Why Is She SO Cranky????

My daughter (13 months old) gets like this when she's getting ready to cut a tooth. Hang in there...."this, too shall pass"!

I am not a doctor, just a mother of 2. and I would say that it sounds like the 1 year molars are on their way. Try a little tylenol and see if that helps at all. Or frozen pieces of fruit to chew on.

Good luck,
C.

I am a mom of 3 and one on the way....I bet she is teething (the one year molers) you can probably feel them. I would give her Infant motrin before nap time and befor bed for a few days. The molars are the worst! They are much harder to come in than the front ones because of the 4 corners!
Hang in there!

At my son's 6-month checkup, I inquired about his very slightly runny nose that just wouldn't go away. Turns out he had a mild ear infection. The doctor said that a slightly runny nose is sometimes the only symptom. If your daughter is cranky and has a bit of a runny nose, maybe she has an ear infection. Good luck!

my kids never run fevers with their ear infections, so it's hard to know w/out a trip to the dr. If that gets ruled out, he can check for signs of teeth coming soon, or she may just be coming down with a virus that is making her a little out of sorts. Better get her checked though. Good luck!

like others have suggested it's probably teething - about that time they start to get molars and those are very painful, try to give tylenol or motrine and see if there is an improvement, and schedule a tricp to the dr to check her ears. Running noses, and drilling from teething could cause an ear infection. btw, with the molars the pain is way before the teeth start to pop.

Sounds like teeth to me. I would give her one dose of Ibuprofen...it lasts six hours and see what happens. If her mood improves greatly, then you will know she's in pain. If it doesn't, then she might be going through a growth spurt, thus she is over tired.

She's not consipated? She's getting enough rest...11 to 14 hours total in a 24 hour period? She doesn't have a diaper rash/yeast? Her clothes fit her well? She doesn't have a sinus infection...green boogies? Maybe she's going through some separation anxiety....they do that between 12 and 18 months....could be she misses mommy.

Or maybe she's just a little whiney. My second child was awful. I still have to remind her that she's whining. She's four now and it is just her nature to whine....maybe she gets a little of that from me...I have to watch myself. But I have started reminding her not to whine and even started sending her to her room when she's bad. She's getting much better. Your's is a little young to send to her room so you will just have to emulate her whining and show her what it looks like and sounds like...they typically start to laught about it.

might be a teeth and a growth spurt...they hurt...bones streching and the like...try giving her infant tylenol and see if that helps...
it's really hard when they are still not coherantly verbal and can't tell us what's wrong...
as well check with day care to see if there are new kids in her class or if ones have recently departed...she may either be jealous or missing someone. there also may be new staff she is not used to.

Hi C.,

Yes I would take her to the Doctor - it sounds like she could have an ear infection. Many times when they stop drinking and are just "in a mood" I have found it's the ears. It irritates them, especially when they lie down. It certainly won't hurt to check it out. Could be teeth as well but I would still check the ears.

Could it be an ear infection? One time I took my little daughter for a checkup and she had an ear infection and I didn't even know it! I felt so bad! She had been fussy, but she had a cold, so I thought it was just that. Girls are tough, so she may not show the pain as much! HA!

Yes, you do take your daughter to the doctor if she's cranky. It sounds like you've tried doing different activities with her, feeding her different things and she's not acting "normal". She can't tell you that something's bothering her, this is how she communicates it.

Trust your instinct as a mother, you know when something's wrong. If you can't figure it out, go to someone who can.

Good luck!

I would take her to the doctor because if you think it may be teeth, often times when kids start to get teeth it can also cause a bit of an ear infection and sometimes left untreated could cause a big ear infection. My nephews were like that we always knew they were teething because they would get so cranky we just did not know what to do with them, when we finally found out it was because the ears we were schocked, then we knew everytime to go to the doctor for checkup and antibotic. A day or two all was better and no more crankyness....Good luck...

It sounds like her teeth to me, although mine is 13 mos. old and she is nowhere near getting her molars. She just got her 5th tooth on Monday, but she was plenty cranky all last week!

my daughter is 14 months and is doing the SAME thing. She has 4 teeth coming in all over the place. So I think it's safe to say that it IS her teeth. If you notice her pulling at her ears alot though, you might want to take her in just in case. My daughter had an ear infection once, and never ran fever. But from the sound of things, I think giving her some Tylenol might help her feel more comfortable and less irritable.

I absolutely take my son to the Dr. because he is cranky. Being extra crabby and refusing to lay down are the only symptoms he gives me when he has an ear infection.
A number of times I've felt really bad because I thought it was teething and waited for it to pass until he got really really fussy and wasn't sleeping well at all, and of course when I took him in he had an ear infection or a sore throat.
You are the mom and your instinct counts for a lot. If your child is acting significantly different than normal and it just doesn't seem right to you, it's worth getting it checked out.
There have been times I've thought the dr. was going to think I was crazy, but I ended up coming home with a prescription because of an infection. I've never been wrong when I've taken my son in, but there have been times it's gotten worse than it needed to because I waited. Trust your gut and take her in if you're worried. Doctors understand.

Probably is her teeth, but what have her ear infections been like? Enjoy the time of cuddling with her. THAT will fly by too!! xoxo

Hey! I had the same problem last week. My daughter just turned 1 a few weeks ago and I had her set to go to her well baby check, and low and behold...ear infection. She had a runny nose for almost 2 weeks and we had been giving her Benadryl, but she had no other symptoms to lead me to belive anything else was wrong. No fever, no tugging on her ears. We gave her tylenol anyway since we suspected it might be teething also, and it helped. Her eating had slowed down a little too, and your daughgter not drinking as much might be because it hurts when she swallows...??? Going to see the doctor wouldn't be a bad idea...kids are different when they're not feeling well and us moms know it! Check it out, couldn't hurt. I never wanted to be the mom who took her kids to the doctor everytime they sneezed, but with my first daughter, there was usually a good reason. Hope she's feeling better soon!

sounds like an ear infection.

