5 month old cries every 20 minutes at night

[onthefly]

Hi - it kinda sounds like when DS has gas he needs to get out. Sometimes even after he's burped he needs to be rocked at calmed before he can get back to sleep.
Hope you find an answer soon.

[squidipa]

some ppl have offered some great tips what have found works with my otehr kids is to put a clock tick tock tick tock in the bed with her its very rhythmic like your heart beat also put a top or something you have worn in there too. Maybe wrap her in ti or put some perfume on the bedding that u wear all the time a few hours before taking her to bed. Hope some or one of these suggestions work. good luck sweet!

[shellshell]

Hi there,

Thanks for all of your replies. Of course - it might be teething! I hope it is only that. I didn't think of that. I feel relieved that that might be all it is. :-)

Thanks for your encouragement. One of my closest friends claims her daughter has slept 12 hours through every night since she was 6 weeks old. She is a schedule feeder and has a sleep trainer attitude to babies, and thinks so-called demand feeding leads to nightwakefulness... it is nice to get some encouragement from you guys that it is NOT my parenting that is causing this... THANKS!

[Nadine216]

I was going to say wind ... or teething, could be some heartburn too. You could try giving her some gaviscon (on 5 months my gp said 0.5ml gaviscon just before bed - but make sure, ok?)

(she stiffens her legs and arches her back when she cries at night).

Yeah, my dd still does this I would try the ant-acid if I were you ... just to eliminate that.

Good luck and I hope you and your darling sleep better tonight!!

[Doing my best]

One of my closest friends claims her daughter has slept 12 hours through every night since she was 6 weeks old. She is a schedule feeder and has a sleep trainer attitude to babies, and thinks so-called demand feeding leads to nightwakefulness... it is nice to get some encouragement from you guys that it is NOT my parenting that is causing this...

Shell - It is definately not your parenting causing this. You are doing a wonderful job!! What works for your friends and family may not always work for you... GL, hope you find the cause and start getting some sleep...

[BhoysGirl]

Shell, I hope you've had a better night last night.

IMHO your friend is lucky if she's got a bub that has slept 12hours a night since 6 weeks. She'll might claim it's science & discipline, I think "luck of the draw". The thing is that for the people who do get babies who sleep well it's easy to be proud and loud, it's a kind of parenting boast. But I think that it's the parents of the non sleepers who should be boasting, because lets face it, we're accomplishing just as much, but on so much less sleep - that's a waaay bigger challenge.

And FWIW - your gentle approach to soothing her, even though it's enormously hard on you at times, is probably creating a secure, happy little girl, who knows that her mum can be relied upon, a good thing I think.

[shellshell]

Thanks again.

While I do know theoretically that it is NOT my parenting... it is sometimes hard to remember when one is living on almost no sleep... so I really appreciate being reminded. ;-)

There are some great suggestions on here - thanks. I don't think it is gas / wind - otherwise wouldn't I hear a burp and/or fart when I cuddle her? And I don't. Same with reflux - don't hear anything, whereas during the day when it happens (which it does sometimes) I hear it, and generally she swallows it and doesn't show any signs of discomfort from it (although once - and only once - I noticed she cried from it). But generally she doesn't seem to mind when a little bit comes up. I suppose it could be heartburn - as then there is nothing to hear. Would there be any other symptoms if it is heartburn?

On top of all this, she has come down with a cold / cough, so that probably isn't helping her to sleep better. She doesn't have a fever, but has an enlarged lymph node behind one of her ears. I went to the doctor (again) yesterday who suggested giving panadol. I am not a fan of medicating unless it is really necessary, but decided today it was worth it, as she seems to be in so much discomfort. I tried it... but she hated it. It came up with the entire contents of her stomach - a massive vomit. It claims on the packet it is "gentle on little stomachs"... but she certainly didn't think so!

Her nappy rash is really painful at the moment, which also could be contributing to the waking / crying at night. She is pooing almost hourly during the day, and they are runny, big, horrible poos, some of them green. She has been crying when I wipe her bottom and put cream on it - whenever the skin is touched. It must hurt her so much. I am trying to give her bottom as much time as possible without a nappy on... but it's hard as she sick, and also she is mobile (already) and doesn't want to lie still, or even confined to a small space where I have laid the towel down in case of more poo.

She is sleeping okay at the moment... better make the most of it and get some precious shut-eye myself...
Thanks again to everyone who has listened to me and replied. I have no family around to help me and this whole thing was starting to get to me. Thanks for letting me get some of it out. :-)