Help! My baby cries hysterically...?

Question

My daughter is 3 months old, and during most of the day, a perfect angel. She's got her schedule down pretty well, getting hungry at feeding times, going down to naptimes pretty easily at the same time every day. The problem comes at night- after 6 P.M., it's impossible to get her to sleep. When I put her down, she cries hysterically, screaming even, as though she's in pain. If I pick her up, she stops, but refuses to fall asleep and remains awake & active. I have tried sitting with her in her room, using orajel & tylenol for teething pain, nursing her to sleep (she awakens again no more than 15 minutes later), and pretty much every other strategy I can think of. I find no symptoms of ear infection or diaper rash, nor of any other illness. I hate, HATE having to make her "cry it out", as this process easily lasts 30 minutes or more. Has anyone else had this problem, and if so, how did you solve it?? Please, help!

Answer 1

My son would do the same thing...

>I would give them and extra 2 oz or so of formula
>switch from formula to water.. for the night
>make sure the diper is not wet
>rub his back for about 5 to ten minutes while on his stomach in the crib
>put him to sleep an hour or two later in the night.

The baby wants to be with you, not sleep,,, each kid is different, so try to be observant, trying different things...

Answer 2

Check with your daughter's doctor but it sounds like colic. My oldest did this at 2 or 3 months old at 11pm every night for an hour or so like clockwork. I'm sorry to say it lasted for several months but then it stopped. Many babies go through this. Our second son didn't but he was just fussy pretty much 24/7!

One thing we did was to take turns every night with the oldest baby, one of us would stay up with the baby and the other would go to bed. (Not that we would really be able to sleep through it but at least we wouldn't be "on duty" every night.) My husband would lay down on the floor in the baby's room with the baby on his (my husband's) chest, then when the baby fell asleep, he'd put him in his crib. When it was my turn, I would just rock him in the rocking chair in the living room and watch TV with the sound down low. It didn't help to sing or talk to him, in fact it seemed to make him howl louder, so I would just watch TV and rock him and he would finish his cry and fall asleep.

So if the baby's father or someone else can take turns with you, at least you'd have a night off from it sometimes. Go take a shower or a walk, then you won't be able to hear the crying and you'll have a little "mom" time.

Another thing you can try is to put your daughter on her belly across your lap and rub her back, sometimes if they have gas this will help, and I also think sometimes the novelty of a new position that they're not used to distracts them.

Another possiblility is that your daughter isn't sleepy at 6pm, maybe now that she's not a brand new baby, she wants to stay up a little later and have some playtime. You don't say when she normally gets up in the am. At her age she should still be taking 2 good naps every day, but she may not necessarily need to sleep all the time like a newborn does. You mention that she's awake and active during this time when you pick her up, so maybe she just wants to be with mom?

Best wishes to you and your family, I hope some of this was helpful for you.

Answer 3

Some babies do, other dont. I have three children. My first was a very good nature baby only cried when he really needed something. My second was a very very fussy baby. He went through "purple crying"(you should look it up). He would just flip out and cry for hours and when they do sometime you just have to let them lay. If they are fed and changed and nothing is hurting them sometimes they just need to just cry. After about 7months he finally stop that type of crying. He is now 1 and still is a little more fussy but that's just who he is. My third child is only a few days old so we will see. Good Luck.

Answer 4

I know that this might sound silly, but it happened with my son when he was born. When you put your baby down for sleep, is there a night light on somewhere in the room? My son, when he was born, for some reason would never sleep in a dark room. I finally put a soft glow nightlight in the bedroom off to the side of the crib so it wasn't directly in his eyes, and he started going down easier. It might be something to try. Also, insted of picking her up, lay her back down and rub her belly, this will let her know that it is night night time and she will not be getting back out of the crib. Eventually this should stop or lessen. If you try these things and she still has issues, I'd ask my baby's dr about the issue and let them know exactly what you've tried and for how long. Good luck!

Answer 5

I know it's really hard right now and you are probably so tired, but don't let the baby cry it out. She's probably collicky. If she is formula fed, you may want to switch to a "predigested" formula. It may help reduce gas. Also, make sure there is no air in the bottles you give her. If you use drop-ins squeeze all the air out before feeding her. You may want to consider getting an infant massage book and do the "windmill" or sunrise, sunset one. This was an absolute miracle life-saver for me. My son nursed, but seemed to be collicky around the same age. With my husband on duty, I had to figure it out on my own. I got the massage book on a recommendation and it worked almost instantly! Good luck and hang in there.

Answer 6

She seems to be comforted by you--which is a security issue. After making sure from a pedia. checkup she's not sick, establish a bedtime routine that doesn't involve too much. It was a great comfort to do the following with my son at that age: a milk bottle, rocking to sleep with bedtime songs, laying him down gently in crib.

Your daughter's still so young so don't expect her necessarily sleeping through the night easily now--but establishing a bedtime routine helps. Here are other tips I learned: keep house quiet, darken her room, make sure room is comfortable temperature..

She's too young for teething, so it sounds like a behavioral thing. She's too young to "cry it out"--which I still don't beleive in.

Also consult drsears.com--it's a great resource.

Answer 7

I would first check with your pediatrician to make sure it's nothing physical. If your nursing, you may not be producing enough milk to keep her full. You could try supplementing. As far as crying it out, they say the first night is the worst and then it should lessen each consecutive night. You might also try having your husband/significant other try putting her down. Good Luck.

Answer 8

DO NOT make her "cry it out"...........she is too little

take her to her doctor tomorrow. My baby did the exact same thing and was having SEVERE attackes of "silent reflux" meaning the acid was coming up and buring her throat badly, but she was not power puking like most reflux babies. when she would lay down, the acid burned, but when she was upright, it got better. and it was always around 6pm when it would start. I used to joke that I had to have her home by 6 for when her screaming fits started. first we thought colic, but thank God my ped did the reflux test. she is now on Prevacid and special formula and has been a happy, healthy baby...........
good luck

P.S.
Don't use "bedtime bath" or "bedtime lotion" on a baby less then 6 months old. it is too strong for their skin. It can burn or give her a rash, therefor adding to her screaming.

Answer 9

Have you tried swaddling her in a blanket? Also try Johnsons soothing baby bath, it smells like lavender, try bathing her right before bedtime, then swaddling her in a blanket, put on soft sleep music in her room, not to loud though, if you can barely hear it, it's loud enough. Then put her in her crib, try sitting with her in the room BUT don't touch her, sometimes they are happy just to know you are there.
I hope this will work for you..good luck and congrats on your new addition to your family

Answer 10

Sounds like colic. If she gets it every night try nursing from one breast every feeding instead of two. The fatty milk at the beginning of a feeding on each breast can cause colic. You can try gripe water too to help her get rid of the gas, rub her belly, or my son like the sound of running water or the vaccum. Put him to sleep every night. If it doesnt help, call your doctor.