Please tell me it gets better…

[ByPearlFox]

I am 10 months postpartum and truly exhausted. My baby seems to be unhappy the majority of the day and has been this way since being a newborn. She spends the most of her time whinging and making an ‘mmmmm’ sound, crying or screaming. Really struggles to self-entertain or wait a few minutes while I’m trying to prepare her food or get ready to go somewhere. Zero patience. She has started to scream and cry during car journeys which she didn’t previously. I am really struggling with this and just need to find some mums that are or have experienced the same. Every person I know with a baby around me says they have such a happy baby and it makes me feel terrible that my experience is just so different. I don’t have anyone to talk to about this and if I do I’m completely disregarded and told “she’s just a baby”. She’s never really been left with anyone else because she can be quite hard to look after so I don’t get any time for myself. I love her so so much but can’t help but wish this stage was over. But then I feel so guilty for thinking that way and want her to be little forever.

How is her overnight sleep? Does she nap well?
Can she crawl or move herself around? Is she wanting to stand a lot?

Just asking as my son was much happier once he started sleeping well over night and having solid naps. Then once he started walking (at 9 months, but he didn’t crawl), he was so much less whiny. Being able to move himself around really helped improve his general mood.

She is a good sleeper naps and nighttime so I don’t think it’s that. I agree with the being able to move around. She cannot crawl and doesn’t like being on her tummy, not showing any interest in pulling to stand. She tries to bum shuffle but that’s about it so far. It makes me worry that she’s 10 months and isn’t crawling. She can roll but mostly only does this in bed. She likes to be busy and entertained a lot.

My now two year old hated being a baby. She hated being put down and hated sleep. She was always very active despite hating being put down and an early crawler and walker I thought every time once she hits the next milestone she will be happier but it wasn’t the case. I found taking her out and about helped as she loves to be busy and entertained. At two she mostly a delight she is very intelligent and makes me laugh constantly. I found after one she would entertain herself a bit better and was generally happier as long as she wasn’t teething.
Also my older daughter rolled at 8 months and crawled at ten months, I was so worried she was delayed but she was taking independent steps soon after starting crawling, some babies just do it all at once and some just a little later than others.