4 Mo...Any Guesses?

[Heidi]

B Fed (mostly) has been here about 5 weeks, 3-4 days per week.

First couple weeks, ate every 2 hours, slept on a fairly consistent schedule, including (thankfully) most of nap time. Was content to lay on floor for short periods while awake and "play"

Now....schedule really erratic, awake during all of nap, screaming if not held, starts crying as soon as she senses she's in her sleeping room.

She SCREAMS like she's starving, glugs the bottle down for a minute, then starts playing around, pulling fingers, cooing. Eats 4-5 oz. but it takes 20+ minutes (yes...every 2 hours, sometimes less). When I lay her down on her play mat then, she fusses. And fusses.

I asked mom how she was doing at home. First..."Well, I think she's teething". Then "she only cat naps at home".

I asked if she was nursing to sleep (text...she's at work), and got no answer.


What do you think is happening at home????

I am not getting calls now...so don't tell me to term! LOL

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Could they be throwing off baby's schedule because they miss seeing her? Keeping her up later, holding her the entire time she's with them, etc.

[Lilbutterflie]

I had one almost exactly like this, except my problems with her started more around when she was 6 mos old. My biggest issue with her was not eating well (she did the same thing you described with being super hungry and then only wanting to drink an ounce or two), being very fussy, and catnapping for 20-30 min at a time. She was formula fed.

I always suspected she had reflux; but it was weird that the problems all started around the time she started teething. I dealt with this for 4 months until I just couldn't do it any longer. She was so irritable from not eating well and lack of sleep that it caused me way too much stress. She was with me for almost 11 hrs a day which did not help. I ended up giving them notice in a very nice way but they did not take it well.

Hopefully you can figure it out! I wish I had words of advice. Other than looking into reflux; I just don't know what to suggest.

[Blackcat31]

Personally I think 'schedule' and 'routine' used in any context regarding a baby is an hilarious. ::

Babies seem to have one schedule, we get comfy and then they decide to do something totally off the wall for a while. We get comfy with that and they go and change it up again.

I have two babies right now, one 7 months and the other 3 months. Both have been equally confusing and equally exhausting as well as easy as pie all within their short little lives so far....

Every day is a new adventure I guess.

[Willow]

The cause of her slow feeding - too slow of flow on the bottle's nipple? Or maybe needs a blanket blinder because of distractions? Both?

The cause of the attitude - spoiling.


I've got two infants the exact same age as you. Baby one is the third child in the family and it shows. Baby two is first born to a very young mother who cannot stand to hear him cry and people fly to him at absolutely every peep.

Baby one - calm, focused, secure, patient (if I get busy making lunch or something), very happy and sweet.

Baby two - insecure, fractious, flailing, tantrum-y even. I've had mom bring him in to the doctor many times already trying to distinguish if his behaviors were in any way due to pain. Nope. He is completely healthy. He returned today having learned a new skill.....blood curdling screaming over and over and over again if he's not tended to at the drop of a hat. I'm not talking sadness or tears, just super angry sounding wailing to get everyone's attention. I'm big on AP but THAT?? At one point later this morning I had to just lay him down and close the door because he was fed, changed, napped, had loads of toys around and while I tended to the other kids (was the first time all morning) still proceeded to be so disruptive it was reducing the other kids to tears.

I've tried to wear him but he's so big (20lbs already ) and so incredibly strong that when he gets that mad regardless of being held he'll just swing away punching not only me with his arms but himself as well!


Sounds ridiculous, a 4 month old being able to inflict harm on someone....but when he'd get my face, particularly my glasses or nose? At times he left me seeing stars


He's the first kiddo I've ever met where I'm convinced he needs the exact opposite of AP

[Heidi]

Personally I think 'schedule' and 'routine' used in any context regarding a baby is an hilarious. ::

Babies seem to have one schedule, we get comfy and then they decide to do something totally off the wall for a while. We get comfy with that and they go and change it up again.

I have two babies right now, one 7 months and the other 3 months. Both have been equally confusing and equally exhausting as well as easy as pie all within their short little lives so far....

Every day is a new adventure I guess.

haha...I was going to change the word "schedule" to the more acceptable "routine", but you got me there, too!

Yep, by 4 months, every one of mine was on a "schedule" and slept through the night. Most of my daycare kids were as well, over the years.

I've noticed that the happiest babies tend to have a schedule/routine, but I'm not sure which is the chicken and which is the egg there. Are babies on a schedule happier, or are happier babies just easier to get on a schedule?

[countrymom]

Personally I think 'schedule' and 'routine' used in any context regarding a baby is an hilarious. ::

Babies seem to have one schedule, we get comfy and then they decide to do something totally off the wall for a while. We get comfy with that and they go and change it up again.

I have two babies right now, one 7 months and the other 3 months. Both have been equally confusing and equally exhausting as well as easy as pie all within their short little lives so far....

Every day is a new adventure I guess.

thats exactly what I was going to post, just when you have figured it all out, wham they change it up ! but it also could be that the parents are throwing her off schedual too.

[daycarediva]

If she is new to daycare and Mom is unaccustomed to be away from her, I would put money on them holding her all evening and nursing to sleep.

I hope it works out for you!

[shelby]

She could be getting ready for baby cereals. I know when dcb was this age his mom started him on cereal because he was always fussy and seemed hungry. But babies have their own thing going and we just have to go along for the ride...

[Heidi]

She could be getting ready for baby cereals. I know when dcb was this age his mom started him on cereal because he was always fussy and seemed hungry. But babies have their own thing going and we just have to go along for the ride...

Yeah, mom introduced cereal this weekend. For now, she only wants to offer it at night so hopefully she'll sleep longer. I was thinking the same thing.......about nap time! Mom trumps dcp though....

[Breezy]

4 month sleep regression?

[Sunshine74]

The cause of her slow feeding - too slow of flow on the bottle's nipple? Or maybe needs a blanket blinder because of distractions? Both?

I was thinking this too. One of our infants had similar slow feeding issues, but once she was switched to a faster flow nipple got a lot better. She also started drinking more and going longer between bottles.

[Angelsj]

Personally I think 'schedule' and 'routine' used in any context regarding a baby is an hilarious. ::

Babies seem to have one schedule, we get comfy and then they decide to do something totally off the wall for a while. We get comfy with that and they go and change it up again.

I have two babies right now, one 7 months and the other 3 months. Both have been equally confusing and equally exhausting as well as easy as pie all within their short little lives so far....

Every day is a new adventure I guess.

I have to agree here. Some babies are easy and stay that way, others are tough and also stay that way. Some go back and forth..good schedule, then off schedule.
I also find 4-8 months (or whenever they begin to actively crawl) to be incredibly difficult. They WANT to play, but their bodies do not really cooperate. Their hands are jumpy, their sitting up doesn't work well, toys keep getting away from them. I would be grumpy too.
Anywhere you can put her, johnny jumper, exersaucer, bouncy seat, and keep soft chewy toys in her hands to chew on??

[SilverSabre25]

Personally I think 'schedule' and 'routine' used in any context regarding a baby is an hilarious. ::

Babies seem to have one schedule, we get comfy and then they decide to do something totally off the wall for a while. We get comfy with that and they go and change it up again.

Yes this!!!

My bet is that more than anything, it's probably related to an impending developmental leap. My advice re: the fussing while playing on the floor is to leave her. Listen for it to escalate from simple fussing and "talking" (which can sound a lot like fussing) to actual needful crying. There is a difference, and letting her fuss and work it out on her own is not CIO...it's very acceptable.

Read up on RIE (This blog is excellent) and start to apply some of those principles. It works even if it's not applied at home for the baby...because babies are more than capable of learning that things are different in different places.

Also, my favorite parenting book of all time is The Wonder Weeks and through two cihldren and several daycare babies I have referred to it...and it's uncanny how accurate it is. I recommend this one for anyone who cares for babies in any capacity.

[Heidi]

Yes this!!!

My bet is that more than anything, it's probably related to an impending developmental leap. My advice re: the fussing while playing on the floor is to leave her. Listen for it to escalate from simple fussing and "talking" (which can sound a lot like fussing) to actual needful crying. There is a difference, and letting her fuss and work it out on her own is not CIO...it's very acceptable.

Read up on RIE (This blog is excellent) and start to apply some of those principles. It works even if it's not applied at home for the baby...because babies are more than capable of learning that things are different in different places.

Also, my favorite parenting book of all time is The Wonder Weeks and through two cihldren and several daycare babies I have referred to it...and it's uncanny how accurate it is. I recommend this one for anyone who cares for babies in any capacity.

I love RIE-years ago I spent some time with a provider who studied with Magda Gerber at RIE. I'm thinking I should brush up again.

There is a difference now-in Madison years ago, my parents were more "educated", and so tended to be easier to talk to about this sort of thing. My current families are lovely-but if they came in to find their baby fussing on the floor, I think they'd be