How Do You Handle A Crying Baby?

[jfoglia]

So I had a new baby start about 6 weeks ago when she was almost 3 months old. At first she was good - slept a lot during the day, ate good, etc..After about 2 weeks of her starting she has been screaming ALL DAY!! She gets here about 8:30 and she starts screaming immediately. No matter what I do - walk with her, sing, try to feed, pacifier, change her diaper she will NOT stop crying. She can even go all day w/o one nap! I had no idea this was even possible for an infant to do. There have been days where I have left her in the crib crying for long periods of time and she will NEVER go to sleep? I change her diaper a lot and she eats good, but will only be content for very short periods of time and there is NO WAY she would ever go in a bouncy seat, or the floor. I need to be holding her for her to be content, and even then its only for short periods of time.

This is really disrupting my whole daycare. I have been taking care of babies for 10.5 years and I have never dealt with a baby like this. Mom and Dad are aware of everything, I don't sugar coat anything. They say she is good at home, sleeps thru night and everything. At home they say she falls alseep while being breastfed and then they "try" to put her in her crib for naps, but I have a feeling they just hold her which doesn't help me any. Both mom and dad are very nice people and baby is healthy. I really feel as if I've tried my hardest with her, so is it possible that she just can't handle daycare? This is affecting everyone in my daycare. She wakes up my sleepers, causes my toddlers stress, and I am always anxious when she is here. Advise?

[momma2girls]

Originally Posted by jfoglia

So I had a new baby start about 6 weeks ago when she was almost 3 months old. At first she was good - slept a lot during the day, ate good, etc..After about 2 weeks of her starting she has been screaming ALL DAY!! She gets here about 8:30 and she starts screaming immediately. No matter what I do - walk with her, sing, try to feed, pacifier, change her diaper she will NOT stop crying. She can even go all day w/o one nap! I had no idea this was even possible for an infant to do. There have been days where I have left her in the crib crying for long periods of time and she will NEVER go to sleep? I change her diaper a lot and she eats good, but will only be content for very short periods of time and there is NO WAY she would ever go in a bouncy seat, or the floor. I need to be holding her for her to be content, and even then its only for short periods of time.

This is really disrupting my whole daycare. I have been taking care of babies for 10.5 years and I have never dealt with a baby like this. Mom and Dad are aware of everything, I don't sugar coat anything. They say she is good at home, sleeps thru night and everything. At home they say she falls alseep while being breastfed and then they "try" to put her in her crib for naps, but I have a feeling they just hold her which doesn't help me any. Both mom and dad are very nice people and baby is healthy. I really feel as if I've tried my hardest with her, so is it possible that she just can't handle daycare? This is affecting everyone in my daycare. She wakes up my sleepers, causes my toddlers stress, and I am always anxious when she is here. Advise?

Do the parents hold her alot? It kind of sounds like some seperation anxiety as well. My 7 month old baby went thru this when he was out of daycare for a week, due to Holiday. The first week was ****!! We will see what he is like coming back after Xmas vac. I hope good!!
I would explain to the parents- Are you holding them all the time? Does the baby sit/lay down, in a bouncer seat, swing, etc. on their own without crying at home? You have to be firm with parents and tell them, if they are holding the baby all the time, this makes it very tough at daycare- if it continues here at daycare, you may not be able to keep the baby- it is very disruptive to the entire daycare!

[KEG123]

I'm gonna say it, when my son was little he slept on my lap in the boppy after nursing. The moment I got up to move him, he woke and it was a vicious cycle. This is probably what's happening to them too. I really have no advice as I've never done it differently than the way I did with my son . All I can think of is that they need to try harder at laying him down drowsy though, get him a lovey, see if he will take a binky, etc. Basically that baby needs SOMETHING to help him self soothe.

[Cat Herder]

After 10+ years I trust your judgement that this is out of the norm. I, personally, would require a medical clearance. Just worded NICELY from the standpoint of your concern for the childs health and years of experience. I have done it a couple times over the years and BOTH were medical issues that needed attention.

Trust your instinct.