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Behaviour/development

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

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Original poster

Can a baby be too contented??

47 replies

Sugarmuppet · 02/10/2010 08:25

Really starting to worry about my DD. Family and friend keep making comments about her being 'too contented'.

DD is now 8 months old (6 months corrected, she was 2 months early). She has slept through the night, at least 12 hours without exception since she was six weeks. She has now taken to sleeping 14 hours, 6pm - 8am! Even getting 3 teeth in 3 days was no problem to her, they just appeared. She has always fed every 4 hours, taking all her milk no problems. We started weaning at 6 months and she took to that easily, now managing lumps and having 3 meals a day. She was slow to smile (14 weeks), giggle (5 months), roll over (6 months) and in the last few days has mastered sitting up and pulling herself to standing. She very rarely cries, if I let her she would lie under her play gym or even just roll around the floor between feeds without asking for attention. Just now we are in bed, I have just given her her morning bottle and I am now having breakfast, she is just lying beside me stroking my cushions! She would quite happily stay like this for hours.

Is all this normal? I have had so many people telling me there must be something wrong with her, and the more I read about babies demanding attention and not like being put down, struggling to settle to sleep etc I wonder too. Is she not clever enough to know if she cries I will come? HV just says every baby is different.

OP posts:

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bruffin · 02/10/2010 20:14

DD used to make a little uh uh sound which meant
I,m tired and want to go to bed
She used to right off then with no crying.
She is a lovely bright teenager now, who has her moments .

nickytwotimes · 02/10/2010 20:16

aw, sorry there'll be no more.

even more reason to enjoy her. she sounds super.

PotKettleBlack · 02/10/2010 20:24

just looked at your pics - HOW gorgeous is your DD?!! she looks lovely, bright and lively - and pulling to stand at 8mo is great - for 6mo adjusted I'd say that's advanced.

just because she is happy looking at stuff on her own and is contented doesn't mean there is something wrong with her. enjoy having a lovely contented baby, she sounds great.

Faaamily · 02/10/2010 20:29

She is GORGEOUS. What an absolute cutie.

I had a really stroppy, non-sleeping little nutcase of a first child (love him to bits, though! ). Then I got DD, who slept through from day one practically and was just an easy, smiley, gurgly little thing. Enjoy it. I am sure she is just fine.

Btw, my sweet little cherub is 22 mths old now and, although still a great sleeper and eater, has morphed into a right little diva. So seriously, do enjoy it now!

Poppet45 · 02/10/2010 20:32

Ooooh I want a DC like your one next time!!! Bless her she sounds heaven-sent. And I say this as someone who spent much of her DS's life patting his bum, shushing him, rocking him... etc etc etc and he still doesn't sleep through at 14 months. Yawn.

Still love him to bits mind. They're all different.

Original poster

Sugarmuppet · 02/10/2010 20:56

You are all lovely! Thank you! Feel so much better!

OP posts:

Bechka · 02/10/2010 22:19

Oh, isn't she beautiful! She sounds just perfect as well, enjoy it!

StarlightMcKenzie · 04/10/2010 16:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

Sugarmuppet · 01/12/2010 11:44

Just a wee update to this! DD is 10 months old this week. She is still too very laid back! She can sit up now and is nearly crawling. She got 4 top teeth overnight a couple of days ago, I didn't even know they were coming! She is still sleeping 6pm-8am and just a general joy to have around! We are enjoying it now though rather than worrying about what she should be doing!

OP posts:

SkyBluePearl · 01/12/2010 17:46

Mine have been like this and I just feel very lucky. x

wannabeglam · 01/12/2010 21:56

Enjoy your little angel, and ignore everyone. I had very alert, fractious babies. I tell you, whatever you have people put their oar in and tell you something is wrong. Put your foot down and tell them to keep their opinions to themselves.

You have a sweetypie, and as she's your only one I'm glad she's easy for you. Enjoy!

philly82 · 02/12/2010 18:12

Sugarmuppet I was so shocked to read your op - your wee girl is just gorgeous, and sounds like a delightful wee thing! Just enjoy her and ignore thoughtless and ignorant comments about her being too content! She sounds like a wee star! My wee girl is 10 months old this week too and is much the same as yours - just enjoy her! She sounds like she's doing everything she should be doing and more, especially when correcting her age by 2 months. You're obviously doing a great job!

