Ok, for the past year, my son has had THE best sleep routine...in bed by 8,up at 7. He slept through the entire night without waking even once.
Last night, he woke at 2am, which is very odd so I went in and rocked him back to sleep. My first thought was that he'd had a nightmare. 45 min later, he woke up again...and again 2 more times. I tried putting him in bed with me but he couldnt get comfortable and started whining...long story short,I ended up falling asleep sitting upright in the rocking chair with his head cradled against my shouder(him facing me). This was the only way I could get him to sleep. He did not have a fever. I started to think maybe he had a tummy ache. Anyway, so this morning he wakes up at 6:30 and I go ahead and start the day. He goes about his day as he normally would and shows no signs of sickness or distress. He took his afternoon nap as scheduled but then skipped dinner b/c he fell asleep on our way home from a bday party(6:30pm.) I figured he was tired from not sleeping well the previous night(i know i was!) so I just went ahead and put him to bed early.
Well,come 11 pm, he wakes up again. I dreaded going through another night like the previous and did not want to start a bad habit,so I went ahead and let him cry it out for 15 min. I have not had to use this method since he was 6 mos old! And of course now, his cry is fiercer and stronger. So after 15 min of nonstop crying, I went in and discovered he had vomited all over himself!! I felt absolutley terrible and immediately soothed him,took off his pj's, and sat with him in a warm bath. My husband cleaned his crib and threw his sheets in the wash while we sat in the bathtub. After getting him dressed, we let him sit in bed with us for 45 minutes watching TV. He started to rub his eyes and get cranky so I knew he was ready to go back to bed. I could not get him to fall sleep in bed with us so I rocked him and put him back in his crib(with clean and dry sheets of course!).
This was 15 min ago. He is currently still sleeping but I am almost 8 months pregnant and cannot go through another all nighter like last night. What could be wrong with him??? Is it possible for an 18 mo old child to teeth? His back teeth have started to come in. I dont know if he vomited b/c he felt sick, or from the crying,or what. I really just don't know and am SO tired. What if he wakes up again? He has no fever and shows no signs of discomfort or sickness during the day. No diarreah either. Help!!!
I'm with Dana on the old ear infection answer. My daughter is 18 months old too and that is the same problem I have with her. We are getting tubes on the 27th. Also, it could be molars.
I'd really consider going to the dr. to have his ears checked. Nighttime is tough with ear infections. They don't have to have a fever. My son threw up the other night b/c he cried so hard due to pain. Just a thought!!! Good luck.
First thing! Call your pediatrician, print this out and take it to your pediatrician or read it out over the phone. Get advice from a doctor as well as the other moms.
My son is 18 months and has now cut all of his teeth except for the canines which are coming in right now. My son has always been an easy baby but there have been strange outbursts like these since he cut his molars. Most of the time it was accompanied by a slight fever and a quick vomiting session. He was usually fine but I have taken him to the doctor to find it was because of a sinus infection or ear infection that was just beginning. Either way, I would clear it with your pediatrician.
GOOD LUCK!
Hi Alex,
Usually with a virus/bug, he's going to repeat the vomiting about every hour in the beginning and then gradually slow down within a 24 hr period.
Sounds to me like he did have a quick vomiting session while possibly crying so hard or from teething.
I can't say mine have ever vomited from teething or crying but when they have any type of virus, you'll just know!
They're miserable and 99% of the time they will be running a high fever and you'll need plenty of clean sheets around!
Good luck and hope everthing gets better for you and your son very soon!
~N.~
I would go in today and make sure that he does not have an ear infection! My kiddos never run a fever with their ear infections, and in fact my infant just had an ear infection, and had no signs of a cold or anything..I was surprised for sure, but she was doing the same thing. If he is normally a great sleeper, there is obviously something wrong, and he needs your help. Or better yet, your husbands help!! It is very challenging to have one baby not sleeping when the one in your stomach is draining you too, but it will get better. I dont think that you will ruin his routine by figuring out the quickest way to get everyone back to sleep. Sometimes you have to do what works, and get some sleep. Try motrin before he sleeps and see if that helps. But the throwing up was probably from the crying, one of the reasons I never let them cry it out, I always end up feeling guilty and havign twice the work:) Good luck ~A.~
Get a more comfortable rocker - a recliner maybe? :) You'll have two babies to rock soon, anyway. Seriously - no matter what it is, as a mom it's impossible to watch your baby cry. My guess would be a growth spurt (he's hungry) or teething (in pain)... or he could just have that nasty stomach bug going around (Benadryl, believe it or not).
