Angry 23 month old, kicking and hitting me

[kittyonthebeam]

Please help, I am at the end of my tether. I'm nearly 38 weeks pregnant with my second baby and my first daughter has started to behave like a little devil. She is in nursery every morning, happily so but when she comes home she is behaving terribly.

She kicks my stomach when I change her nappies and has hit me or pushed me on more than one occasion. If I say 'NO' she keeps doing it and changing her from the side is difficult becuase I'm not so bendy anymore.

She throws things at me toys, etc and spits out her food.

I feel like a proper failure as a mum having yelled at her 'NO, stop this!' on more than one occasion and then seen her frightened face and dissolved into tears. I have also smacked her foot or hand twice. I am not coping, I feel awful.

I don't know what to do. We live abroad, no family or close friends here, my husband travelling loads or long hours at work.

She doesn't kick my husband and when I once ask her to put the hand on my tummy she shrinks away from it, says 'No, no'. and yanks my top back down. I'm fairly sure it's to do with the baby. She doesn't hit or scream or kick in nursery either. It's only against me.

Does she have a nap after lunch? She sounds very tired. She is probably a bit too young to understand about the baby TBH. She probably is reacting to you maybe being a bit tired, not being able to run around and play etc.

Meant to say, I am sorry you are going through this with no support. It is really hard.

Would you be able to afford some help, or maybe an au pair or something?

Thanks 3littlefrogs. She does sleep for 2-3h and you are right. After she has rested she is jolly again. Yes she says Mama come, sit here, Mama, go there, Mama, take my hand. I am just feeling stiff and waddling. We have a maid but have never really handed her over as she's not so confident with kids. Have a maternity nurse booked from 20th. Can't wait for my Mum to come first week October.

I think I'm overly hormonal maybe. I feel so bad for shouting and the smacks. It's not every day but has been a recurrent theme and I want to break the cycle. I was hit as a child, loads and hard and I don't want that fear for her.