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Behaviour/development

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Is my baby normal????

1 reply

Helpmeimtired · 27/07/2023 17:45

Hi everyone,

I would like peoples perspectives on my 6.5m old DS.

To summarise the below to save you from a long post. Did your little ones at this age sometimes seem to get completely overwhelmed to the point of hysterics sometimes? And in contrast to other babies you knew, seemed much more sensitive then them? Did it stop?

Detail below:

He gets very very overwhelmed in certain scenarios and can really get himself distressed which to me sometimes seems to an overly excessive level and I am starting to worry about some kind of sensory issue, maybe even autism (I appreciate he’s still very young so this isn’t an easy thing to ‘diagnose’ for want of a better term).

Bit of background - we had a nightmare ish first 3 months with him with colic/reflux which we are now over (Omeprazole and lactose free milk cleared that up).

On the whole he is now quite a happy little baby 70% of the time at home. Smiles a lot, laughs and giggles, but will go from 0-100 if he gets overstimulated/ overtired and sometimes being out the house with a slight change to environment & routine can really set him on edge.

The below examples are relatively normal scenarios for a baby to cry, it’s not that, it’s more the level of distress it seems to cause him and the frequency of it.

Examples being:

Swimming lessons - seems to enjoy them but has always HATED being dunked underwater and will scream bloody murder until calmed down. None of the other babies in the class seem to have any issue with it (we’re not doing the submerging any more as what’s the point of it upsets him)

Over-tiredness - will completely kick off if it gets to a certain point of over-tiredness, to the point where he will make people stop in their tracks if in a public place because of how loud he is

In stroller on walks - can out of no where just melt down after seeming pretty happy 2 seconds before hand. We are always on edge leaving the house with him.

Different environment/strangers - will cry 9/10 times if handed to a new face for a cuddle, including my mum sometimes who sees him once a week

Curious to know if you felt your baby was much more on edge/sensitive in comparison to his peers at this age??

OP posts:
LittleButtercup · 31/07/2023 14:59

OP I really feel for you - I was in the exact same situation with my DD when she was the same age!

She had absolutely horrific colic/reflux, it was so bad we barely left the house for months. Until she was around 1 year old she was extremely sensitive, and would have complete meltdowns if she was tired/overwhelmed/hungry. I took her to baby sensory and she seemed to much fussier than the other babies, who were all sat around enjoying the bubbles and toys - she just wailed or fussed most of the time, and I found all social situations so stressful. I also took her swimming and when the other babies were happily being dunked, we actually had to get out of the pool because she cried to hard and wouldn't stop.

I was part of an NCT group and all the other mums and babies looked like they were having lovely times sat in cafes, doing baby yoga, going on holidays, whereas my baby wouldn't even let me put her in her car seat or pram for a quick stroll down the road without crying so hard she turned purple.

My DD is now 23 months old and she is like a different child altogether. She is sociable, ahead in her development milestones and always smiling and laughing. She is a very bright little girl and full of energy. I would say she seemed to get better around 12 months, when she learned to walk and she was able to communicate with us better. If someone 12 months ago would have told me how much my DD would change, I would not have believed them.

If you are really worried then it is always worth having a chat with your Health Visitor,. You really have my sympathy and from my experience, it can get so much better in just a matter of months ❤

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