Has anyone else had any experience with a baby (mine will be 18 months on the 25th) that seems to be more irritable than happy? My daughter seems to cry or whine almost all day long. She is a huge mommy's girl and often won't go to anyone but me ( I am a SAHM). The thing is that she does it in the middle of the night too..she hasn't slept well in months!! She will wake up several times a night and scream at the top of her lungs for hours if you let her. She will usually quiet down if you sleep with her in the chair but there is only so many times I can do that. My husband travels so I am often with my two daughters (another girl age 5) by myself. Thankfully we moved back to MN to be near family to help but I am at a breaking point. I don't understand what the issue is with my child and I can say I can't take it much longer. She is teething and is getting more than 1 tooth in at a time. She has tubes in her ears and has been checked by a pediatrician (even just today) for any signs of illness. She doesn't eat solid foods well as she has low muscle tone in her face and jaw and has been in feeding therapy for almost 6 months. We have recently moved from IL to MN however this has been going on since way before we moved. Was anyone else's child this distraught? Is she really that much in pain just from her teeth since she is otherwise healthy? Any words of advice?
What's the medical reason for the low muscle tone in her jaw? Isn't that normally associated with other muscle and joint and pain issues?
Sounds like you are a human blanket for her. Can you opt for a co-sleeping arrangement until you understand her medical diagnosis better?
My son was an irritable sort from 3 mos on. It wasn't until we did allergy testing that we could get everything under control. He had multiple food allergies, some mild, some severe. Eliminating those foods turned him into the happiest baby! Do you notice any other signs? Eczema? Reflux? Rashes?
The fact that she has tubes (as my son did) triggered my response. There seems to be a good correlation between the tubes and allergies.
Hope this helps!
i'm not a doctor, but I would check with an ENT or Gastrointernalogist.
To me it sounds like acid reflux (my niece had it and would cry nonstop)
or a food allergy giving her an upset stomach.
See if you can get some sleep yourself to recharge your batteries and gain some strength, and perhaps some insight into your daughter's situation.
book a weekend at a local motel, get grandma to take both kids in to the zoo, the mall, whatever, and sleep all day. Book them in to a mother's day out program, a half day daycare.
Once you've gotten some rest yourself, you will be much better able to assess her needs and handle her situation.
Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.
I'm sure she's probably on a special diet for her feeding therapy but maybe its upsetting her stomach? Was she this way before starting feeding therapy? Could she be lactose intolerant? Is there something you can add to her diet to help her feel fuller longer? I'm just throwing out ideas...
The next time one of your relatives asks if you need anything, see if they will come spend the night at your house so you can get some sleep.
are you giving her anything to relief the teething pain?. maybe she has reflux?
I am usually the last person to run to a doctor. But if this has been going on for months I would be looking for a specialist to treat her muscle and eating issues. I would also be researching online to learn as much as I could.
Since you are a SAHM and your hubby travels for work you need to get other family members involved. Talk to your mom and MIL, siblings cousins ect, ask them to HELP. If they could each come one day every other week and let you get out of the house and do something for you. If any of them could come and spend the night and hold her once in a while so you could sleep it will help you sooooo much. I also think you need to somewhat break the attachment she has with you. She needs to understand that she is safe and secure with other people. yes yo may have some days of screaming and crying but she and you need a break from each other.
Wow, she sounds so unhappy and uncomfortable.
It really sounds like you are doing a good job of trying to figure out what is going on.. But since she cannot speak yet, it is hard to know if it is pain, fearful, hungry or some sort of sensory sensitivity.
As parents all we can do in these cases is document everything we do for and with a child..
Start a chart of "times".. Time she wakes up time of BM or diaper changes. Time of meals, naps.. etc..
Also a list of her intake.. What she eats, drinks, etc.
Also moods. How does she wake up? How is she at breakfast? Playtime inside, playtime outside.. at the store in the car..
Obviously all medications..
Take a look at her reactions to clothing, temperatures, light.
Step back and look at her as though you do not know her and what do you observe.. Have a family member of friend come over and watch what is going on..
What are your daughters reactions, what does she seem to need?
She does have some physical things going on.. and not being able to communicate can be a huge frustration to a child this age.
Give her words.
You seem happy this morning! I like your smile!
Do you want your milk first or do you want your oatmeal first?
You seem to want me to hold you. Can you hold me hand a walk with me?
That is not a happy face! where is your pretty smile?
I like how you are holding my hand. I like your laugh.
You seem happy.
Look there is sister, give her a hug.
Sister needs to do her homework. Lets give her quiet time.
I know you are frustrated, lets look for something else to play with.
These words will help her express herself on her own..
It may be small words. Our daughter used to raise her arms and say "uppy" Or "holdyoume" When she wanted to be held or picked up
. Or she could say Scared! Or frightened!
No want. Do want.
The sleeping through the night can also take some tweaking.. Making sure her tummy is full. Making sure it is a calm in her room, white noise machine or some quiet music. A good temperature. Maybe too dark or not dark enough.
If she is teething, that really can be very painful for some children. Give her some frozen wash cloths to chew on. Is your child a redhead? Remember they tend to be less tolerant of pain.
I am sending you strength.. This is like a mystery. It will take some study and then a review of the stats to figure out what is going on.. Hang in there.. and always ask someone to help you.. On the weekends. Have your husband watch the kids, while you go to a friend or families home for a nap..
My friend's baby was like that.
The Pediatrician gave her baby a thorough check up looking very carefully at every inch of her body and with a magnifying glass.
It was found, that a blond hair, which was practically invisible to the naked eye.... was wrapped tightly around her baby's toe. And it was getting tighter. It was cutting into the flesh. But, it was not obvious and the hair was pretty invisible. The Doc, had to carefully cut it off... because the hair was so tangled around the baby's toe. And, if it was pulled it probably would have gotten even more, tangled and cut into the skin more.
Once the hair was removed, her baby was all normal and happy.
Have you talked to an occupational therapist about your concerns? They may have insights that pediatricians don't always have regarding things such as sensory needs.
I think something has been missed here. I think that your baby girl is trying to tell you that something else is wrong. Have you considered seeing another doctor? I wonder if all of the things you listed add up to a possible diagnosis that you don't know about yet. She seems troubled to me.
Do you think she could be hungry? How is her weight? I wish I could help more, but I think that your first step is finding another pediatrician. Getting a fresh pair of eyes on her situation might just be whats needed. Good luck to you!
