Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Behaviour/development

Ferocious tantrum of a 5 mth old

12 replies

Hamishsmummy · 30/11/2007 15:03

Earlier this afternoon my 5 month ds was girning a bit (nothing new there). I knew he was due a feed so I picked him up and he calmed down. We walked about the flat looking at things (as he likes to do) but when I put him down in his cot to go and make up his bottle he went absolutely BANANAS. So I picked him up again to take him into the kitchen to watch me make up his bottle and he grabbed my head and started to try to bite my face ! Luckily no teeth yet so I just got a good gumming ! He calmed down in his rocker chair in the kitchen while I made his bottle but got really angry again when I took him back to his room to feed him. This time I made sure I wan't in the way but he was biting his fists really viciously.

I've always thought he'll be a bit of a livewire but this has frightened me a bit. Has anyone else put there experienced anything like this in a baby? Is this the shape of things to come? And is there any way of letting him know that he can't bite his mummy (or anyone else for that matter...)???

TIA xx

OP posts:

Report

colditz · 30/11/2007 15:06

He was telling you, in no uncertain terms, that he wished you to put something in his mouth, pronto!

He sounds delicious.

Report

theUrbanDryad · 30/11/2007 15:10

are you bf-ing at all? or fully ff-ing? tbh, if you're ff-ing i wouldn't worry about it at this stage. if you were bf-ing i might suggest that you start trying to establish some nursing manners (cause i didn't, which now means i've been expressing pink milk for the past week ) but if he's just biting a bottle it's ok.

if you really wanted to do something, i might suggest you say, "no," firmly then move away so he can't bite you/the bottle. but to be honest, a 5 month old doesn't really understand!!

i agree with Colditz - he was just telling you he was hungry!! he does sound gorgeous though!

Report

MrsRecycle · 30/11/2007 15:15

when my ds bites me (started from around this age)I do a sterm "NO" then I always take his finger and put it in my mouth and lick it which makes him laugh. I then put my finger back in his mouth and he should (in theory!) lick it. It seems to work most of the time. But I do have the teeth marks of when it doesn't.

Report

Hamishsmummy · 30/11/2007 15:15

Oh LOL he is gorgeous! I did laugh about it but felt a bit worried about it too! He is fully ff and bites the bottle and his dummy and his bear and his penguin and his rabbit .....

OP posts:

Report

yummers · 30/11/2007 15:15

you've probably thought of this already but could he have been really really hungry? you said it was just before you gave him his bottle...

or teething? my dd got her first tooth at 4.5 months, and she's always beeen a huge biter.

or perhaps in pain? sorry, running out of obvious ideas...

Report

Hamishsmummy · 30/11/2007 15:16

Toys I hasten to add !!!!!!!!!!

OP posts:

Report

colditz · 30/11/2007 15:30

I think it was genuine fury at being put back in the cot. And the bite was sheer frustration at being unable to scr4eam "You don't understand, I want it NOW, what do you keep putting me down for?"

Report

theUrbanDryad · 30/11/2007 15:33

yummers - i agree, it does sound like teething. my ds started showing all the signs at around 16 weeks, dribbling, gnawing, red cheeks, sore bum etc, but then got his first tooth at 7 months (or something, can't remember without looking it up! )

it's tricky because every baby malady is put down to teething. but i think it might be in this case...

Report

lizziemun · 30/11/2007 16:23

Yes DD1.

Either very hungry or very frustrated that she could get to what she wanted.

I found she calm a lot once she could get about baby walker at 6mths and walking by 9/10months.

DD2 is like this and she is only 12weeks you have to hold realy tight as she is fighting to get she wants .

Report

Rosetip · 30/11/2007 16:44

sounds like teeth to me

my 6 month old likes to grab fistfulls of my hair and then suck vigorously on my chin! (fortunately I have quick a pointy face and he doesn't have any teeth yet)

Report

talktothebees · 30/11/2007 16:56

my 5mo has started getting a bit tantrumy over the last week. Nothing quite on the scale of your DS though there's some hair pulling and face scratching. I've put it down to frustration and it mostly seems to be triggered by hunger, tiredness and wanting me to play rather then teething tho' TBH I'm feeling pretty clueless about what DD wants at the moment. If I read one more book or website that says by this age babies have different cries for different needs and you'll be able to distinguish them....aaagh! Not me mate. As far as can tell DD has a boo-hoo cry, a frustrated growl and a scream and she uses all three interchangeably for anything.

Rant over. Glad to know it's normal development and should get better with growing independence.

Report

Hamishsmummy · 30/11/2007 20:11

Thanks all! I think it was just hunger/frustration this time but I don't think the teeth are too far away (he likes to bite my knuckles and it bloody hurts!).

talktothebees oh you make me laugh! I know exactly what you mean re different cries.