Sleep and my angry baby

[CharlotteandCharlie]

Good Afternoon. 

I need some advice.  I am convinced my daughter Charlie is a very angry baby (5 months old).  She is very very fussy and yells alot (no tears, just yelling/crying).  I am writing because I don't know what to do.

Charlie sleeps during the day (at 5 months old) between 4 and 5 naps a day lasting between 25mins to 1 hour.  One hour naps are rare and very welcome.  Is she having REM issues and needs me to help her settle.  I have read that you should go in before they start to wake and help them through the REM. 

My other concern is that Charlie wakes up yelling/crying at the top of her lungs every time, day or night.  There are no in between noises.  This is part of the reason I say she is angry.  She cannot be awake longer than an hour without turning into a grump.  If I carry her for 30 mins she can stay awake for 1.5 hours.  This seem odd because she is 5 months old now. 

We swaddle Charlie and pat/shh her which works well.  She is finding her thumb, which I am happy about because she won't settle and never has on her own so the thumb is welcome.  I am concerned tha she isn't making use of her thumb or settling because of the swaddle. 

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions as to how I can/if I should wean Charlie from the swaddle, how to get longer naps, longer wakeful times and less yelling?

Thank you so much.

[JennŠ]

At this point, all I can suggest would be maybe a white noise machine or something of that nature.  My lo went through a grump period and we discovered that water sounds worked.  Could it be something like a mild intolerence to her formula/ milk?  That could disrupt everything else.  My brain is a bit fried, but I'll think some more.  On a separate note, I gotta ask, is she a Charlotte as well?   

[CharlotteandCharlie]

Thank you for responding.  I have been staying away from dairy as best as I can.  I am lactose intolerant so I was afraid that was the cause of her unhappiness.  There are definately less tummy noises.  I had read that cows milk can piggy back on mother's milk and get to the baby so I decided for my comfort and hers I would stay away.  I also give her lactose free formula when its just daddy and Charlie.

I was thinking earlier today that perhaps I'm not producing as much as she needs?  The diapers are much more full when she has a bottle.

As for her name her legal name is Charlie.  My nickname throughout my life was Charlie and my husband affectionaly referred to me that way so we thought it would be a nice tribute to call our daugher Charlie.  Thanks for picking up on that ... not alot of people do they just crinkle their noses.

Have a great night.

[JennŠ]

Neat!  We kinda planned on the nickname "Charlie" as she is named after 2 G-Gpas named Charles.   And avoid someone creating a weird nickname.  So far she seems to be a Charlotte instead.  Have you checked in the bf forum?  I admit to knowing very little about that stuff.  Does she seem to sleep better after bottles?

[CharlotteandCharlie]

I will scan the bf forum.  Thank you. 

Again with the names Charlotte and Charlie.  I find that people from England and European countrys get the Charlotte Charlie connection.  As for the rest of my very Canadian/Ukrainan family they just don't get how pretty it is. 

I love being called Charlie ... Char ... not so much. 

Do you know the song Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte by Patty Page?  My mom named me after that song.  Just thought your daughter might enjoy it when she's older.