I hear the piercing screams of my daughter through the speaker of her monitor. She is sitting up in her crib, and something is really bothering her. What can it be?
This happens a couple of nights a month for us. The moment we go in there and hold her, she stops. However, her face is soaked with tears, and she is struggling to catch her breath from all the screaming. After rocking her for a few moments, her eyelids begin to shut ever so slowly until she is once again dreaming of whatever babies dream about.
She is most likely teething. We can guess this because she is feeling her gums or pulling at her ear. These are sure signs of a tooth cutting its way through the gum line. I can’t imagine the pain she feels, but with some baby meds and lots of love we can soothe her.
The downside to this is those nights she doesn’t have the pain. She is used to the extra mommy or daddy time and still wakes up crying. The whole cycle usually lasts about five nights: two or three of pain and another two getting her back on track.
We can tell the difference in her crying. When your child is in pain, you know it. When she wants attention, you know that too but are usually slow to admit it. Once you beat the denial and want to get your child back to normal, here is what works for us.
First, you have to be willing to let her cry for a few minutes. We let her cry for about 3-5 minutes. Then one of us goes in there and lays her back down. We keep our hand on her back to let her know we are there. Don’t talk to her or turn on any lights. Stay there with her for a few minutes.
Then leave the room. If she cries, give her another 5 minutes. Then go back in and repeat the cycle. It’s not easy to hear her cry, but it is only for a couple of nights.