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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Please help...

10 replies

maryandalfie · 17/03/2009 12:34

Please can someone reassure me or give me some advice about my 7 month old baby. He cries (it's actually more of a whinge!) for most of the day and it is really wearing me down at the moment. He is teething at the moment (the top teeth) but even after I've given him Calprofen, he is unhappy. The thing is, he is fine at night (thank goodness!) and everything I read tells me that teething is worse at night so could there be something else wrong with him? He doesn't have a temperature. The other very annoying thing is that when there are other people around, he is the happiest little boy and everyone keeps telling me how lucky I am to have such a good baby and that I have nothing to moan about. For some reason, this really upsets me as I feel as if he only cries when he is with me on his own. I don't know how to help him as he isn't a very cuddly baby so doesn't like hugs and kisses and the only thing that keeps him occupied at the moment is watching a baby DVD that someone bought him (which I feel awful about because I seem to have it on for most of the day just to stop him crying).

Does anyone else feel this way???? When will the crying stop????

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RubyrubyrubyHareb · 17/03/2009 12:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

andlipsticktoo · 17/03/2009 12:43

Aw, I feel for you, it is exhausting.
What is he like in a pushchair? Could you go for walks, to the park, go on the baby swings, feed the ducks?
Does he like music? Does he like to be picked up and danced with?
Is he crawling? Could you take him to a soft play area?
My ds2 was a bit like this til he could move about. I think he was just frustrated! Then he turned into the most delightful little boy.
Do you think he is just ready for the next stage? ie. moving about and talking.

nickytwotimes · 17/03/2009 12:51

It's a tough time the baby stage!

I agree about the walks in the buggy. Or just out and about a bit. Ds has always loved going ot coffee shops with me. At 7 mths he would sit up in the high chair or on my lap with a wee cup of water and a little bit of my scone. People paid him a lot of attention and this of course meant he turned on the charm and stopped girning.
I also agree that he will probably be happier when he can move around.

Original poster

maryandalfie · 17/03/2009 13:08

I do try and get out every day as he loves being outside (so happy it's starting to get warmer!) and I do think he is just about to start crawling as he is kicking his legs like mad when he is on his tummy and then he just gets frustrated when he doesn't go anywhere. I think I just needed to vent so thank you so much for the replies! He obviously just needs lots of variety and maybe gets bored easily? Nothing like having your work cut out for you!!

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may08 · 17/03/2009 13:09

Wow, I could have written that exact same post 10 months ago!!
My ds is nearly 18 months now and was exactly the same; the only things that would stop him crying was constantly walking or a bottle of milk! Fortunatley things are better now - not perfect but a definate improvement. Dont want to alarm you but things didnt really improve until he could walk (everyone told me he would be happy when he could crawl - most babies are but it made no difference to him) and looking back I think it was purely boredom (looking at me all day!) and frustration.

Hang in there, I'm sure the teething doesnt help but like you my ds thankfully hardly every woke at night and I used to wonder if there was something else wrong with him but doctors checked him out and he was fine. I still see alot of frustation and temper in him now so I think he just didnt like being a baby!

Sorry this probably hasnt helped much but just wanted you to know you arent alone

letswiggle · 17/03/2009 13:27

My ds3 was like that until he was one (except that he was also horrible in company), and then became a lovely smiley fun child. Totally depressing at the time though - poor you.

Joeymac · 17/03/2009 14:03

Agree with May08. DS 1 was like this and we had to be out and about all the time as if I stayed in he would just cry and need attention - it was really quite depressing. I think we were also bouncing the negativity off each other. I've got DS2 now who is 7 months and I'm so much more chilled about the crying and I think as a result he's much more chilled too.

Again people told me he was frustated and probably very bright which at the time was no consolation as I couldn't see that but when he started walking (again he didn't crawl and just went to walking at 13 months) he improved alot. He's still a grump at times but that's probably just cos he's 2.7 now and going through the tantrum stage (he wasn't that bad from 1-2). Hope I don't sound like a smug mum but I can see now he's as sharp as a tack and his speech is way ahead of his peers - he amazes me every day with the stuff he come out with and I realise now, even at 7 months old, they are taking it all in. I look back now and think people were probably right and he was just very frustrated cos he's bright.

Re the DVDs - have you tried a baby einstein box set? - I got 21 on ebay for £40 and he loved them - I also think they helped him with words at about 18 months+.

Original poster

maryandalfie · 17/03/2009 19:45

Thanks so much for all the advice and reassurance. It really helps to know that others are/have been in the same situation. I look at all the other mums around me and their babies are quite happy to play/amuse themselves for ages. Don't get me wrong - I love playing with my DS, however, it would be nice to do a bit of housework or cooking without him crying! I watched him tonight just before bathtime and every time he rolled on to his tummy, he would kick his legs madly and then get really upset so it's obviously frustrating him that he can't get anywhere! Any tips on helping him crawl?!!

Joeymac - the DVD is Baby Einstein and I don't know what I would do without it!!

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KTNoo · 17/03/2009 20:06

My dd was like that until she learned to crawl and could go and find her own entertainment a bit more. Luckily she crawled early at 6 months. Obviously she was into everything then but it was better than the crying! She was and still is a very bright girl so you can comfort yourself that your ds is probably a very clever little chap!

Joeymac · 18/03/2009 20:20

get 'baby santa' if you can - it's just loads of spinning baubles and lights and it really chilled him out. I would sit him in the baby swing on full power and get half an hour of respite.

To be honest - with the benefit of hindsight from having no. 2, I really wish I'd chilled a bit more about the screaming with DS1 and tried and enjoyed him a bit more as a baby - at the time I found the whole thing totally traumatic and would just wonder, like you, why everyone else's baby could sit and play happily whilst mine squawked like a seagull being murdered. I'll never forget one smug mum saying emphatically 'what is wrong with that baby!' - I honestly wanted to punch her. Bet her 2 year old can't recite 20 pages of Maisy word for word and count to 20 though!!!!

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