Chilled out or uncommunicative 6 month old?

[matana]

The title's a bit of an exageration but i just wanted to find out what others think or whether other people have a similar LO and i'm worrying about nothing.

Basically, my DS is lovely - smiley, engaging, and happy most of the time and always has been. It's very obvious that he's formed an attachment to DH and myself, but has never been clingy and is content to occupy himself for long periods providing he's not hungry or tired.

But he doesn't seem to be able to communicate negative feelings very well. By this i mean he doesn't tend to complain much which makes reading him very hard sometimes.

For example, we took him swimming for the first time around 12 weeks i think. I didn't stay in the water long with him (about ten minutes) but that was because rather than crying or screaming when he was cold, his lips just went blue!

And now i've started weaning him and i'm finding it very difficult knowing when he's had enough. He just keeps opening his mouth like a little sparrow. He only started eating breakfast a week ago and this morning he polished off a whole weaning bowl full of porridge. I'm worrying he's just eating because he can't tell me he doesn't want any more! I know he's only 6 months, but it's like he just wants to please us by doing what he 'ought' to. I know that sounds stupid as he hasn't worked out those kinds of cognitive processes yet.

Does any of this seem strange? Or has anyone else had similar concerns?

Does he cry at all? What about if he's hungry or has a wet bum? Speak to your gp or hv if you're worried.

No advice but he sounds adorable!

My ds is nearly 5 months and I'm surprised at how little he complains. He makes noise when hungry and cries due to teething but that's about it. When he was born all the babies on the ward cried through the night apart from my ds. I hope it just means he is content and laid back rather than something being wrong!

I am getting slightly similar responses in terms of the weaning to you. My DS of 6 months never to be that bothered whether or not I carry on feeding him or take the bowl away. Very distractible? I asked the HV as I was worried he was taking too much. She said he'd stop if it were too much. He sometimes gags a bit towards the end of the bowl of chicken casserole (that's about 3 tablespoons' worth) so I take that as a cue. In terms of his milk he even sicks up some of it still which I thought was a sign it was too much and, as you describe, he just seems to down the lot. HV said that sometimes the sphinctre isn't strong enough so rather than over-feeding it could be that. However I have been using the weaning guide of she-who-can't-be-named and the portion sizes seem enormous combined with all the milk feeds for this age. And my DS is on the 91st percentile. I suppose if he were really, really full or hungry you'd know about it? I'm only guessing. Mine doesn't cry either. He just whinges sometimes.

hi- mine is just like this too. hardly ever cries or protests. I think as long as he is engaging with you then it is not a problem. I would only be worried if he was generally disengaged or switched off. I worried about it too, but then realised I should just enjoy it!

Piggyleroux - yes, he cries but not often at all. A wet/ dirty bum has never bothered him. He cries when he's hungry or tired, but only if not being held at the time. If he cries, the minute we pick him up he stops regardless of how hungry/ tired he is.

My son was like this - totally chilled out and never really cried. We used the routines of she-who-cannot-be-named (and got a lot of grief for it!) and it was a good thing too as he simply wouldn't have ever cried for a feed - he was too laid back! He didn't cry if he was hungry, full, tired or bored - he just got on with it. He's 6 now and is still pretty relaxed about things. He's also one of the most independant 6 year olds I know who amuses himself very well and always has done. Even if he is worried about something, or if he's sick - he'll always downplay it or just not say anything at all. That's just the way he is. It's more annoying now because I do sometimes worry that he's holding too much in his wee head rather than actually communicating it to us, but I also know that he communicates the important stuff, we have a very close bond and he's a happy child - this is just the way he is.

My first daughter was completely different and boy was that a shock to the system! She'd gurn about just about anything and now at 3 will insist on telling you every single detail of every single thing she's done!

They've both been parented in the same way and they are completely different - definitely nature rather than nurture!

I have an extremely chilled out 6 month old too. She cries when teething and thats about it. It's bliss!