I don't believe in CIO but I personally believe the throwing up was induced by the fit he was throwing in bed while tired. When a child wakes at night it is very important to keep the lights and tv off. No sound, no talking, nothing. They need to know that it is night time and nothing will change that. If he enjoyed watching late night tv with you then that may have started a whole new ball game. An 18 month old child can definitely teeth and feel pain. They get 2 year molars. My 2 year old still only has 12 teeth. Is it possible his room was chilly? I would try white noise such as a humidifier or even a machine that makes white noise to try and lull him back to sleep. Save the Ped trip for when his throwing up is more regular and accompanied by fever.
I know how you feel and I am sorry! It honestly sounds like an ear infection to me. Most of the time they act normal but laying down makes the ears pop which hurts really bad! My middle son and baby have both had really bad ear infections that ended up with us getting tubes put in. Reading your story is like reading my life. I would say ear infection and take him in to the Dr. They will start him on antibiotics. Congrats on the new baby coming soon and Good Luck!
You said you are 8 months pregnant. My daughter was born when my son was 18 months old. I could definitely tell a change in his behavior the last 2 months before the birth-waking a few times, a little more clingy to me. I think even this young they can sense that there is a big change coming. He may just need a little extra reassurance. You may want to take him to the doctor about the vomiting, or at least keep an eye on him for other symptoms. I have used cry it out with my kids and they haven't thrown up before.
I had the same thing happen with my older son when I was pregnant with my second. He slept great but suddenly started waking up at night.
When the cry was fussy, he was usually just thirsty (I taught him the sign for thirsty and when I'd ask him, he'd make the sign as if to say yes. He'd drink his water and go right back to sleep. In these cases I soothed him while in his crib and didn't pick him up.
When the cry was (and is) urgent and mad, it is almost always an ear infection, especially when he wakes up several times a night. (Has he had a cold or a runny nose lately? That's a telltale sign for both of my boys.) Now I can tell when it's an ear infection, and I know it's painful, so I do pick them up and soothe them that night, but I'm on the phone making a doctor's appointment first thing the next day. I haven't been wrong yet. :-)
About the vomiting ... sometimes my oldest cries so hard he makes himself sick. It's not unheard of, and if he's not running a fever, maybe he's just getting too upset.
I just keep telling myself these days are TEMPORARY ... that they will eventually grow out of all this. But when that happens, they won't be babies anymore either. Somehow I have learned to treasure the time I have with them in the wee hours of the morning when these kinds of things happen. I'm much more tolerant now that I'm getting a little more sleep, and I'm sure you will be, too.
Best wishes to you and congratulations!
When my 18 month old daughter does this, she has an ear infection...EVERY TIME! I would get him checked just in case.
this same thing happened to us a few weeks ago, and she actually ended up having a stomach virus that was going around. Then I felt terrible :)
I feel your pain- my daughter is 19 months and has always been a great sleeper but after Thanksgiving she went through a period of about a week where she did exactly what you are describing. I first thought it was all the disturbance in her schedule due to family being in town. But now I've noticed her first molars (she's a late teether) coming through so I think this could have been it. I also agree that the throwing up was from having such a big fit. After 3 days of coaxing her back to sleep just like you did- our bed/ rocking chair I realized that she was expecting me to come take her out of her crib/room. So I started going in the first time-leaving the lights very low- changing her diaper and bringing her something cold- either a cup with a little ice water or a cold teething ring but never really talking to her and never bringing her out of her room. After that first time I would let her cry it out. If you are concerned about him throwing up then maybe let him cry for shorter increments and check on him again- I've let my daughter pick a toy to bring to bed and I think it helps if she has that toy to play with while she goes back to sleep. Good luck- I think the key is to try your very best not to take him out of his room. It will get better soon- don't worry.
Have him checked for an ear infection. My daughter never runs fever when she gets them. It may bother him when he lays down.
Hey Alexandra,
When I was 8 months pregnant, my older son went through a phase where he would wake up crying about 2 times a night after sleeping quietly through the night from the age of 3 months. I typically got up and rocked him back to sleep. It wasn't fun, but it was just a phase.
Good luck!
C.
