give good advice for you and hope you get heating fixed too cause its bloody freezing out there!

Babies cannot 'put it on' - they are as incapable of this as they are of performing magic tricks or flying around the room. They cry to express their feelings - eight months is often when babies realise that it is possible for their mother to actualy go away, ie is not just part of them, like their arms and legs. This is a truly terrifying thought as you are literally life and death to a baby and this anxiety about separation can make a baby want to cling to you. It's normal and it means your baby has bonded with you. I'm sure that that you don't only feel sad when you are in pain, or only cry out of pain, and babies are no different. What a baby this young will learn when you cuddle them is that they are loved.

Just spent 2 hours getting dd to sleep. Used to take a few seconds. She wouldn't have dh at all and screamed if I left the room or even if dh held her. I hope to god this is teething and will end when the teeth come in cos I can't bear it.

I agree about the separation anxiety. Perhaps it is worse for her because you have tried so hard not to comfort her in the past when she's been crying hence making her more insecure. I would simply cuddle a child that age when she cried.

What i would say to you after reading all yoru posts is, stop planning ahead. Stop thinking about maybe spoiling her, what she'll be doing next month, if she'll never slepp through again. If i was you i'd just do whatever it takes till she is not in pain anymore, then start your routine again. Honest i get so less stressed when i stop thinking tahta every small decision i make now will affect tomorrow.

Hope you're both feeling better soon!

DD went through a really hard time with sleep at exactly seven months. Having slept through, she started waking up a couple of times in the night, wanted soothing a LOT, etc. It got better, but came and went in phases as her teeth, milestones, and separation anxiety did their thing.

I do also remember suddenly feeling that DD really, really needed ME (as opposed to 'someone') and although it felt amazing in some ways, it also felt totally overwhelming, scary, and infuriating at times. Which is probably how my little DD felt at times, for that matter. I had lots of support, hope you do too, because she clearly needs YOU a lot right now! Hang in there...xx

I think it'll help her become more secure in the long term if you give her lots of comfort & cuddles now - I'd agree that this is seperation anxiety rather than a "true" tantrum; babies are just not that sophisticated.

My dd is very clingy & it started around 7 months too. I was torn between "giving in" to it or trying to make her more independant but went with what felt most natural to me (and got some great advice here) and gave her tons of cuddles & reassurance. I also got a hip seat and she's happy just riding around with me on that a lot of the time. It can be frustrating sometimes when she screams with DH and will only settle with me but I'm sure like all phases it'll pass .

hercules - I've not tried not to comfort her in the past!!!!!!!!!!! I've soothed her in other ways, like singing and talking to her then picked her up once she's calmed down. It WAS working. She's never had any problems b4 and hardly ever cried anyway, if she ever woke in the night she hardly ever cried, just sang a bit and hit her cot bars and eventually went back off to sleep.
I'm not a monster who's left her baby screaming! I hope I didn't give that impression!
SnowmAngeliz, thanks, I think you are right, I'm getting hung up on what by-product my actions today will have. Just wanted to make life easier for her and not have to break bad habits later in life.

I don't think you came across as a monster, just a normal mum like the rest of us trying to do what's right! Sometimes it's difficult to get the tone right when posting on the net and sometimes you can end up with more "advice" than you really wanted.

I think to be a good parent you need a blooming crystal ball! And gin .

You sound like you love your baby loads & are just trying to do the right thing for her, hope things work out for you. xx