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Behaviour/development

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my lovely baby doesnt smile much, I feel sad

3 replies

lu9months · 12/04/2010 10:05

she is 4 months, and has been a terrible sleeper from the start. during the day she is often tired, tetchy and irritable. sleep is worse than ever, she often take 2 hours to settle after a night feed. even after a good sleep and a good feed she is not particularly smiley. I spend ages trying to get a smile but often she wont even look at me. she does make eye contact sometimes, and smiles sometimes, but often at random people. I cant help but feel rejected, and sad for her when i compare her to babies with sunny, relaxed personalities. I just want her to be happy. will things improve, or is this how she is, in which case I just need to accept her and lower my expectations.

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Lozario · 12/04/2010 11:20

Don't worry, she is happy - you are trying to give her all the things she needs like sleep, food, cuddles etc. Seemingly the only other babies around when ones own is a bit mardy are smilers - why??!

My 10 month old son is soooo smiley now, people stop us in the street to say how friendly he seems, but at 4 months, getting a smile out of him was like getting blood out of a stone. For ages he smiled at the wall, occasionally at other people but hardly ever at me. I felt awful, that he was a miserable child who didn't really like me, but it just took him a while to get going socially.

Smile at her all the time, try and relax (easier said than done I know!) and she will learn how to look happy - I'm sure she feels happy inside already. Also, when the sleep gets better and she's more rested, she'll seem more chilled out. Try to encourage her to drop off to sleep on her own too because the bigger she gets the harder it is to rock them off to sleep - ouch bad back!!

Lozario xxx

lu9months · 12/04/2010 13:03

thanks so much - very encouraging

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pud1 · 12/04/2010 13:24

my dd1 was just the same. we now call dd2 smiler as she is the total opposite. i know how odd it feels to have an unsmiling baby. just to let you know she is now 2.3 and is full of fun and smiles.

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