Hi. My 12 wk. old daughter recently started crying like crazy as I try to nap her. She is an excellent sleeper at night (doing 8-12 hrs. straight since she was 7 wks. old). She used to nap well, go down easily w/ some rocking, sometimes falling asleep on her own. However, last week she started to cry almost constantly throughout my trying to rock her to sleep. I nurse her, try to burp her, & bounce or swing w/ her with music on, sometimes I sing. She will cry for almost 20 min, in my arms, until she falls asleep. I change positions (holding her upright, like a baby, back to me, chest to me, etc.). After all this, she only naps for 45min (though my son took short naps too so I'm not worried about that, esp. since she's an awesome nighttime sleeper). I try to make sure she's not overtired. I'll go up w/ her 1 hr. after waking, 1 1/2 hrs. after waking, I read her cues, etc. It doesn't seem to matter, though she surely gets into an overtired state due to her crying. She's been rather fussy since birth (though not full out colicky). We recently got Mylicon thinking she's gassy. It has helped her to relieve more gas than she otherwise would. Note, I have eliminated caffeine from my diet, reduced my dairy, & the only really gassy food I may eat often is chocolate. Any ideas why she would cry like this in a totally peaceful setting, in my arms? How do I know if I should eliminate dairy altogether, or if she's just a little colicky? She cries as if she's in pain or completely overtired, but this happens even when I go up w/ her after she's only been awake 1 hr.
I think still the colic is disturbing your baby. Try babies magic tea and hope your child will be smooth.
Congratulations!
Just a couple of suggestions...so you swaddle her? I found that my little guy did so much better when he was wrapped up tight until he was about 4-5 months old. The book "the happiest baby on the block" has some wonderful sleep tips in there that do not involve cry-it-out. Crying is not necessarily a bad thing - she just may be working out her frustrations of the day. My son was the same way but it did pass. Good luck!
T.
T.
Does she seem to sleep anywhere else? stroller ? car rides? My kids usually needed background noise like the kids chattering or the radio on to drift off after all the womb was a very noisy place. Good Luck
J.
T.:
it is hard to tell what is going on with her... but crying is a sign that something is bothering her...
you could try a lactation consultant to help sort it out/ have you checked with the md to make sure she doesn't have an ear infection?
gassy foods you eat do not transfer into your milk...
P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions
Do you think she could be overstimulated? Even though the music, singing, bouncing, swinging, and rocking used to help her fall asleep, maybe now it's too much for her and keeping her awake when she wants to doze off. Try limiting the amount of time you sing/rock her and put her down while she is drowsy but still awake. She may fuss for a few minutes, but see if she is able to fall asleep on her after 10 minutes or so.
Good luck!
