Advice please! Baby won't stop screaming

[enchantmentandlove]

I hope this makes sense, but I'm extremely sleep deprived.

DD is 7 months, she has never been a fantastic sleeper but this past few nights have been awful. We transitioned her from her chicco next 2 me co sleeper into a cot-bed (still next to our bed) at the worst time - right before she came down with a cold. Not only does she hate her new cot, she's also feeling a bit rough.

To get dd to sleep I usually lay beside her until she's in a light sleep, then transfer her into her co sleeper (or now cot). She wakes up a little then goes back off, sometimes stirring for her dummy which I pop back in. But now for the past two nights, no matter what I do she won't stop crying. I can't seem to comfort or settle her, then when I occasionally do as soon as she's in a light sleep she pulls out her dummy and starts screaming again. She's barely slept in 2 days.

Dh and I decided before she was born we didn't want to do cry it out or cc, but I've been having to leave her to cry and winge for the odd 5 minutes as I don't know what else to do. I feel so guilty and don't know what to do to help her. Dh has also been working nights.

I have given her Calpol and teething gel as she's also teething, and she's been drinking less milk than usual. I just don't know how to help her. My mum said on the phone if I just leave her eventually she will fall asleep, but I hate hearing her cry and she's not feeling well.

Does anyone please have any advice? Thank you so much

Hang on in there!! It's probably teething pain, give ibuprofen as well as calpol. But speak to a gp if she really won't stop crying, it's the only way she knows to communicate and there's no real way of knowing what's wrong. But if pain killers don't improve the situation get her checked out. And do what you need to survive i.e. Co sleep (safely obviously..) and go easy on yourselves. Personally I think she's too young to leave to cry for long but 5 mins while you shower/get a cuppa/eat etc won't do much harm.

I'm a bit confused - is she just crying in bed? If so would bringing her into bed with you solve it? Or is it because she's poorly? - if so I normally try a bath or skin to skin cuddles (don't need to be a newborn for this to be good for them) or sling and walk/rock.

Thanks for your reply! It just feels like this will last forever, when in reality I know it won't. For some reason I hadn't thought of giving her ibuprofen as well, when I do that for myself.

To be honest we've always ended up doing quite a bit of (safe) co sleeping as she always likes to know I'm there. I haven't been leaving her when she's too upset, just the odd few mins to use the bathroom or collect myself as dh has been working lots and I'm by myself.

I've spoken to my mum and mil on the phone who have both been really supportive, but they both want me to so cio which I've never personally wanted to do.

Even when she's in bed with me comforting her she's still crying at least half of the time, which is unlike her as she usually settles with me holding her hand and stroking her face.

I've tried taking her on walks and using my baby carrier, but unfortunately they haven't been helping. I would love a skin to skin bath but dh is working lots and it wouldn't be safe without him there - she just launches!

Surprisingly she's actually currently asleep (in our bed as she seems scared of the new cot), the first time in about 8 hours. I'm hoping it lasts.

Have you done the usual check for spots/rash/hair caught around toes or fingers etc? Ear rubbing or hot? Feeding ok?
Probably just coming down with something. It's not nice to feel so helpless when they're poorly. Dc3 (5 months) woke up screaming in pain the other night, totally inconsolable, I couldn't work out what the problem was - until a long series of huge farts restored his equilibrium!

Oh and don't worry about a bit of whinging here and there. I'm a sling using bed sharing complete softie, and all of mine have been left to whinge while I take a break neck speed shower or poo!

I actually have all 3 in bed with me right now

co sleeping all the way here.

I have checked all of those things, she has been trumping quite a lot though so maybe her tummy hurts. I know I just wish I could make it better for her!

Thanks for re assuring me about leaving her to winge for the odd 5 mins, I keep worrying I'm going to damage her or something.

We have been co sleeping quite a lot. Usually it's a miracle worker but not so much right now.

I think we may just have to ride this cold/teething out together. Oh no, she's crying again!

I would get her checked out for ear infection. They can cause huge discomfort for little ones. I speak from experience if your child is inconsolable.

Thanks I did wonder that, but dh is randomly a bit funny about going to the Dr and is sure she's fine. I may see how the night goes and call tomorrow morning.

Maybe try a wedge pillow if she has the cold it lifts her head slightly?

Think you might be best checking in with a GP though in case of ear infection.

