HELP! 6 month old will NOT let me out of her sight, and I cant even put her down!!!?

Question

My daughter is 6 months old. I have breast fed her since she was newborn and Im very slowly integrating formula bottles into the routine. She has had a cold for about a week and a half and has been on Tylonol for about that long. My problem is that she cries if I leave the room, I can put her to sleep but as soon as I try to lay her down she screams..She wakes up about every thirty minutes at night ( she had been sleeping all night long before). I've done everything I can to make sure her cold isnt keeping her from sleeping ( meds, nose plunger, humidifier etc..) She is nursing constantly but that still doesnt satisfy her. Im at my wits end. I dont know what to do. My daughter has suddenly become soooo difficult...any suggestions or solutions?

Answer 1

Sick babies are very clingy. Unfortunately not much you can do except keep her with you as much as possible. You could use a pouch or put her in her pram & wheel her around the house with you while always being in sight. When my baby & previous babies have been sick i have let them sleep in my bed & feed all night which usually decreases some need for daytime feeds. When you baby is well they will be used to sleeping with you so you might have a night or two of crying until your baby adapts to sleeping on their own again. Have you tried giving your baby some rice cerial? pureed fruit? water? Take care of yourself.

Answer 2

try to calm down:) i have an eight month old and know what you are going through. it's tough but this is the stage when your daughter needs you the most.
she is entering the "stranger/danger" stage when all she wants is her mommy. cute right? well not when you need some time to yourself. try to be empathetic to her needs and remind yourself that this phase will pass and there will be a time when you WISHED she would show you some affection.
she also is becoming more aware of her surroundings and therefore is probably having a hard time falling asleep on her own, although she is fully capable at this age to self-soothe.
she also is sick, right? so there's another reason she wants her mommy. she needs your comfort. try to remember that you are the one who can comfort her the most.
the thing i've learned is that with babies, as soon as you think you've got it figured out, some new challenge pops up and you've got to start over.
my daughter used to sleep through the night and nap for four-five hours in the morning and then 2 hours in the afternoon! now, i'm lucky if she naps for 45 minutes.
i really don't think there is a rhyme or reason, i just think they are trying to figure things out. they are less than a year old!:)
here's a tip on the tylenol:
try to rotate between Children's motrin and tylenol. i don't think it's good to give too much of either so it's good to rotate between the two.
good luck and remember; this too shall pass...and then you'll be on to another challenge:)

Answer 3

That cold may have developed into an ear or sinus infection. If she cries when you lay her down, it is probably pressure in her ears making her cry. Quite common in babies this age. It is so hard to tell at this age, though. Check her temperature 4-5 hours after a dose of tylenol to see if she has a fever. Or, if the mucus from her nose is yellow or green, that is a sign of infection. Only a medical professional can look in her ears to see if they are infected, so it seems like you need to take her in to see the doc.

Also - it seems like Linda, who recommended to stop nursing so often, is not aware that breast milk is a living fluid that contains antibodies to help fight infection. KEEP nursing - breast milk, unlike cow's milk will NOT make congestion worse, and it WILL help baby fight illness. So nurse as much as you feel comfortable doing it. There nothing better you can give your baby. I know how hard it is to get through these rough spots, but it is temporary, and it will be over soon.

Answer 4

Ugh, sounds like you have been through a lot lately with your child being sick and now her change in behavior.

Remember that your daughter is not being difficult on purpose. She is just going through a phase of some sort. I can think of three possible causes:

1. she may still have a cold.
2. she may be teething.
3. she's going through a growth spurt.

I have a 12 month old, so I was where you are 6 months ago. When my daughter was teething, she was so whiney and wouldn't let me put her down for weeks. It was so bad, my husband and I started to think this was just her personality. Then 4 teeth popped out at once and she woke up happy and fun one day! She's been happy and fun ever since.

Also, remember that this phase goes so fast. In a couple years, we'll be asking why our kids don't want us to hold them!! No parent ever wishes they held their baby less.