Put wonderweeks in google. There is a major developmental milestone around the 52-56 week mark.

Hang in there, soon it will pass and your little one will be doing lots of cool, new tricks.

My daughter was this way around 1 year too (15 months now). I think part of it was teeth, but part of it was separation anxiety. She literally wouldn't let me put her down - even for a diaper change. She was just generally in a bad mood for a couple of weeks around that time. I think they are going through huge changes at that time and it just wears on them.

She might be getting her molars in. That time was the worst my daughter acted (until she turned 2... ha,ha). Try giving her a dose of Motrin and see if she is back to her old self for awhile!

Hi mama - totally agree that you should take her in to check on possible ear infection. They will ask if she has a fever - don't let lack of fever convince you she doesn't have one. My youngest had two ear infections w/o fever (or the fever came and went so quickly that it was undetectable). It also could be molars. Either way, there is a fast remedy. Good luck!

See Dr. WEissbluth: ###-###-####. He will make everyone happy -- he's a genius!!

My daughter has times like this. She just turned a year and it seems like you just cannot make her happy. Most days are okay but sometimes, nothing makes her happy. She does not want to be in her carseat, she wants down but then screams when you put her down. She wants up but then wiggles to get down. Some days she does not seem to want to eat. But then she has moments that are pure joy. My daughter got a tooth on her birthday and another this past weekend. That could be the issue with your girl. Things like this will pop up for the next 18 years, unfortunately. :) Last night she was okay, don't know what I will get tonight.

Hi,
I'm going through the same thing with my 10 1/2 month old too. She is teething and has been now for a couple weeks. It seems her top teeth just don't want to come out. But she has been extremely cranky, winning, feverish and has had diarrhea for the past week. Are you experiencing the same thing? I'm just guessing she is teething since i can see how swollen her gums are and can start to feel her teeth breaking through. It's funny because i don't remember my 4 year old acting like this. Well good luck and hope your daughter changes back to her old self!!!

Check with your pediatrician and make sure she does not have an ear infection...this would make her irritable and could fit with the runny nose....she also could be cutting teeth but rule out the ear infection.
Our pediatrician taught us to get the kid checked out if the child acts differently from what you expect as its a sign that there is a health issue. (If the child is listless and shows no energy, run to the pediatrician.)
I hope its just a teething issue!

did you just switch her to milk or add milk to her diet? It could be a reaction to that.

Did her naps get shorter? She could be overtired.

Did she just learn a new skill or is trying to learn one (like walking)? That can cause this. Learning new skills can be frustrating, and also make them not want to do things they need like sleeping and eating.

Is she getting teeth? It could be that.

If it's neither of these she may have an ear infection.

Try motrin or tylenol and if that solves the issues then you are set. If it doesn't then you may have to take her to the dr.

At about a year, the first molars start to pop through and will cause a little bit of a crankier attitude for awhile. Maybe try some tylenol and see if her attitude improves a bit. Then you might have your answer. Hang in there, it will pass soon and she should be back to her old self!

How frustrating!! I would give it a few more days to see what transpires. Does her doctor have the option of having a nurse call you back to answer non-emergency questions? That may be an option to try before dragging her into the office. My daughter got pretty cranky when she was teething too. Also, she once had an ear infection and had no other symptoms. The doctor actually discovered it during a routine check up. So it could be an ear infection. Hope that helps and good luck!

She can have an ear infection without having a fever. The symptoms of crying when putting her down and when changing her diaper (because she is laying flat) sure sound like an ear infection. Take her to the Dr. and have it checked out.

M H in EGV

I had the same issue with one of my girls. It turned out to be a double ear infection. I'd take her in just for peace of mind.

As a mom I would take her b/c it's better to be safe than sorry. Could be teeth or a possibly ear infection/fluid which can be extremely uncomfortable especially when laying down. There is pressure in your ear and therefore drinking only intensifies it. I always hate taking my kids and then finding nothing but then you have peace of mind and can go from there not to mention better sleep at night if for some reason meds are needed!!

If you have decent insurance take her to a Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor. This is the same age my daughter was acting this way. We used to say that crying was her favorite activity. She ended up with lots of fluid in her ears and needed surgery the next week to place ear tubes in. We discovered she was in constant pain and couldn't hear well. She is 6 and is still seeing a speech therapist due to the fluid. We almost lost her hearing. The doctors told me she was just "fussy" and don't worry about it. A peditrician can't see the fluid with their tools in the office. My ENT says that I saved her hearing and my mind by following my mommy gut. If you think something is wrong, don't stop until you find out what it is. I would try an allergy test if everything at the ENT works out. Good luck. PS my daughter is a joy now!!

Hi C.,I had a similar situation with my daugher about the same age.  Take her to the doctor.  My daughter wound up having Kawasaki disease.  The inside of her mouth, pallet and tongue were strawberry red with blisters!  She was in pain!  They gave her pain medication and she was better after a few days. We are not sure how she got it either. The mouth was the last place I thought to look. Also teething can make her cranky but let your Dr. know whats going on. Better safe than sorry.

Good luck

Look in the back of her mouth for molars. My daughter (now 15.5 months) went through a very similar cranky spell right around 12-13 months. I was very suprised to find that her teeth don't come in in order. So even though she only had 3 bottom teeth, the poor girl had all 4 molars cutting through at the same time. It took about 2 weeks for the teeth to cut and for her mood to return to normal.

Good luck!