Screaming at bedtime - help

Hey ladies,

Well, the last two nights have been super hard. Usually, the babies fall asleep around 8 pm. I feed them and then curl up with them and out they go.

The last two nights have been different. Allison starts screaming at 7 pm. I doesn't matter what I do, she still screams. She won't nurse, she doesn't want to be walked, she doesn't want to be in the swing. Nothing works. Saturday night my husband finally made a bottle. She took that - ate three ounces and then fell asleep.

Last night the screaming started again. I tried to nurse her - she still screamed. I tried to walk her - screaming. I tried singing to her - screaming. Well, I used my husband's logic - if you are going to scream on me then I will put you down and you can scream off me. I put her in the bedroom on my bed while I folded two baskets of laundry.

The screaming hit a point where her face was purple and she was gagging! I just had to cry. I picked her up. After about ten more minutes of screaming and gagging (with me holding her and over an hour after it started) she finally was so exhausted she fell asleep screaming.

I feel so terrible for her and helpless, but I don't know what else to do. None of my other kids have ever done this. I don't want her to get into the habbit of drinking a bottle every night - I will happily nurse her but I don't want to give into formula every night. I don't want her to scream everynight like this. My husband thinks it may be something I ate - she had a nasty poo yesterday morning so he is thinking she may have tummy pain. I have no idea but I can't watch her scream for another night.

Any advice!

 

It sounds to me that by the time she starts screaming she is overtired. Try putting her down at about 6:30-7pm or before you know when the screaming will happen. My DS did this at that age and one night it started early and I had had enough so I just put him in his crib at around 7pm instead of 9pm and out he went. So now that's their bedtime eversince and I haven't had a screaming fit since.

I do feel for you, hopefully she will sort herself out soon!

 

I agree with pp. When our babies would cry at night for hours we started putting them to bed much much earlier and we were amazed to find that they would fall asleep! I would try getting them in bed at least 15 minutes before you have noticed the crying begins. Hope things quiet down soon!

 

quote:
It sounds to me that by the time she starts screaming she is overtired. Try putting her down at about 6:30-7pm or before you know when the screaming will happen.


My thoughts exactly.

 

Sounds to me that she's overstimulated (common to be an issue at 3 mo or so) -- I'd move bedtime earlier. and start watching her sleepy signs. i'd also try to institute a nap schedule (will take a few months to nail down, but always good to start now)

Cheers,

Teri D

 

I totally agree. DD1 did this and so does Ainsley. There's nothing you can do but rock and comfort at that point. With DD1, this lasted for yrs if we were not home ny bedtime - watch out! It was like we had an 8 o'clock curfew; had to be home by 8:30!

 

I just went through the same thing with Riley lastweek, she wouldn't eat and nothing would calm her down. Finally I took her to the doctor's and she had a double ear infection. She started taking her medicine and is now back to her pain in the butt self.

 

I would definetly try an earlier bedtime. If she is still having trouble, I would try to see if something you eat is upsetting her. If all ele fails, take her to the doc to see if something is wrong. Hope it gets better soon!

 

One more in agreement of putting them down earlier...good luck!