I Don't Know What to Do! - Lakewood,WA

Sounds to me like teething too. Those molars can be quite a bear! She's about the right age to deal with them and every child is different with their teething experience... Geez, every teething experience in every child can be different!
Try some tylenol and see if that makes a difference in her behavior.
Also... Might do a trip to the dr. too rule out ear infection... That can cause a change in disposition, as it did in one of my sons. No fever, no pain, just a change in "attitude".
Good Luck!

Do you think it might be teething? My daughter liked the Vibrating Teething Star by First Years (I have only seen it at Wal-Mart), she liked it even better when I put it in the freezer a while or the fridge. The Pediatrician told me to give my daughter Motrin because Tylenol wasn't strong enough and didn't last long enough.

Have you tried her on any new foods lately? Sometimes an allergy/intolerance will cause fussiness. Just a thought :) Good luck!

J.-

Your daughter isk most likely going through a phase. Children swing back and forth from sweet and contented to irritable and fussy. They go through this about every six months or so. My daughter also just turned one a month ago and she's doing the same thing. She used to be a very easy-going, contented baby and now she's walking and wants her freedoms. Basically, she's pushing her boundaries.

My best advice for you is just to hang in there. I know it doesn't sound like much, but trust that this phase will pass. You and your daughter will figure it out.

If she doesn't seem to want to sleep at naptime, try putting her into her crib with a favorite toy or two. She may just decide to play until she doses off. That's what I do some days. And if she's fussy and crying and you can't fix it, try to distract her with a toy, a song, or a video. She may just be bored. As for the eating, she doesn't need as much food now that she's one, so don't worry over that.

You'll get through it, just hang in there!

Good luck-
B.

did this change in behavior happen after a vaccination? if so she may be having a reaction to the vaccine. if so, you should contact your pediatrician and report the reaction to VARS -- http://vaers.hhs.gov Lots of other web info is out there about kids who have negative vaccine reactions and steps parents can take to protect their kids. good luck!

My guess is that she may be teething, but since I don't know her personally, it's hard to say! If I were in your position, I'd Definitely call my pediatrician to see if I maybe need to get her in and/or if they can give me some helpful hints over the phone. I hope your pediatrician is as helpful as mine is. But do call, especially since you're so frustrated and worn out by this! Babies absolutely go through phases, but that's no reason to prolong the misery of both of you! Good luck! I'll be thinking of you!

Hi J., it is possible that she is teething, and/or going through a growth spurt. I would try to ride it out as much as possible, check her teeth see if you see anything different, maybe some swelling in spots that look like teeth are coming in, or perhaps she is growing, but she is 1 so she is going to go through these crazy things from time to time. Patience is all you can hope for!

Good luck

S.
mom to two girls 4 and 2
www.sandraellison.myarbonne.com

It could be any number of completely normal (and hair-pulling) things - but I am curious about teething...?

I know that when my oldest was working on getting some new teeth, he would get extremely fussy and quit eating (and he LOVED food!).

Also - It is very common for children this age to get extremely fussy when learning a new skill (walking, climbing, eating with a spoon, etc.). It could be that she is also frustrated at knowing what she wants to do but being unable to do it.

My advice - give Tylenol if you think teething is an issue (and your doctor says it is OK)... try and engage her in something that challenges her but she can do (throwing a ball into a bucket, building with blocks, coloring, etc.), and provide plenty of downtime for her and you :-)

Good luck

teeth! my son never had problems with teething until he was about 12 months and his HUGE molars started coming in. ( he already had 8 teeth and i had never noticed any extra fussiness with any of them ). he was doing exactly the same thing as your little one was / is. it only lasted about a week or so each time unleess multiple teeth were coming in at the same time. he was super fussy, didn't want to eat or nap, etc. as soon as the teeth broke through, everything was back to normal. anyhow... maybe it's just teething!

Hey now, J., So, some questions to ask...is your daughter in a daycare? Are pinworms a possibility? Any change in her diet? Anyone or anything new in her life? Are you away from home more? Routine changed? Trust your intuition. If you have a naturapath, ask him/her for advice re parasites/diet, etc. Those are just the flashes I had, good luck. Another mama trying to keep it together with fussy children...

J.,

I don't know what is going on, but it sounds like she might be teething. My daughter who is 5mo went through similar symptoms last month. I gave her Tylenol or Motrin and this usually helped her feel better. If those minor remedies don't help, you may want to call your daugher's doctor. I also have a 4 yr old who went through similar symptoms all throughout toddlerhood. It usually took me a couple of days to figure it out and then give him some pain reliever to help him through it.

My motto when it was tough was, This to shall pass. It was almost a mantra at times.

Hugs to you.

Try making a tea of either chamomile or catnip, cool it and give your baby a teaspoon of it throughout the day (You and the other kids can drink the rest). These are both safe for everyday use, and are mild relaxing herbs.
Good Luck!

It sounds like you should talk to her Dr. ASAP.
They all go through phases, I feel like my daughter who is also 1 goes through weeks where she is frustrated and falling apart over nothing and then a few weeks of smooth sailing. It's like growth spurts in what they are learning...it's easy to get frustrated.

But with that much of a mjor sudden change you should see her Dr about it. Did anything else change? Babysitter etc? I would pay specail attention and try to figure out what is going on instead of be frustrated with her...what if something happened to her and she doesn't have any way to tell you or handle it?

Hope it turns out ok!

There could be lots of reasons that she is cranky! 1. sick, just cause there is no fever doesn't mean shes isn't sick somewhere else. 2. teething, my son is a completely different baby when he is teething. 3. growth spurt, sometimes their bodies ache from growing. She could also be going through a few things at once. Hope this helps.

