9 month old always grumpy

[Heartbeeps]

Hiya, this is my first post.
I’m struggling with my 9 month old who I just don’t know what to do with! She is just always grumpy. It’s so draining. She eats and sleeps well. Is an active baby, crawling and cruising to get where she wants but only ever seems to be happy for very short spells after meals. And then she’s grizzly, crying, complaining.
She’s not great at amusing herself so I’ll be on the floor trying to play with her and all she wants to do is climb all over me and paw at my face. She is always more interested in what her 3 year old brother is doing (understandable) and gets so angry if I have to take things off her, i.e. toys that are too small.
She is most happy being carried around. It’s not good enough to be sat with her on your lap! I can’t leave her for 2 minutes to go to the loo/make lunch/run up the stairs to grab something - she’s crying upset and at my heels grabbing me.
Sometimes she’s so grumpy I’ll put her up for a nap thinking she’s tired and I see her happily playing in her cot. I can’t work out why she’s happier on her own in the dark?!
She is fine out and about. I’m wondering if she’s bored or under stimulated. Has anyone had a similar baby and/or got any tips on how to keep her more contented?

Ok so, according to what I've been told i was your daughter. I was grumpy and unhappy and a real whiny pain until I was able to crawl and talk, at which point i became a delight. Basically, i just wanted to be in the middle of the action at all times, and being unable to do what i wanted apparently made me a very annoying baby. Your wee girl sounds like she's frustrated that she can't do as much as she wants to do, she wants to be in the thick of it and is cross that you're in charge of what she does and where she goes instead!

Congratulations, you've likely got a very independent, strong-willed young lady on your hands. You might find when she's a bit bigger and more capable that you'll see a new side of her.

Thanks for your reply.
I think I just need reassurance that it’s not going to be so difficult forever! And also that it’s not something I’m doing wrong that’s causing her to be unhappy.
You’re probably right that it’s frustrating not being able to keep up with everyone else yet. I am glad that she has a feisty personality and I’m sure she is going to have no problems sticking up for herself when she’s older.
I’ve been told she takes after me. Still deciding if that is a good thing?!

Oh Heartbeeps, your daughter will change and soon be less grumpy. She actually sounds quite delightful! Remember she is still very little. You wait until she walks and you'll notice a big difference.

Hi I’m looking for some help for my sanity!

I’m a first time mum and my little boy has been so difficult from day one. He wouldn’t sleep on his back when he was born and had what I now believe was silent reflux.

Now he’s older he’s started to have reflux in that he spits up often and generally grizzly most of the day after eating. My issue is that he never seems to be happy for a sustained period.

Yesterday he was a delight but this is the one day in 15 weeks where I felt I could cope. He hates baths, walks, won’t go to sleep unless rocked or fed, won’t sleep longer than 45 mins in the day at a time and has started hysterically crying like I’m killing him at about 6pm. At night he sleeps usually 8-5 ish and has just started to smile/laugh or I think I would have had a breakdown by now.

When will this get easier as I feel there is no light and I’m on my own most of the time as my husband to be is working (selfish with his time and grumpy with it) x

@Shivshiv84 my heart goes out to you. The napping should get better as he gets older, as should the reflux.

If i were you I'd sit down with your husband and have a come to jesus chat. He chose to have a baby, he no longer gets to be selfish with his time. This would be a step up or get stuffed situation for me.

Agreed you need support from your partner. How anyone manages it alone I will never know!
My girl also used to spit up a lot. Not just after feeds but at any random time. Whether or not this was reflux I don’t know. But by the time she was 6 months she had stopped totally.
Both of mine went through that stage of the one sleep cycle nap. I tried all the usual methods to get them to sleep for longer and sooner or later they did. Whether those techniques worked or whether they just learned to sleep longer on their own, I don’t know!
I definitely believe in the mantra ‘sleep breeds sleep.’ Crack the daytime naps and night will get better too.
Good luck. I understand the feeling of desperation at times.

Mine was like this - whiner, rather than a screamer so I didn’t get much sympathy from people! She also didn’t crawl or bum shuffle, so until she could cruise at 10mo she was hell on wheels....

....unless, like yours, she was out and about, when she was a smiling, chattering delight! Walking at 12mo was a game changer and now she’s a delight. Still mildly grumpy at times (but that’s perpetual overtiredness due to being an early riser and a shirt napper) but I think the issue was being interested in everything but unable to access it!

Ive literally just written the same post! 😆 The playing in the cot!!! Yes! She throws a wobbler, I place her in her cot ( wits end, tried everything else) then you hear her chatting away to her toys 😂 why cant she do that on the living room floor?!

They are such rascals! Glad to know that I’m not the only one going though it!

Hi!
I know this post was put on over a year ago but if the OP sees this, PLEASE reply.
My daughter is just about to turn 9 months and I feel like I relate to your post so much! She goes through phases of just moaning/windging/crying almost every month. I don’t seem to know any other babies who are like this and it’s really upsetting me as i feel like I can’t make her happy. When she’s having a good couple of weeks she’s amazing but when it’s bad it’s awful. I guess I was just hoping that now your daughter is older, you could (hopefully) tell me it does get better.
Thank you!

@Leadust92 it does get better! It felt relentless at the time but now a distant memory.
My daughter is 2 years old now and is so strong willed, independent, smart and hilarious. She still has her moments but what child doesn’t?!

@Heartbeeps thank you for replying! So glad your daughter is doing so well. Thank you for the reassurance 😊