I need some help from other moms out there. I hope someone else has gone through this. I have a 6 month old daughter who appears to be throwing tantrums. I have nannied and babysat for no less than 20 infants and have never watched a child that is so difficult. She was not colicky as a newborn. The last month she has become unbearable. She cries alot, kicks her arms and legs, and gets herself so worked up that she will vomit her food. Recently she has also become very disinterested in eating. Before she was taking 6-8 oz at every feeding and now I can barely get down 4. She does get baby cereal and baby food, but rarely takes more than a few bites. My only savior is that she sleeps through the night. During the day though, I usually end up in tears because I just can't seem to make her happy. We try different toys, music, books, even carrying her in a sling. It is just exhausting. I hate to see her so unhappy all the time. I have had her ears checked twice just to rule that out. Please help, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have tried just walking away from her so she doesn't have an audience anymore, but she will continue to scream for as long as a half hour. Obviously I can not reason with her as she is six months old. I never knew an infant could throw a tantrum like this!
Is she possibly teething? I have a 6 month old who is VERY fussy as she has been teething for 2 months. She has 2 teeth now, and more coming in, so it pretty much affects her mood all the time, as well as how much she will eat. I know it's frustrating, but it does sound like she is having some kind of discomfort and is trying to tell you.
The first thing that comes to mind is digestive issues. She may be having stomach cramps. You didn't mention if you were breastfeeding or not, but if not, you may want to try a different formula that offers easier digestion. Ask your Pediatrician. The other thing it could be is she may be teething. Is she drooling a lot? Are her gums swollen? There are so many possibilites here, so the best bet is to take her in for a checkup. Good luck!
have you considered eliminating dairy from her diet? our son had major dairy issues from the beginning and as soon as we figured out what the problem was, he became much happier. she could just be very gassy and uncomfortable. I was nursing and ended up eliminating dairy from my diet, which really helped almost immediately. then when we switched to formula I had to try quite a few brands before we found one that worked for us.
do car rides help? some babies love car rides when they need to calm down...
hope this helps.
You must be going crazy! I agree with the other moms. Possibly food allergy, teething or most likely bad gas or a maybe a combination. Boy it sure is fun to be a mom! Have you tried infant massage? It will definetely help with tummy issues and maybe the relaxing touch will be enough to help her calm down. It worked like a charm with both my girls. Even at three and almost two they both still enjoy getting a good rub down. Just make sure you use grape seed oil or olive oil. I took a class through Hinsdale Hospital and it was good. I also got the book Infant Massage by Vimala McClure that does show pictures. Good luck and stay sane!
Have you spoken to the pediatrician about your daughter's behavior? There may be something more serious going on. I have also never heard of a 6 month old having tantrums. Could she be experiencing pain of some sort? Could she have food allergies? Please talk to your pediatrician about this.
This may be semantic, but I would not call this a tantrum. She is too young for that. I'll bet your daughter has food allergies or some other digestive problem that is making her miserable. If you have not done so, please contact her doctor now. My son had many problems that I figured out on my own, though several doctors each had a piece of the puzzle.
A great book to read is "Is This Your Child?" by Doris Rapp, MD. If you need more information on digestive issues, (which she does address in her book), rather than on allergies, I would read her bibliography.
If you can get out to Crystal Lake, I highly recommend Dr. Gary Oberg, MD. He figured out all of this for my son. He is certified in both pediatrics and allergy. ###-###-####. He was trained by Doris Rapp and some other great people, too.
couple of strange questions...is she constipated? overstimulated? one of my now 2 year old twins really had a hard time dealing with stimulation and sometimes I just had to lay him in his crib with some quiet music playing for a little while. he would still fuss, but remember that's the only way they have to communicate at all. sometimes they just have to get it out.
if he's constipated (the other twin...), try more tummy time, switch off the rice cereal, experiment with soy formula in case she's having some lactose intolerance issues (ditto for your diet if you're still nursing).
good luck. It's so hard and frustrating when they can't tell you what's wrong.
Is she teething? My angel turned into the angel of darkness at about 5 months and sure enough, she was teething! Good Luck!