Hi J. -

I too have a 1 year old (on 10-30) daughter. This may seem obvious, but could your daughter be teething? Mine is also a very happy, silly girl for the most part, but I have noticed in the past month or so that she is a little more moody. It's as if just as she has entered toddlerhood she's trying so hard to express herself in different ways and sometimes seems to get more frustrated.

My daughter only has 4 teeth right now and I have noticed a few times lately she is more moody due to mouth pain. If it's not that and she isn't sick, I would say it's just the phase that some 1 year olds go through because mine sounds so similar. Sorry I don't have any great advice for you, but I feel your pain! Hang in there!

well that just is a 1 stage in her life think win she is 16 that is win ther bad! but take her to the dr this hapend to my kid to he wus sick

are there molars comming in, check for swolen gums near the back! that's explained my son's grumpy personality sometimes.

My daughter did something similar. She was experiencing a growth spurt emotionally and physically. She calmed down and was responsive to music and physical attention like holding, cuddling, caresses and smooth tones of voice as I talked her through what she was feeling as well as using some sign language we had learned. (emotions etc.) It was a challenging transition, hang in there!
K.

She may be cutting teeth. Even if you don't feel them in her mouth, teeth take a while to come. The lower central incisors first around 8-10 mo. and the upper central and lateral incisors 8-13 mo. Sometimes accompanied be irratibility. low grade fever, pink cheeks, upset stomach, etc. I always gave my kids homeopathics. They can work wonders with all symptoms. If you have a natural medicine store, or even Whole Foods or PCC, you can read through symptoms and match up homeopathics. Do not give more than the recommended dose. 6x or 6c is typical for babies and small children. Hope it helps.

Maybe she's teething? or maybe she doesn't feel good, even without the fever. Regardless, I know this can be hard. I would keep her close to you, meet all of her needs (cuddles, hugs, kisses, nursing etc.) to help her through this time. Try to keep her routine, even if she is slightly off of it. This too shall pass. Stay positive!

did she just get vaccinated or try a new food? is there anything new that she has been exposed to like carpet cleaning? new detergent? new lotion? it could be that her system is getting overloaded by something new.

So many things could cause this crankiness: teething, fighting a cold, not getting enough sleep, being hungry, she may even be suffering from some separation anxiety, think about any changes that may have recently taken place in your routine, or in who cares for her while you are at school Really think about everything, pour over any child-rearing books you have to consider and elminate possibilities and address any concerns that could possibly contribute to her behavior. It is normal for kids to go through phases too, sometimes they want to "test" you to see how far you'll go for them, so consider anything and make adjustments where necessary.

I vote for at least taking her to your pediatrician to make sure there is nothing else going on since she can't verbalize much yet. Good luck!!

I would also guess teething...

Hi J.,
Well I know what you're going through with school-I'm a part time student at PSU and work part time. My son is 2.
She might be acting differnet just because she's 1- it may just be a phase. She's growing and all that. Have you talked to her doctor about it? Whenever my husband and I can't figure anything we out, we call the advice nurse- she helps immensely!
Good luck...and it will get better!
K.

does she have all her teeth in? she could be teething or maybe it's growing pains?

Hi Jenn,

Just out of curiosity, do you live in Happy Valley?

K.

Hi J. :)
Sounds like teething to me... Around one year old back molars start moving and again around 2... May also be growth spurt. Either of those two will contribute to lack of appetite, cranky baby and sleeplessness. You could try the Hylands Teething tablets (Fred Meyer natural foods section carries them) or a weak Chamomile tea around naptime. If your nursing her keep nursing! That will help her get through rough times :) Good Luck!

teething...probably molars...tylenol may help

Hi J.. I would definitely take her to your pediatrician and have her checked for an ear infection. My son has never shown any of the typical symptoms of an ear infection, i.e. fever, rubbing or pulling on his ear, etc., but a few times he has been out of sorts, super fussy, had no appetite and not sleeping well and twice the doctor found he had a bad ear infection. Your daughter might have a high pain tolerance like my son and is not showing the normal signs so it is a good idea just to get her checked out to rule out any illness. Good luck to you.

It sounds like teething to me. Have you check her mouth? Although sometimes they hurt before they are coming through and you can't really tell. I hope she cheers up soon!

Is she teething? My son cut in the first 8 without any difference in his personality, but with those molars we had constant fevers and random moody/tearfulness. I don't know what you prefer to use, but I have used homeopathic results with good results. Or essential oils to help relax my kids (and myself!)
Good luck! Trust the intuition God gave you! YOU KNOW BEST!

Hi J.,

It sure sounds like teething to me. I'd try frozen teething toys (or wash-cloth) first then possibly some teething tablets (found at the Kiva).

Good luck,
A.

Well moodiness comes from a lot of different things. Is it possible she's getting her molars? Or is she constipated? What is happening when she isn't herself. Is she fine and then all of a sudden everything goes crazy? Hard to say. Maybe she is getting sick and just doesn't have symptoms yet. When my daugter was two I got her ears pierced. She would cry and cry after the first week and I wasn't sure why. Finally about the 10th day, she got a fever and nothing else. I went to clean her ears and one of her ears was so swollen I could barely grab the earring backing to take it out of her ear. I said that to say, she grew an infection that didn't show for awhile. I don't know if that helped. But there's many scenarious and not much to go from in your story.

my guess is she's probably teething.

I would take her and have her ears checked. She may not appear sick and still have a painful ear infection. The other thing might be teething given her age. My third daughter had chronic ear infections but never appeared sick otherwise. I am a Medical Assistant and those sound like the symptoms we might see in the office. M. B

Sounds just like she is getting her 1 year molars. I'd try teething tablets or tylenol. My son is the same age and is going through the same thing...Hang in there!