Why sleep when you can scream? SHUT UP DD!

[FatRedCrayon]

DD, 7 months, is currently screaming her face off having dozed for 5 minutes then woken up.

She has never been the world's best sleeper but the last few days she's been horrific. She will scream at full throttle for hours. Naps, bedtime, middle of the night... anything. She's well and eats/drinks fine. No teeth issues. I have to sit by the cot and hold her hand till she goes to sleep. This was working just fine up until a few days ago. Now half the time she'll wriggle away and the other half she'll doze off then wake after a few minutes and hit full volume shortly after.

Self settling my fat arse. If she does pass out from exhaustion she'll still be up again after a few minutes and it'll start over. Leaving her just means she screams longer. Picking her up and soothing her means she screams even louder when put down.

After an hour and a half screamfest in the middle of the night she ended up in with me last night. Cue me getting zero sleep and her getting broken sleep (but at least she was mostly quiet). Even that doesn't help today though as she's just going mental right in my ear.

DH fucked off to the spare room and wears earplugs. DS at least has the ability to sleep through most of it although it's meant him getting some pretty late nights as he can't get to sleep for ages. I was really hoping she'd actually take a fucking nap today and let me get a bit of rest but no. That would be too much to ask for wouldn't it!

I don’t think anyone will be able to give me a solution, sadly. I guess I just need to rant before I crack and throw her back in the cot and leave the country!

I have a suggestion, though probably not a solution!

She's too young to sleep through on her own. I suggest you co-sleep so you both get some sleep. Take in turns with dh.

I had this for 2.5 years and then a year of getting up 3/4 night to resettle because I refused to co sleep. Now she just climbs into my bed anyway at 3.5.

If you can sleep with her next to you I recommend it

I get little or no sleep with co-sleeping and after going through that with DS I would really like my own bed back. She has slept well in her own bed! She was at one point mostly sleeping through with only one night feed and usually able to be resettled when she woke otherwise. It's all gone to shit and I don't know why.

God no don't co sleep.

Leave the room, shut the door and make a cuppa. There's nothing you can do and she's too small to climb out so she's safe. Give yourself a breather. Xx

This is totally normal sadly, they go through so many different stages during the first year. Is she learning to crawl or anything similar currently? I found 7 months very tough but I do cosleep mostly to get the rest x

She’s been crawling for over a month, just learnt to pull herself up in the last few days (so that could be it, but frankly, she’s a baby, I could blame it on anything from teeth to the phase of the moon).

I have walked out of the room... then feel massively guilty for leaving the poor mite in such obvious distress. Uuuugh! Not sure I can handle another night like last night!

Thanks for the support! If I wasn’t still breastfeeding I’d be on the already!

Is there any chance she is ill with ear infection or sore throat?

nothing to offer on the sleep front but no reason you cant have a glass bottle of wine whilst breastfeeding.

Please don't tell me you have been depriving yourself of wine for 7 months for no reason too!!

No wonder you are fucked off

You can definitely enjoy some wine whilst breastfeeding! The saying is safe to drive safe to feed x

actually you would have to drink enough alcohol to require certain hospitalisation and possible death just to give your breast milk the same alcohol content as orange juice.

So crack open the wine without further delay.

Oh dear, all I can say is it will pass!! Don't leave her screaming. I'd co-sleep for now for at least part of the night. She sounds like she's going through an anxious phase. Could you lay in her room while she goes to sleep? Or try gradual retreat.
Not being patronising but is there a chance she's hungry. My 7mo sometimes needed milk in the night

Oly5 I’m pretty sure she doesn’t need milk, as when she does deign to sleep, she can go until morning. I’ve offered before, and she’s only been quiet while the boob is in her mouth!

Pastabest, crazycatlady Thankfully I’ve not deprived myself totally! I’ve been sticking to a single glass only though which seems to be the general advice (but I’d happily sink a bottle today)

Lapinr0se Can’t be sure, but she doesn’t have a temperature or any symptoms. Other than being a very grumpy baby! I am a pretty grumpy mummy though, so we are a right pair at the moment.

Ear infections often have no symptoms other than pain. You could trying giving calpol or nurofen tonight 20 mins before bed to see if it helps.
And definitely drink wine!!

How about I have the Calpol and she has the wine? Because I’d do almost anything for a good night’s sleep!

(I would not actually feed my baby wine, for anyone worried. Waste of good wine, that would be...)

You can have calpol AND wine

Sounds like it's to do with her now being able to move around now.

Just checking, does she look like she's in pain? Just wondering now that she's weaning that maybe she's a little intolerant to something and has tummy pain?

seven she looks pretty damn pissed off, red faced and tear streaked, but not in pain, no. She’s taken to weaning really well and so far, no evidence of allergies or reactions. That’s a definite plus. She scoffed more than toddler DS at lunchtime so I’m pretty sure I can rule out hunger.

lapin woohoo, pushing the boat out!

Having had a child with silent reflux, many people asked if I was insane when we hit pregnant a second time.

If you have ruled out pain (Calpol) and hunger, close the door, gave a cry and a glass of wine.

Raising children would be so much easier if they came with a built in trouble shooter.

We had spells of this too. After it's gone on a couple of nights threw everything at him.
Calpol
Teething gel
Gripe water
White noise
Olbas oil in the room
Extra layer
Did a mega full on day with lots of stimulation, fresh air and exercise

Usually well about 20% of the time the calpol or gripe water did the trick.

Good luck!

I have had wine. She has had calpol. (Her temp was up a little bit - less than a degree, so not significant). She eventually settled. She is due a dream feed shortly. Let's see how the night progresses...! Thanks for support!

Could be her first tooth erupting even through she's not showing the normal symptoms..the only symptoms my boy used to show was screaming constantly!