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Old February 11th 06, 02:21 PM posted to misc.kids
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Default Newborn cries by night, sleeps happily by day

I'm mom of three, and I hate to tell you this - but LOTS of babies do
this in the evenings or nights. I know its trying and mystifying, but I
don't think there is much you can do other than give it some tincture
of time.

My middle child in particular was like that. He wailed for hours every
evening - he just cried and cried and cried and cried, and there was
NOTHING we could do about it other than endure it. We actually used to
put headphones on so we could watch TV or listen to music while pacing
the floor with him. We had tried car rides and vibration, baths,
keeping the stimulation to a minimum, stepping UP the stimulation,
swaddling, feeding, changing, rocking and jiggling in every position
possible, skin to skin contact, and on and on and on. I changed my
diet. We tried gas and colic meds on him, we played soft music, we made
the room warmer, we made the room cooler, we soothed and paced and put
him in the swing. Every hint in every magazine or book or that friends
gave us, and nothing worked. It gave me some insight into child abuse,
since I swear, there were nights when I was at the end of my tether
with him, and if I hadn't had a spouse to hand him off to, I would have
been about beyond my limits (opening the window and pitching him out
started to seem like a viable option!).

Flash ahead a few years and I think we have a clue why he cried so
much. He is exquisitely sensitive to smells, sounds, physical
sensations. He's one of those kids who is driven to distraction by the
seams on his socks or the collar on a shirt. I think physical
sensations can be overwhelming for him, and he can't tune things out -
and that issue is much worse for him when he's tired. Being a wee baby
with an immature nervous system must have been awful for him.

The good news is that he did grow out of the nightly wailing - it was
at its peak in the 6 weeks to 4 or 5 month period. Hang in - it does
pass!

Mary G.