Remind me that this is normal newborn behaviour!!!

[peggotty]

DS is 25 days old and is crying unless held. Won't sleep during the day unless falling asleep on me or in a sling. Basically he cries all day. Only upside is that he sleeps relatively well at night (from sheer exhaustion I would guess). Rationally I know this is all normal but need some reassurance. Dear god, I thought that I would know what I was doing this time round (have dd 3 yrs) but I bloody don't! Does this behaviour mean that he is going to be a 'high maintenance' baby/child? I was so spoiled with my dd being a 'good' baby although I do vaguely remember she needed carried quite a lot in the early weeks too (or maybe I'm making that up to make myself feel better!)

Have you tried tightly swaddling?

yes, normal newborn behaviour! I found having ds2 quite a shock (4 year age diff), as i had forgotten so so much! Just be pleased you can make it onto mumsnet already!

Yes I swaddle him - during the day absolutely nothing works except being held by me or being in the pram (as long as it's constantly moving). He settles ok between feeds a night but as I say I think that's just exhaustion from being awake all day! I had a stupid idea that newborns just sleep between feeds all day and night - doh! How could I have forgotten so much in 3 years!?

I have nothing helpful to add, but just seeing you mentioning that the pram always has to be moving made me think of that advert where the bloke puts his dog on the treadmill to give him a walk! Maybe you could attach a buggy to a treadmill, might cost a couple of hundred quid but if it gives you some non-crying time it'd be worth every penny!

Normal newborn behaviour as far as I'm aware but I have to admit that my baby is six months and is still very high needs. He too had to be constantly moving which meant I couldn't even stop the pram to pick things from shelves in shops or he would scream! I still look at women now with their babies sat quietly in a non moving pram while they sit in a coffee shop and it seems totally alien to me! I eventually abandoned the pram as he decided to cry whether it was moving or not and now rely upon a sling mostly (unless he's having a good day and I'm feeling brave!)

All babies are different and it may not be that you've forgotten how things were with your first baby. This baby may just be slightly harder work at the minute. I've been assured that the more hard work they are as babies- the easier and cleverer they are as toddlers and children (maybe people are just trying to make me feel better but hang on to that thought as it will get you through!)

He's still only 25 days old- everything's new to him and you- you're still getting to know eachother. Go with the flow and try not to compare him to your first baby or other people's. I've only just stopped envying all my friend who had easy babies and have just accepted that my little boy is a hand full at the minute but I'm sure he won't always be, one day I'll be showing off my beautiful intellegent child instead of my beautiful restless, frustrated baby! It will pass. x