What can I do to stop my baby screaming?

[greendog]

She's 6 months old and is a very sweet little baby. More often than not she's smiling and laughing, but recently she has been having very loud and tantrum-like screaming fits

.
We are confident that there's nothing wrong with her like wind or pain of any kind. It seems simply that she doesn't like going to sleep and therefore this is the time she's most likely to have one of the fits.

When we pick her up and walk around with her she calms down almost instantaneously.

We've made some half boiled attempts at ignoring her, but my wife and I just find it so upsetting to see her like this.

I'd like to try and stop her doing this before she gets any older. Can anyone help?

[acorn]

Think you know the answer! LOL its really hard not to pick up a baby that cries but at 6 months she is learning fast that you will come if she airs her lungs!! You could try going in and reassuring her with out actually picking her up. It seems so cruel to leave them alone to cry but all these nanny type programmes seem to say dont make that rod for your back! I had to sit in the room with my oldest while he screamed in his cot and tried to sit up. It will only get harder once she learns to stand up in the cot so if you really want to stop this and you know there is nothing wrong with your daughter (wind, pain etc) then stick to not picking her up but do it now. Good luck greendog and mrs greendog

[Sparkles3]

Yes, sadly you know the answer!! With my first, I took him to the clinic for weighing and my health visitor asked how he was sleeping. He had always been very good going to bed and sleeping through, but had started to cry when being put into his cot over the previous few nights. Because it was unusual we picked him up, cuddled him etc. The health visitor said that 2 nights is sufficient to become a habit for a baby - they see they get the cuddles that they naturally crave through the crying and hence will continue until those cuddles are forthcoming. If you always give in eventually, they will continue to cry until you give in - so until that habit is broken, this is going to continue. We did controlled crying (lay baby down say goodnight, read story, everything as normal first time. If she starts crying, still leave the room, then go back in after 5 mins if still crying, just lay baby down if she's sat up or calmly straighten her sheets, either don't talk to her or say something very simple and consistent like 'time to sleep', leave again for 10 mins, then 15 mins and so on) - this reassures her that you're there, but reinforces that you won't be getting her out, she's not going to get any attention and it's time to sleep. Don't get me wrong - it was very hard the first night (probably took about an hour) and I was sat on the stairs in floods of tears - but the second night it took about 30 mins and the third night my son just laid down, grizzled for a couple of minutes and then all was quiet. A habit is learned quickly - you just need to make sure it's one you want to encourage!! Good luck!!

[Babyblues]

Let her cry I know that it sounds cruel but I have learned that if you give in every night it will only get worse.
Try just letting her cry, untill she falls asleep and do that every day you will notice that each night the time she cries gets shorter and shorter till she goes to bed without fussing at all. it is a process unfortunatly we started it and we can end it as well. good luck