Constant Crying/Whining

[MaleficentQueen]

Does anyone else’s 5 month old just constantly cry all the time, to the point where it’s driving them mad?

No matter what I do she just always cries all bloody day and it’s driving me up the wall. I change her, I feed her, I try to get her to nap, I try to entertain her and nothing works. It’s driving me insane. I just want it to stop.

Can someone please help me?

It feels like Groundhog Day every day.
I literally count the hours until my partner gets home.

Do you honestly mean all the time as in constantly all day? If so, I’d advise contacting the health visitor or GP.

Are you getting out and about enough? I found that age a bit boring unless we went out and about for at least part of every day. I think babies of this age are just beginning to notice the world around them but can’t move on their own yet so they do get frustrated. So getting a bit more variety in your life might help with the crying too?

No not all the time, if that was the case I would have contacted a GP by now, it just feels like it most days. She’s calm for all of 30 minutes after a feed, or a change, or whatever, then she’s crying again. If I pick her up to cuddle her she moans, and hits me. If I try to give her a dummy she has it then spits it out after a few minutes. I’ve tried using her swing that she uses to love but now cries in that. I was told by the GP that 8 weeks was the peak of the crying, and she definitely complains more now than she ever did. It’s just really getting to me mentally, to the point where I don’t want to be at home with her alone.

We’re out several hours every day.
Not just for her but for me cos I’m going insane in the house with the noise.

Teething? Reflux? Gas? Or is she just hungry? Or does she pick up on your stress and start crying? If you aren’t calm around her then there’s no way she will be.

Babies cry. They have no other way to communicate their needs. It doesn’t make you a bad parent, or her a bad baby. Does she enjoy a bath? My old nanny said when they’re crabby, put them in water.

I honestly have no idea at this point.
When she cries, I try everything. Changing her, comforting her, burping her, feeding her, etc. and she just cries. I end up crying several times a day myself. I just feel so alone, and so trapped. I’m at the point where I wish I’d taken less maternity leave, just so I could get away from it all. She was fine until this week, and she’s just become a total nightmare.

I’ve just saw you saying it’s started this week, could she be teething? How have nappies been- is she regular, or could she be constipated? Have you checked temp? Cold symptoms?

My daughter is 11 months old now but I would say if she suddenly started crying for most of every day my first thought would be illness/teething

She’s already been showing signs of teething so we use teething gel for her. Nappies are fine, temp is fine. That’s why I’m just so lost.

Is she crawling yet? Sometimes they know they want to get on with moving about, but they can't do it just yet, and they find it frustrating.

No she isn’t. Maybe that’s it?

I just feel like such a bad mom, cos she’s always crying. I should be able to make her feel better and I can’t. It’s just wiping me out.

Teething. Their gums are sore. Teething gels do nothing. Just be patient. ❤️❤️

Also as a piece of mind I’d go see a gp.

I think I’m going to have to at this point.

If she's teething it'll potentially be toothache.
Have you ever had toothache? Awful.

If it's hard on the house get out more, just for your own wellbeing.

So its only been a few days? that does rather suggest something specific. How's her sleep? Mine used to get over tired and LOOK wide awake, but would cry and generally be miserable.

this might not be relevant if it's entirely new, but something else we had was that, as it turns out, DS has sensory processing disorder. In retrospect, I realise a lot o fthe crying was to do with over stimulation, being too hot/too cold, possibly clothes just being a bit scratchy etc.

If it is teething, have you tried giving her a bit of Calpol?

You can't make toothache disappear, but you can be kind to her while she cries which will be very comforting.

Singing is very comforting.

Honestly I worry she could be autistic, as I am. It’s the one thing I’ve been worried about since we conceived her. I just don’t want her to struggle like I did in life.

DS was the most whiny baby ever. Drove me nuts with his constant grizzling. He grew out of it and was actually a very easy toddler and child and even as a teen he’s pretty easy ( at least he’s laid back - not always a good thing). All I can say is hang in there- it will pass. Dd was very different- she was a v smiley and contented baby- terrible sleeper though! At least DS slept.

Singing sometimes works but not for long, she eventually seems to get bored of it. I do try to give her cuddles and try to soothe her, but she tends to hit me, and push away from me. It’s just so upsetting.

Thank you.
Sometimes you just feel so alone.

Have you tried NOT cuddling her? eg putting her on the couch next to you (or the bed) to let her get comfortable? Perhaps still talking quietly or having a hand near so she knows you're there.

I still feel terrible - the only times DS ever just casually drifted off to sleep easily and spontaneously he was lying on a mat or bed, dresssed, no blankets or whatever and just dozed off. But it didn't happen often enough for me to realise the common denominator was lots of space around him, loose fit clothes etc and a muslin he' dpulled over his face. So I didn't realise that the blankets and the baby gros etc were probably uncomfortable for him and causing difficulties in sleeping.

I’ll definitely give that a go.
I’m willing to try anything at the moment.

Thank you.

Also Calpol

Both of mine had a stage like this. They were fine once they were on the move. It was a long few months of whinging though.