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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be frustrated at my whingy baby?

39 replies

MissTwister · 10/11/2015 16:51

Just that really. She is 4 months old and every afternoon she whinges for hours and hours. I manage to get her to sleep and she wakes up whinging, I play and she's interested for 5 mins before whinging. She doesn't need her nappy changing or feeding. She just sits and shouts and shouts until something is done to entertain her - for 5 minutes before she is bored again and shouts. It's exhausting!!

Any tips!

OP posts:

ARV1981 · 10/11/2015 16:54

No tips... my ds is the same. He's really fretful. I get cross with him too, even though I know it's not his fault. The sound of screaming baby cuts you to the core.

stairway · 10/11/2015 16:55

Have you tried a dummy?

Original poster

MissTwister · 10/11/2015 16:56

She HATES dummies. Of course she does!

She sucks her thumb but it doesn't interrupt the shouting....

OP posts:

HaydeeofMonteCristo · 10/11/2015 16:57

I thought that was what babies did if you just put them down somewhere to "sit". They winge because they want to be carried and/or interacted with. They don't just sit quietly.

GenevaMaybe · 10/11/2015 16:58

She sounds overtired. What's her routine like?

Toraleistripe · 10/11/2015 17:00

It's the usual advice I know, but use a sling/ carrier and just get on with stuff. Babies won't fit in just because we need them to. They crave cuddles and attention. Carrying them around may work. Good luck!

MummaV · 10/11/2015 17:00

Sadly I have no tips but I know exactly what you mean. DD is 6 months and every afternoon between 4 and 6 she whinges non stop. She won't nap, she isn't hungry, she's clean and warm and generally fine, just whingey.

I set her up in a safe place with some toys (we have a travel cot in the living room) and go and make a cup of tea etc just to get away for a few minutes. I have been getting serious headaches every afternoon and I'm 100% sure it's down to the non-stop whinging. I thought it was teething pain but various teething remedies didn't help. She's just whiney.

Hopefully it's just a phase and she'll be over it soon.

for you.

DaggerEyes · 10/11/2015 17:00

What helped me was today a line between noise, and crying. Crying got them attention, noise was ignored. I didn't ignore them, but spoke as if the noise just wasn't happening. I mostly did housework during The Noise, and breezily narrated my every move so they knew I gave a damn about them, but just didn't give a damn about The Noise. If that makes sense?

DaggerEyes · 10/11/2015 17:01

To draw, not today.

MummaV · 10/11/2015 17:02

Just to add: she also whinges when's she's cuddled, when you are playing with her, singing to her, talking to her.

Sometimes babies just whinge.

Buttercup27 · 10/11/2015 17:02

What helped us was a baby swing with music. It used to settle both of ours and saved our sanity !

BrightonMum36 · 10/11/2015 17:05

Door bouncer. Saved my sanity.

HaydeeofMonteCristo · 10/11/2015 17:06

I also used a sling at the stage you are at.

munkisocks · 10/11/2015 17:06

Mines 4.5 months and has just started shouting a lot. I put her in her high chair in front of TV with cartoons on or on her playmat with music going and I let her shout at that lol. As long as she's getting enough sleep maybe try this.

megletthesecond · 10/11/2015 17:10

I'm afraid my ds only stopped crying when he started crawling. I had to carry or push him around constantly for months or else he would holler. I couldn't even sit down to chat to people because he would cry. He was a great sleeper and eater, just didn't like being in one place.

Original poster

MissTwister · 10/11/2015 17:22

haydeeofmontecristo as mummav says it's nothing to do with interaction. She does the same whether I play with her / hold her or not.

buttercup we bought a lovely expensive swing with lights. She tolerates this for about 10 minutes!

daggereyes thanks for tip - does the shouting not turn into full on crying though?

genevamaybe it's a possibility. She sleeps very well at night but has no day time routine. Weirdly although she sleeps through at night during the day she only sleeps 45 mins at most at a time. She is always yawning but I can't get her to sleep for longer. In the afternoons she will only sleep on the boob - she's not hungry just needs it for comfort.

OP posts:

Original poster

MissTwister · 10/11/2015 17:24

megletthesecond same. If she's being pushed in pram she's happy. Although she does tolerate sitting on cafes etc as she likes people watching

OP posts:

SpendSpendSpend · 10/11/2015 17:32

My dd whos now 3 years was a whinger.

All day long!!!! She also never slept during the day, but slept from 7-7 at night from 6 weeks old.

Having a baby that is constantly whinging is a drain. People used to ask me all the time what was wrong with her. She was just a bloody moaner!

It was the most miserable time of my life as family refused to look after her to give me a break because they found her such hard work.

It got better once she started walking. Shes 3 now and not really a whinger. She has her moments but its not like it used to be as she can tell me why shes whinging so the problem is sorted very quickly.

Buttercup27 · 10/11/2015 17:32

You've probably tried this too but have you ever just plonked her on the floor with something shiny/crunchy like a crisp packet or something. Sometimes my ds just didn't know what to do with himself and this distracted him for a bit.

SpendSpendSpend · 10/11/2015 17:33

I also spent a fortune on all singing and dancing swings etc.

She did love the jumperoo though

PumpkinPie2013 · 10/11/2015 17:43

My son went through a phase like this around the same age and it is draining!

I found that he used to get bored even being in one room for a long time so we used to switch rooms, go out for walks round, groups/library etc. Anything for a change of scenery but it is tiring!

He's nearly two now and not as bad but I do have to plan our weekend days so that he has plenty to do - a day at home is generally not an option

WhispersOfWickedness · 10/11/2015 17:53

My whingey baby is now a mostly delightful four year old. She got slightly better once she could crawl and then mostly stopped once she could walk. She is still VERY independent, so I think she just didn't like being a baby and not being able to get anywhere under her own steam!

BertieBotts · 10/11/2015 17:55

I remember at this age DS went through a stage where he would whine if you didn't hold him. But you couldn't hold him on your lap sitting down. You had to stand. And preferably bounce, or sway. Very arm wearing!

I did find a sling helped my sanity at that age.

Fratelli · 10/11/2015 18:12

It's just a phase most likely. I used to put ds in a sling and just have him on me most of the day. Do you go out much? You could try some baby groups? My ds is 9mo now and the days I'm not at work I still take him out for an hours walk. It's good for both of us! It also could be teething, maybe try some teething toys?

miaowmix · 10/11/2015 18:17

The sling/carrying thing absolutely does not work for everybody, if you have a whingey baby sometimes they just whine and whinge for no reason. Mine did, but like others she was much happier as soon as she was able to do something, so crawling etc.
I can report she's nearly 9 years old now and happy as a clam .

Picking her up, using a sling made absolutely FUCK all difference when she was a baby. Nor did feeding - and at that age she was breast fed on demand.
It gets better OP.

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