OMG What's wrong with them!

My boys are 8 1/2 months old and normally pretty well behaved and calm. They usually take 2 at least 1-2 hour naps a day and then go to bed at 7. They still wake up at least once at night but it's before I go to bed so I don't mind. Well this week has been horrible! They fuss all day long, they are never content for more than a couple minutes, they hardly ever finish bottles, they won't nurse, they only eat a few bites of solids except for cheerios (they are like vacuums). They have litterally only slept for 45 minutes all day today. They seem like they are getting colds because they have runny noses but no fevers or anything else. What is going on with them! Please tell me this is just a phase because I don't know how many more days I can take. Do I need to take them to the doctor, I am really losing it? I just finally had to put them in their cribs and walk away to save my sanity. Please tell me someone else has dealt with this. :blink:

 

Have you heard of Wonder Weeks? There is one around 37 weeks where children are supposedly learning that things belong in "categories". That along with physical milestones and teething can make 7-8 months a bit rough!!

Here's some more info:

During these times when a baby's ability to understand the world around him is changing, he may need more attention.

He may cry more, be more fussy and need more comforting. This may be due to other reasons, such as being unwell.
Some of the babies lose their appetites.
Some babies who have been sleeping well may take more time to go off to sleep and wake more often.
Some young children who have been happily exploring their world may become more clingy, and become upset much more easily.
They may show an increased need for body contact with their mothers.

Good Luck!
Suzi

 

They might just be coming down with something or cutting some teeth. mine are always more clingy the day or two before a cold comes on full force.
hope they are back to "normal" soon!

 

Although mine are generally fairly crazy they have definitly been at an all time high in terms of whiney, clingyness. It can basically go on all day due to the fact that I only have two arms!

As you know Jack and Lily are 8 months also! Opps, Lily is in the dog bowl...gotta go!

Amy

 

Sounds to me like they are probably either cutting a tooth or about to. Crankiness, disturbed sleeping patterns, not eating or drinking much, and runny nose with no other cold symptoms are all teething symptoms. My girls cut their first tooth at 8 months and 8 months 3 weeks. Take a look in their mouth and see if you notice any very red or possibly whitish bumps on their gums. Whatever it is, I'm sorry you are dealing with this. It's so hard when they are out of sorts. Hope everything gets back to normal soon.

 

I feel for you -- mine have also been a handful and a half this week. For us, it's a combo of another cold (their third, ugh), teething for Kevan (I think), dropping the third nap, Karina finally learning to roll to get where she wants, etc.

No real advice, unfortunately -- try Motrin for teething, which seems to work better than Tylenol, and lots of saline/nose sucking, plus the baby Vicks Vaporub, which I really like.

Seems like 7-8 months is tough for everyone!

 

I've been thinking the same thing-8 1/2 months almost too! They are only happy when they are standing, but can't do it very long on their own. Not so easy to hold onto two babies holding onto the chair, as all of you know. They are sooo over the on-the-tummy-almost- crawling-thing. I'm wondering how they will ever learn to crawl if they won't get into that position for more than 10 seconds! If I set them on the floor and lay down with them to play, they scream bloody murder. How dare I get down to play with them! I agree with the concept of them learning beyond their abilities causing frustration.

 

Sounds like teething to me...we went through a lot of that before any toofies even pushed through. We've had good luck with those Hylands teething tablets, and they also make a gel (have only found it at Walmart)--it doesn't taste at all that I can tell (as opposed to Baby Orajel--YUCK). The natural stuff in those pills/gel seem to calm them down and help them sleep. Good luck! Everything passes!!!

 

I second the teething thing. Oh my heavens Eloise was SUCH a nightmare the last week until *POP*! She has two new teeth and is like a whole new kid again. Hang in there, and administer tylenol frequently!

reyna

 

Ericka,

In case you are interested, here's a great link to more info on the wonder weeks:

http://www.livingcontrolsystems.com/wonder...nt_ww.html#ch06

Good Luck!
Suzi

 

QUOTE(kendall22 @ Feb 1 2008, 03:32 AM) [snapback]599931[/snapback]
I've been thinking the same thing-8 1/2 months almost too! They are only happy when they are standing, but can't do it very long on their own. Not so easy to hold onto two babies holding onto the chair, as all of you know. They are sooo over the on-the-tummy-almost- crawling-thing. I'm wondering how they will ever learn to crawl if they won't get into that position for more than 10 seconds! If I set them on the floor and lay down with them to play, they scream bloody murder. How dare I get down to play with them! I agree with the concept of them learning beyond their abilities causing frustration.



I agree with you totally on this. Mine can not crawl yet but they only are happy sitting up. Which I have to put them in the sitting position but they hate laying on their stomach to play now. Mine have gotten really clingy towards me and very fussy. I feel like I have to sneak around them because if they see me they just cry more. I am not even going to discuss the sleep issues that have arisen in the last month :icon_eek: I am pretty sure that my girls are starting to teeth too and that isn't helping anything. Good luck and hopefully we can all get over this stage. Oh and does anybody feel like everything is one big developemental stage? When do they level off on stages?

 

I would definitely say that it's teething even if you can't feel or see the teeth yet. Aubrey has two nubs on the bottom and has been a pain this past two weeks. Luckily she loves orajel :blink: . Avarey has acted the same as her sister but has been sleeping soooo much! And has no nubs at all. Both are extremely clingy and scream bloody burder if I am holding their sister and not them. :umm: . So I can definitely say that I too know what you are going through.
Some days are better than others with their sleep, but it is probably easier for me to because I stay with them 24/7 and I pretty much hold them when they need it or want it. I have been starting the sleep training though and I have been letting them fuss to sleep for their 2nd nap since they sleep the longest at that time. And I realized that Avarey can sleep right through Aubrey's wailing :Clap: . I also realized that they can hold out to sleep until 7 or 8 pm if the get the sleep longer in the 2nd nap. This has been cutting out our evening power nap that keeps us up until 1 or 2 am sometimes. :angry: . I pray that it gets better soon.

Lots of love!
Meshell

 

Hey,

Just wondering how they are doing? Were you able to figure out what has been going on with them? I hope they are doing ok and things are getting back to normal (whatever the heck that may be ).

 

I'm not sure if your kiddos are exposed to any 'bugs' like my daycare boys, but we had something similar 2 weeks ago with Conner. I chalked it up to teething...kept Motrin in him, slathered him with Orajel, etc. He was just a bear! Luckily, we had their 6 month Pediatrician appt & found out he had Hand, Foot, & Mouth Disease! It's a virus he picked up at daycare that left his poor throat/mouth covered in sores! I couldn't see the sores when he'd open his mouth, but they were noticable when the doc used the tongue depressor & light! The "rash" on his hands & feet was so mild that I never really noticed it (or thought twice about it)! I felt so awful, although there wasn't any other treatments I could've done in the meanwhile.

Just wanted to throw out there that teething can be a good culprit, but if your kiddos don't seem to get better, it may not hurt getting checked out. Our doc said the 2 HUGE symptoms of HFMD (an enterovirus) are 1. not eating & 2. SUPER clingy. It needed to run it's course & lasted about 5 days, but then lucky for us, Aiden followed close behind (it's SUPER contagious). It could also be their ears causing pain & difficulty eating!?!?

Too bad kids didn't come with books or little light up signs that said what was troubling them !