JustKeepSparkling · 02/12/2010 18:22

Sugarmuppet - firstly she is gorgeous & i echo everyone else saying enjoy every second.

However, i will also add...if she is consistently 'late meeting milestones'* it might be worth asking another HV/the GP just to give her a quick check over, and to keep track of what milestones she is reaching and when.

I know all kids are different, they all develop at different rates and some of them aren't interested in some things so don't 'bother' with trying to learn them when charts say they should.

Just having experience of a DC not doing things quite right, and everyone saying how easy i had it as he slept so much, and went to bed so easily let me put things off in a way i wouldn't want someone else to do.

If a few medical types have seen her and say all is well, then file my concern away as just another jealous Mum :)

caveat, i know very little about prem babies and if she is consistently meeting milestones for her corrected age, then that's not 'late'

gourd · 03/12/2010 14:42

Just wait till she's a teenager!
Parents seem to worry if their baby is waking or crying a lot, but then when it's not waking or crying they worry that it's not awake or crying enough! Our 12 week old is quite chilled out. She can be awake and happy for up to 4 hours at a time during the day before a snooze. She enjoys looking at people on the bus, traffic, trees, basically everything is new and interesting to her which means she doesn't cry when we're out even when she's wide awake, she just stares at everything. This is great, it means she's knackered when we get home and will then sleep for 3 hours in order for her brain to process all that new information. She has also been an 8-9 hours a night sleeper since she was 6 weeks old. I think they have periods where they sleep more than others and it might be linked periods of fast physical growth and brain development. Certainly stimulating her in the day time with lots of books, toys and songs seems to make her sleep well at night. Maybe your baby is well stimulated too and is just knackered after all that fun! Also I think more chilled out parent/s equals a more chilled out baby - or so my HV and midwife seemed to think. At 12 weeks ours really has her own personality now, and like adults babies are all different to each other, some need loads of sleep and others don't.

ThatllDoPig · 03/12/2010 14:47

Wow you are lucky! Enjoy every bit of your contented little one, and relish all the sleep. The comments from people will be because they are JEALOUS! And if they had very difficult demanding babies (like me!) then they will be full of self doubt and worry that it is because of something that they have done wrong as parents. Of course this isn't the case, but you having such an easy time of it probably brings all that to the front, and they are fishing around trying to find something to cling at to make themselves feel better! Relax and enjoy. It is nice to know that there are the mythical dream babies out there. I want one next time!

autodidact · 03/12/2010 14:52

She is gorgeous! And sounds like she is doing everything on target by corrected age. Glad you are enjoying her.:)

mawbroon · 03/12/2010 15:19

Both mine are/were like this, but ds2 who is currently 9 months is even more so.

In fact, I have often thought that he is so contented that had he been my first, I would probably have worried that there was something amiss.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

Original poster

Sugarmuppet · 03/12/2010 15:43

Thanks all

OP posts:

bruffin · 03/12/2010 15:46

My DD was also a very contended baby, very rarely cried, slept through from 3 months. In fact my Dad said that he never heard her cry until she was 2 and he spent a day with her every 2 weeks.
She was into everything as a toddler and a bit of climber and had a horrible habit of drawing on the walls, but just draws on herself now.

She is now a typical teenager now and not so contented but very bright.

sleepy78 · 03/12/2010 20:02

Hi! I'm really happy to read this link - I was looking for this topic because I have the same worry - my DD is 4 months, and she is always happy to observe and play with toys for a while- she goes straight to sleep when I put her in her cot for her naps and sleeps all night...I haven't heard her cry for a good couple of weeks now. People have asked how I do it and I was starting to seriously worry that she isn't that bright or is sick... It's funny how little comments from other people can start a panic!

Original poster

Sugarmuppet · 03/12/2010 21:25

Just enjoy sleepy great isn't it? Sure the terrible 2's will be along before we know it! But like I keep telling everyone if she suddenly stops behaving so well at least I have had 9 perfect months of no stress and more sleep than I have every had in my life!

OP posts:

chaleyannscott · 03/12/2010 23:13

I think the world's gone mad if some people think there is something wrong with a baby who is 'content'. She is just obviously very secure and chilled out. We are all different. My babies have always been very demanding and attached in the first couple of years and then they are much happier to be with others. However, there is nothing wrong with a baby being content NOT to be attached constantly. She may get more clingy as she gets older and no doubt you will respond to that need in her. For now she is clearly just happy being near you and amusing herself.

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