Help!!! My baby screams!!!

devorahh

Tue, Feb 03 2009, 3:55 pm

My baby is 4 months old and screams before he falls asleep. I don't mean when I put him down by himself to sleep, he screams for 20 minutes before every nap while I rock him, nurse him, sing to him. I put him in a carrier or rock him while he screams then hell finally passes but if I stop rocking he'll cry. I nurse him and he sucks then screams/cries then sucks screams/cries. When he scream, he gets red faced, tears rolling down, chocking on his own saliva, gasping for air sceams. I tried everything: gripe water, rocking him to sleep before he's tiered, wispering sh sh sh..sleepy time,cutting out foods. I brought him to the doctor, he said he is fine, no ear aches, no infections, no reflex! Now he started walking up ever hour or two at night crying. I'm out of ideas and loosing my mind. Help! What could this be? The only thing I can think of is teathing but it's been going on for over a month!

Seraph

Tue, Feb 03 2009, 4:03 pm

teething can last a while.

could it be he's overtired? I found my son went to sleep TERRIBLY when he was overtired, and would shreik and shreik and shreik. maybe you're not putting him to sleep early enough.

devorahh

Tue, Feb 03 2009, 4:12 pm

Maybe..... but I put him to bed at 7:00pm!?
For naps, I've tried putting him to sleep at the first sign of tieredness but he stays up for a while (could be a hour) till the screaming starts.

Seraph

Tue, Feb 03 2009, 4:17 pm

devorahh wrote:

Maybe..... but I put him to bed at 7:00pm!?
For naps, I've tried putting him to sleep at the first sign of tieredness but he stays up for a while (could be a hour) till the screaming starts.

7 pm can be too late. I know kids that need to go to sleep as early as 5:30 or 6. Of course some kids stay up later.
I just found that with my son, he'd do the shreiking you described, when he was past overtired.

Seraph

Tue, Feb 03 2009, 4:19 pm

when he was like that, I'd dim the lights, put on some meditative music, put him in my baby wrap, or hold him swaddled, cover his head with a blanket to cut out visual stimulation, and bounce him.... I found that was the only way to get him out of those overtired freak outs. eventually he'd fall asleep like that and if I waited a few minutes after he fell asleep I'd put him down.

devorahh

Tue, Feb 03 2009, 4:45 pm

I'll try puting him to sleep earlier.
the only thing is now going to sleep at 7 he wakes up at 5 am for the day. If I put him to bed later, he's much more fussy but sleeps later. I'm scared he'll wake up even earlier than 5 am but I'll try it.
Thanks for the advice.

devorahh

Tue, Feb 03 2009, 6:24 pm

So I started my bed time routine one hour earlier. bath, singing, nursing. he's totally up gurgaling and kicking his legs. better luck tomorrow it looks like he's going to be sleeping by 7 Sad

bubby

Tue, Feb 03 2009, 11:30 pm

Bathe him right before you give him the last feed before bed. Avoid eye contact & make the room as dark as possible. DO NOT SAY A WORD! No stimulation at all, not even soft music. If you bottle feed, have the bottle ready as soon as he's dry & dressed. Just feed him in total silence, don't look at him, burp him or whatever, & put him in the crib & leave. BTW, you know they can feel your tension so you should be as relaxed as poss, esp. if you nurse.

Did I say no eye contact? This routine worked like a charm for my kids. Good luck!

devorahh

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 6:02 am

bubby- that is exactly what I do. I gave him a bath put on pjs, turned off the lights nursed him. Usually he falls asleep with burst of crying. last night he nurse for ove 30 minutes then just lied there playing for half an hour. I'm not ready to just leave and let him cry it out he's only 4 months. Then at his usual bed time, he started screaming, I nursed him and he fell asleep.

The problem is that he only screams himself to sleep..I know he is over tiered and I spend my whole day trying to get him to sleep but he only goes down after screaming

Lets say he just woke up from a nap, I'll change his diaper let him play..whatever. The maybe an hour or two later/he'll rub his eyes or yawn. So I'll try to nurse hime to sleep or rock him for as long as I can take it 30 mins-1 hour then finally he screams and goes to sleep. If I do the exact same thing but don't spend so much time trying to get him to sleep when he shows signs of being tiered. I get the same result.

bubby

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 6:13 am

Hmmmm. Well, I guess that won't work too well. Does he sleep at all before he starts to scream, or does he realize you're not there? I'm sorry, I don't have any alternatives as what I suggested worked for all my kids. Someone must have an idea! People?

pinkbubbles

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 7:36 am

I had this with my baby, I wrote a whole megilla to a friend on what finally worked for my baby
I read up a LOT on baby sleep from different authors (none of the methods worked or I wasn't willing to try them, like CIO)
OP do you want me to send you that email? I'll be SO happy to help you, it worked so well for my baby and he barely cries at all, this happening from a baby who would take forever to fall asleep and I'd have to hold him for 20 minutes before putting him down..

devorahh

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 12:01 pm

He can't be hungry he cries while he nurses- it's like he's fighting sleep, doesn't want to miss anything

Yes! please send it to me. I'm new to Ima mother, can you send it through the site or be email. My email is beedove@gmail.com Thanks so much! I really appreciate any help I can get.

Aidelmom

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 12:52 pm

My daughter screamed while she nursed sometimes - I guess there was nothing coming out- and she was exausted and starving - but you know the whole picture of your kid..

AlwaysGrateful

Wed, Feb 04 2009, 12:57 pm

devorahh wrote:

Wait, can you post it instead? I'd really like to know how other people managed it...and I'm sure there are other mothers out there in the same boat.

MimiMommy

Wed, Feb 11 2009, 3:37 pm

My baby does that sometimes, she'll scream while she's nursing. I think with her it's a gas problem-- she's usually fine if I hold her with her back to me and my arm pressing on her stomach.