Answer 5

This is very typical behavior, particularly w/ breastfed babies. Try the following: 1)Get some pediatric Neosynephrine nose drops. Ask your pharmacist; they are available over the counter and are gentle. They will help her breathe at night. 2)Consider taking her to her doctor; she may well have an ear infection...my girls always got clingly when they had an ear ache. She may need an antibiotic. Try having your husband give her a bottle at night...sometimes, if they can't smell Mommy, they go back to sleep. Finally, play A LOT of peek-a-boo with her. I'm serious. Playing peek-a-boo teaches babies that people who "disappear" come back!

Try to be patient. Oh, and infant's Motrin might work better, and one dose lasts 8 hours. Good luck...this will pass.

Answer 6

She could be nursing for comfort. Take her to a doctor, because she could be having signs of severe discomfort and not know how to tell you. I had a child at that age who wouldn't let me put him down ever and would scream when I did, and he had trouble breathing (but it wasn't until we had several tests done that we knew why!). If you're at your wits end, always call a medical helpline (or after hours doctor line) or family member. They can help you, and there may even be an underlying medical condition. Some kids have trouble switching to a bottle also because of feeding problems, illness or ear infections.

Answer 7

I artwork at a vet hospital, and a customer merely lately extra of their new domestic dog. She is 6 months previous and they merely followed her about per week and a nil.5 in the past. She change into not yet potty educated both. And her vendors were doing each little thing they knew to do as a thanks to potty practice her. After over per week of teaching, and actual NO progression they got here to us. The domestic dog ended up having a Urinary Tract an infection, and it truly is the reason they were having the kind of troublesome time potty education her. A UTI may reason usual urination, and irrelevant urination (both urinating interior, or not on the pee pads). So i imagine the next move might want to be to have your veterinarian run a urinalysis as a thanks to envision for a UTI. If she don't have a UTI, then you truthfully can ought to Re Potty practice her, as if she change right into a 10 week previous domestic dog.

Answer 8

My daughter is going through the same thing. Check for teeth!!!! also, make sure you keep her ears clean; Another thing to do is to give her a warm bath right before bed... they get so upset or so tired from the bath that it makes it easier for you to introduce the bottle. Also makes it much easier to put them to bed. Especially if they are cranky. it is normal for the baby to want you to hold them or to turn inwards to hug you as they try to fall asleep; when sick my baby becomes way more attached and needy. Another suggestion is that before you give her a bath sit her up in her carseat to watch some cartoons or tv. This will help to drain the mucus from her nose. Of course you can also give her 2 oz juice mixed with 2 oz of water.

Tylenol doesnt do anything for a baby of that age....unless it is reducing a fever.. seems like your baby has more symptoms of a cold so take her temp frequently with diaper changes. The best thing to do is keep her ears very clean check her for teeth coming in, keep her clean and keep her pacifier or any toys that are going in her mouth clean. Also, A bad cold will get worse it can last up to 6 days. You will notice it gets realllllly horrible like a weasing cough and nonstop running nose. This usually happens a day or two before the baby starts to get better.


PS- Baby Vicks works great too. tiny bit on their back and chest.
Good Luck!!!!

Answer 9

I love the swing idea. That worked for me too. Just remember she is going through a phase and it will be over in a short while- because she is sick she is even more needy.
A 6 month old still feels that you and her are one person, so when you leave - she feels she is being ripped apart. It sounds like you are exhausted. Maybe try taking a nap with her - let her sit up on your chest while you sleep in a chair.

Answer 10

your baby does not need juice, all the nutrition she needs is in formula or breastmilk. juice is just empty calories right now. she shouldn't be taken tylenol for that long of a period. those medications are meant for short term use as in 1,2 or 3 days not almost two weeks.

she is looking for comfort from the cold. she could also be teething, try giving her a teething ring or orajel. have u taken her to the dr. yet, it could be an ear infection. is she tugging at her ears?