While I don't want to panic you at all I think your DH is being a bit casual about her being fine. He would probably go to a doctor if he felt like screaming in pain! I always get my DC checked by a dr if I'm not sure, they're too little to tell me what's wrong and young children can easily go down hill. So if your instinct is that she's really not well (and it's not just teething, which pain killers will ease) then get her checked out. Fingers crossed for a good night.

When my eldest had his first ear infection when we were away on holiday, the only clues were he wouldn't be put in crèche (and he was normally amiable) and at night screamed his head off, basically because lying down hurt. So yes I would see a doctor - it doesn't hurt for them to look. In the meantime, I would sleep upright with baby on you so you can adjust her so she is not completely flat. I basically make an armchair in bed with two pillows, a pregnancy prevention pillow wrapped around as arms and another pillow on top. I do this every night anyway and currently have 10 month old on me - she is safe. (I also have a bed Guard). You can kind of adjust the arm pillows a bit so baby is tilted upwards so the mucus from the cold doesn't block her airways. Plus she will love.the cuddles. The nurofen is a.good idea too. Remember you can give calpol and nurofen at the same time. So give nurofen now, calpol in a couple of hours etc. Good luck and sleep tight.

Sorry not a pregnancy prevention pillow lol. It's too late for us anyway. Although to be fair OH also sleeps with a pregnancy pillow - discovered the love.

You know you can remove one side off the cotbed and it will be perfectly stable 3-sided. Match mattress heights and wedge it up to your bed, you have a full sized cosleeper cot.

I agree with previous posters about taking her to the gp tomorrow. If she's not usually this unsettled and calpol doesn't seem to help then that would always be my next option.
In the mean time, does she have a temperature? Have you tried white noise? I know there's a few phone apps or YouTube videos if you don't have any of the toys. Does she take a dummy or is that not helping soothe her?
When my lb was really poorly with cmpa I used to have to leave him crying for a 5 minutes when it got too much, or if I had to go to the toilet etc, I think every parent has done it so don't feel bad about that. That's not cio or cc

I've just come out of the exact same thing with my 11 month old. Bad cold coinciding with getting some back teeth. Screaming all night and me getting zero sleep. What helped us was Calpol and infant ibuprofen plus anbesol on his gums.

It took about five days for him to feel better abs now he is back to sleeping well she waking me a couple of times in the night for a feed.

I do tend to get up straight away when he cries in the night but I'm also mindful that I do need to try and get at least three hours sleep so I do put him back in his cot after I've administered medicine and fed him and I do let him grizzle himself to sleep. To my mind you have to be functional in the day or else it's dangerous so there are times when you have to let them cry themselves to sleep.

Thank you so much for your replies everyone.

I think dh just thinks I'm a bit or a worrier (I am), but it's not worth risking with a little baby, so I'll see how she goes and get some ibuprofen tomorrow as I only have Calpol at home.

She doesn't have a temperature, just really isn't herself right now. She's also been teething on everything in sight this past few days, and her gums have been quite sensitive too.

She does have a dummy but just keeps pulling it out and screaming. Although she's grumpy in the day, it's whenever I'm laying her down she gets really upset as she's quite blocked up. She's even been falling into light sleeps in my arms, which she hasn't done since she was a few weeks old! Also white noise etc has unfortunately never really worked.

I had also not thought about making her cot into a co sleeper, I'll give that a think. I think she's feeling a bit overwhelmed with her new bed, as she's used to rolling over and seeing me. Gosh i sound so soft!

Well she always used to sleep on me for months, I just mean falling asleep cradled in my arms which she never usually does. She can always sleep upright on me.of that helps her, thanks for the suggestions.

How is she today?

Hi, still not too good. She falls asleep but then keeps waking up screaming. I took her to the GP, but she said it's just viral so not an infection which is good. I'm just hoping once she's feeling a bit better, her sleep will improve.

We did a bit of co sleeping in my bed last night, and I got her to have an hour on her pram earlier. I think it's just been a mixture of teething, cough and cold, and getting used to her new cot which she doesn't like. She's never been great with sleep but this has been worse than ever! I may try making the cot a co sleeper for a while until she's used to it more.

Oh poor mite..Glad it's not an infection though. Hope she pulls through it all soon .

Thank you so much, she's actually been settled for about 1/2-2 hours right now which is great!

Actually -probably about an hour but that's still so much better than the past few days :) hopefully it continues;