screaming/squealing 4.5 mth old
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Topic: screaming/squealing 4.5 mth old
Posted By: frankie
Subject: screaming/squealing 4.5 mth old
Date Posted: 02 April 2011 at 9:22am
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My 4.5 mth old has recently (last couple of weeks) started squealing and screaming heaps. When she wakes from a sleep she is happy for about half an hour, playing on her floor mat or sitting with Mum or Dad on our laps, but then she seems to flip out and it starts off as squealing, and turns into high pitched screaming, like she is throwing a tantrum. Its ear piercing stuff!!! The only thing that calms her is singing to her or taking her outside into the garden where she stares at the plants. It doesn't sound like she is in pain as she seems happy enough initially after waking. In saying that, DH just took her for a walk in the pram and she is asleep but sort of moaning in her sleep unhappily??
I wonder if she overtired but surely she should be able to hack being awake more than half an hour at this age!! Sometimes she can stay up for 2 hrs no problem, particularly if we have company or are out and about, so it seems as though stimulation helps to keep her happy. We have loads of toys at home and an exersaucer but nothing seems to keep her happy for long. Guess I'm wondering if this is a stage that they go through, anyone experienced or experiencing similar? ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  
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Replies:
Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 02 April 2011 at 10:58am
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Is she squeally when you're holding her walking or something? Or does she calm down if you do something more 'interesting' / something that doesn't involve sitting down? Jacob can be similar, at that age he was happy for half an hour or so by himself, then he's get quite squarky, he still does when he gets a bit bored. He's just the same with visitors etc - when there's new people around or something new to see, he's way more patient.
We've got a bit of a routine to our up times - he's by himself till he gets too loud, then he'll go in his bouncer or jolly jumper (which he's pretty much grown out of now  ), then I'll play with him a bit on the floor. After that point, I usually pop him in his manduca, or go for a walk with him (sometimes he can get a bit squeally in the pushchair too, though).
I find he's great when I'm out shopping or doing something - I find myself looking forward to trips out because it's easy to keep him happy for his whole wakeup! In fact, I probably go out more than I otherwise would for that reason. Obviously, I can't spend all my day doing that, though, or I'd never get anything done!! So I guess in summary, yes, this sounds similar to what Jacob does, with him it just means he's been awake a while and he's getting a bit scratchy but not ready to go back to bed. Doing stuff with him helps - but sometimes I just have to put up with a slightly rowdy baby until he's tired enough for bed. Oh - and Jacob loves being outside, it stops the squeaking nicely (although a few leaves get ingested in the process). What does Maddie think of some time on the lawn? ETA that I wish I didn't have my old dinosaur computer at the moment - Jacob's doing exactly what I'm talking about now, and I'd take a video for you so you could compare  But the dinosaur wouldn't cope with that (it's not letting me on FB either at the moment)-------------   
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Posted By: frankie
Date Posted: 02 April 2011 at 4:37pm
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Thanks Hopes, always good to know that what she is doing is the norm!
The squarking (sp) is mostly when she is playing on the floor, and like Jacob she can do half an hour okay and then seems to pack up. If I take her outside, put her in her exersaucer or give her something different to play with it stops for 5 - 10 mins, so, I think its boredom. This afternoon we put her on a blanket on the lawn and played with her out there, she was much less squarky and looking around admiring the trees and lawn, shame its winter coming up! But will try to do that on sunny days at least. She's great when we take her out too, thank goodness for that  ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: scribe
Date Posted: 03 April 2011 at 9:55pm
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My 4-month-old is the same. Like Hopes I think it is boredom (fair enough really, I'd get bored just on the floor all the time!), as like your babies she's happy when we're out, when there are new people around, and she loves a good walk.
So I work with that and for example I might do some vacuuming or do some baking while she is happy under the playgym for 20mins, then take her outside (in her Bumbo or in the frontpack) while I am hanging out the washing, then in the remaining hour we'll take the dog for a walk or go to supermarket, and if there's something I really need to get done she is generally happy in the swing. It's a 'stage' that they outgrow once they start moving and can discover the world for themselves ... like with DD1 I can't wait for her to start crawling - people say it makes a mum's life harder but I found it actually made mine easier
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 04 April 2011 at 7:53am
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DD started doing this after going to a 4 year old's birthday party. It seems to be another sound/noise she likes to make.
Often when we're not paying her enough attention, she'll be sitting next to us in her bouncer squealing and as soon as we look at her she stops  . So yeah I guess its boredom.
I'm guessing its this phase they must go thru when they're starting to notice the world and starting to move but can't quite get there yet. For the most part DD seems frustrated and I do my best to calm her without stopping her. Easier said than done. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: snugglebug
Date Posted: 04 April 2011 at 9:32pm
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I havent got much advice but Im glad to read this as my DS is doing it too. He'll lay on his playmat for about 20 mins happily then start screeching, then he'll sit in his bumbo for a bit and play with toys or go in the jolly jumper, or is happy to sit on the floor with me holding him and playing toys etc but after a while he just gets antsy and nothing is good enough, I have been finding it really annoying! And tiring! So Im glad to hear its a stage. Its also coiincided with a bad case of the 45 min sleeps so he's up a lot more than he used to be :P
But yeah in my experience Id say its boredom and frustration and I hope it passes soon! ------------- Me 28, DH 29 DS born 20 Nov 2010 (4 years old) #2 due October 7 http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: ItchyFeet
Date Posted: 04 April 2011 at 10:16pm
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DH was terrible, random, high pitched squeals, incredibly loud, and enough to disturb the other kids in his daycare. We just ignored it and he's grown out of it now after a couple of months. He would have grown out of it sooner if people had stopped responding to it because he quickly worked out he could get a reaction out of others e.g. my mum and dad laughed at him, strangers smiled, the inlaws told him "no", but only ignoring it actually worked. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Jaune
Date Posted: 04 April 2011 at 10:18pm
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The Wonder Weeks book available http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9789079208043/The-Wonder-Weeks - here (with free shipping to NZ, so only $30) has been AMAZINGLY enlightening for me! There are certain weeks in infants development that are known to significantly change their behaviour... There is one at 19 weeks, then another at 26 weeks etc. It is based on the due date, not the birth date. Anyway, it is a great book and really helpful, gives you ways of dealing with the fussy stages and gives you suggestions of games to play at each stage that will compliment what is going on in their heads!
I got this last week as I'd noticed another major fussy stage (after one at 4mths) - 45min sleeps, DS not wanting to sleep, being clingy, and cranky...turns out he's just entered the 26 week one. Really worth a look if you're interested in learning more about their behaviour and gives you reasons why they do certain things... ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: frankie
Date Posted: 07 April 2011 at 9:44pm
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Mealz that is so interesting - our girl was 19 weeks when I wrote this post and was soooo clingy and bored easily, although it had been building for a few weeks. But she turned 20 weeks yesterday and has been a perfect wee angel the last 2 days, its like having a different baby! Have requested that book from the library, it sounds like an interesting read. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Jaune
Date Posted: 07 April 2011 at 10:02pm
You'll be quite amazed...it's the manual you should get when you have a baby! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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frankie wrote: