Hi everyone,
I’m seeking advice and support regarding my 14-week-old son’s development.
To start, there is nothing medically wrong with him, apart from some persistent acid reflux, which hasn’t improved with medication, and an upper lip tie. The lip tie hasn’t caused noticeable issues beyond making breastfeeding impossible.
Since birth, my son has been in a near-constant state of misery. The only times he’s content are when he’s asleep—thankfully, he’s an excellent sleeper—or during about 50% of intentional face-to-face interactions when he is happily smiling and engaged. Outside of these moments, he spends most of his time moaning or crying and can only be soothed by being held while I walk around with him.
Unfortunately, I can’t wear him often, as he tends to fall asleep in a carrier, and we’re trying to maintain appropriate wake windows.
While I’ve come to terms with his temperament, I’m concerned about the lack of floor time and its potential impact on his development. Without opportunities for play or exploration, I worry about how this might affect him in the long run.
I haven’t even been able to assess basic milestones, like whether he can bat at toys, because he won’t stay on his play mat or activity gym long enough to engage without moaning, fussing or crying.
Should I let him cry it out for 10 minutes at a time on the mat just so he gets some floor time?
He seems slightly less distressed in a container, but I know that these should be used sparingly. With my older children, I used them minimally because they were happy to spend most of their wake windows on their backs on a mat, with some tummy time and occasional time in a bouncer.
Has anyone got any advice or suggestions for me please? The constant moaning and crying has taken a toll on my mental health and I'm now dealing with this added layer of anxiety that he will be falling behind on everything because he's not working on his gross motor skills.