Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Behaviour/development

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

5 month old - low level grumping all the time, what to do???

11 replies

redspottedfrog · 20/03/2012 20:18

DS2 turned 5 months last week. He feeds well, is putting on weight and seems to be thriving. He's got dry skin bordering on eczema and I got some emolient from the docs this week for that issue.

I'm pretty sure he's teething, he's dribbling, red cheeks, chewing everything. But, teething gel, calpol and teethers don't make a huge difference to my problem.

He'll only nap in his pram, and I've struggled to work out his natural "routine". He's getting better at going to bed, and is now sleeping better overnight (wakes prob every three hours, sometimes every two). When he starts to look sleepy I'll take him out so he gets good naps during the day.

So, he cries a lot. Not necessarily loud bawling, just low-level grumping. Basically he hates being put down when we're in the house. I've tried a sling (BB and stretchy wrap) and he doesn't like that either. The only position he seems to like is being held up so he can "stand", Maybe bounce and jump a little bit.

So it's getting quite tricky! It's really hard to get anything done, and it's harder when his brother is around. Luckily DH is around a lot at the mo to help out but that won't be forever, and I'm not sure how I can manage during the day when he's awake.

I'm considering a door bouncer. But, I'm not too keen as I don't really like the position it holds them in (I'm a HCP so I'm a bit funny about these things, sorry!). I'd prefer him to be on the floor, rolling and moving (which he can do but he gets annoyed...) as it's better for his development. Jumparoos, same issue, plus they're expensive and DS1 would probably destroy it (but that's another story!).

Oh I don't know! He's healthy, I know that, and I know his little gums are probably tender, but it's really getting a bit much so what can I do???

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
seaweed74 · 20/03/2012 20:39

Sounds very similar to my dd (4.5 months). I do use a door bouncer which kept her busy over lunch, but it's only a temp answer. Sling works very well for us but think my back's going to really suffer! Tricky cooking and doing dishes with baby hanging in front! I think dd just wants to be on the move more and until she's got the skills life will have a grizzly sound track to it.

Hopefully someone will have an answer other than wait it out :)

redspottedfrog · 20/03/2012 20:45

Thanks sea not just us then! I don't remember DS1 being like this, and it doesn't help that I've got a couple of friends with relatively new bubs that are really calm and happy most of the time, grrr!

I think you're right about them wanting to be on the move. DS gets really cross when he rolls onto his front, he can roll back but he obviously wants to do a bit more than that!

OP posts:
startail · 20/03/2012 21:21

DD1 did a lot of fuss for no reason. Finally concluded she was bored. As you say DS seems to be frustrated and wanting to move.

Best cures I found were walks into town lots of changes of scenery trees, cars then precinct with people. Or anywhere with babies and young children.

NCT bumps and babies and their relatively young toddler group were a godsend. I remember one of the mums being very apologetic because her older one was being a bit wild. I couldn't have cared less a roomful of noisy two year-olds was bliss compared with the depressing whinge I'd had all morning.

smoggii · 20/03/2012 21:31

Get a Jumperoo off ebay for about a third of the price - my little one loved being upright at that age so loved time in her jumperoo but I didn't let her stay in for too long at a time.

redspottedfrog · 20/03/2012 22:38

I haven't really taken him to any groups yet. I take DS1 to groups alone as that's "our" time and he really needs it. I've been abit lazy as I haven't got the desperate need to go out and meet people that I did with DS1! Maybe I'll give some groups a go next week.

smog I just worry about what DS1 will do to a Jumperoo too. He's always bouncing on the baby's bouncy chair despite constant attempts / bribes / threats telling him to get off it. At least with that I can hook it on the back of the sofa. I have nowhere to put a Jumperoo away and out of his way...

OP posts:
Ozziegirly · 21/03/2012 02:58

My DS went through a massively grizzly stage between 4-6 months. God it was awful, just low level grizzle seemingly all the time. Anyway, I think it was a combination of teeth and also a desperate frustration at his inability to get around. He crawled at 6 months and changed overnight as he could finally explore.

It did help taking him out, swimming, to the park etc but he was never one of these babies happy to sit and watch the world go by. He quite liked just sitting in the filth eating leaves or in a sandpit but even then, he wanted that thing, juuust over there Hmm

LeBFG · 21/03/2012 08:59

Same baby here. I remember getting sooo fustrated. Hated prams, car seats, tummy time, play mat....And I was so annoyed as I expected babies to all be the same and LIKE car drives and so on. It felt really unfair!

For us, the only things that worked at 5 months were

  1. slings facing baby outwards (NEVER inwards) so he could see the world and walking him around at all times outdoors or in supermarkets (didn't work in the house), that sort of thing.
  1. Visiting friends etc as he liked (and still does) interacting with people.
  1. Figuring out his natural nap times and sticking to a routine with them. This meant he stopped grizzling because of low-level tiredness, IYSWIM. This was a big step.
  1. He also had a baby walker, which saved my life indoors when I had to do stuff like cooking. But I can see they aren't to everyone's liking.

Things only really got better, like ozzie, when he could crawl around (9.5 months)... but he still has grizzly hours. I just hoik him into his back carrier and off we go for some fresh air...

startail · 21/03/2012 09:24

How old is DS1, is he at school or nursery?

I never got as much low level grump from DD2 and I think that's because her sister was about every afternoon.

Ozziegirly · 21/03/2012 11:29

I could have written LeBFG's post - DS even from small would crane his neck around in the facing inwards sling and pram. In the trolley now he always wants to see what's going on in front of him too.

He is also super grizzly when tired and I have always stuck to a routine with him and allowed for plenty of good sleep, rather than naps in the car or pram.

DS is now 18 months and is whatever the opposite of a home body is - he often brings me his shoes and says "door?" meaning to go for a walk, and asks for "car" as he hates being cooped up inside.

LeBFG · 21/03/2012 13:31

So funny ozzie. DS doesn't speak yet, but each time he sees the front door opening, he points to it, then has a meltdown if he doesn't go out of it. He now also loves the car because the seat is now forward facing...weird babies

Nikkim30 · 22/03/2012 10:44

This sounds just like my dd. she just wants to stand and jump all the time - strange as she can't even sit on her own yet (is 6 months now). I just spend the day doing want she wants, then walk her down the road in her pram to get her to sleep which allows me to run around Luke a mad woman doing my chores whilst she is sleeping. Her constant need to be on the go all the time seems to make her very tired and grizzly. Sorry Im not much help but hope someone has the magic answer for these high maintenance babies! X

New posts on this thread. Refresh page