My 5.5mo WAS lovely but is now a whingy, miserable horror

[BigGingerCat]

In the past he has only been a misery-guts when I put him down for a nap, literally he would cry until he was rigid with fury and retching. It's usually an hour's battle. Every single day. I have been ok with it because he has been normally really sunny and happy and easy to manage the rest of the time. Until about two weeks ago.....

He cries when he's put on his stomach, cries when he's put on his back, cries and struggles to get away when I cuddle him (or if not, it doesn't seem to comfort him). He's never really liked to cuddle me, which I've always found sad. He stands dumbly in his activity station then cries to get out. He lasts about ten mins on his play gym before tuning out and crying because he's turned himself part of the way over (he can't roll yet) and can't get back. I wipe his face, he cries. I lay him down for a nappy change, he cries. I give him his solids - he cries (but if I persist he will eat happily). He only seems happy in his vibrating bouncy chair kicking his legs for hours at a time - but I need to encourage him to do something else, surely!

The cries are little protests really rather than him genuinely wanting something or being in pain/discomfort I think. But it is so dispiriting and exhausting - he must cry for three hours a day on and off. I try so hard to be cheerful and give off good vibes so he doesn't pick up on my stress. But when I try to engage and play with him either he stares straight through me, or he smiles for a bit then when I do the fifth "peekaboo" when he has laughed at the previous 4, he cries. I am so fed up with him - he is really difficult to like at the moment. His nighttime sleep has also turned to shit, unless he has loads of solids at dinner, which rarely happens. Then he will go through the night after his dreamfeed at 10pm until 7am. He does still drink loads of milk (five or six feeds a day - he's massive and we weaned early on medical advice) so don't think there's any issue there.

So what I want to know is that we're not alone, and that it gets better. (And any theories as to why he's like this would also be welcome).

Oh dear, sounds rubbish. You poor thing.

Could it be teethingg related...most ills can be put down to this ime.
As you know it is exhausting when they are like this so i'd say just do what you have to. Put him wherever he is happy, carry him in a sling if he likes that. Don't worry about varying it, if he's happy one way just go with it...he'll soon move on to something else.

Hopefully someone will be along with some more useful advice shortly.

What MFM said.

It could also be because he's working on the 26 week (brain) developmental spurt. You can read about it and the other spurts in called The Wonder Weeks. The scientists who wrote it describe babies as 'clingy, cranky and crying' when they're working on a spurt. It often messes up sleep too, as well as feeding/eating habits.

My DS is working on one at the moment (he's 15 months) and it isn't much fun, although he's usually an easy-going baby (in the day at least). Developmental stuff does always get better once they get the spurt over and done with.

I've got a very similar thread further down the page except my DS is almost 8 months. He literally changed overnight from a lovely happy baby to one who cries all the time he is at home. At creche he is (apparently) happy but as soon as he gets home and I put him on the playmat and play with him the crying starts and lasts until bedtime

I think he is bored at home, frustrated with not yet being able to crawl/move as much as he would like and teething. I haven't found the answer yet and hate to say but I am already dreading the weekend when I know he will whine and cry all day

Ooh, thanks Deep, I will have a look at your thread.

Thanks for the posts so far. It's so miserable at the moment. DH and I are taking the nights (and weekend days) in shifts so we each get a proper break from him. I really hope it sorts itself out soon - can't bear the thought that this might just be how he is....

Hi there, my DD was also pretty miserable as a baby, although she had colic as a new baby and had lots of difficulties with sleeping from the word go so different from your DS but I did find that at around 6 months I started to explain everything to her, giving her a running commentary in simple language of what we were about to do just prior to doing it and it made a massive difference, especially with things she particularly didn't like such as being put in her car seat, nappy change etc. I had always talked alot to her but I hadn't been explaining to her as such as it hadn't occurred to me that she would understand. It felt a little daft to begin with but it totally helped her. Also if there is something he does enjoy, like his bouncy chair then I'd stick with that and if you feel he needs other stimulation whilst in there read him different stories etc. Also just wanted to add that from about a year onwards, once she could walk she changed enormously and is now, mostly, a really happy little girl, so please don't think that this is just how he will be. And as Moonface says could be feeling miserable if teeth about to appear? Hope this helps.

Thanks, yes it does help yawningbear. I will give your suggestions a go.....

5.5 months was the hardest part with my DS (well, so far). That's exactly when it started for us. He was miserable. He had always slept through then suddenly woke all night. He was sulky all the time. Didn't want cuddles but got very upset if I left his sight. Needed constant play but never seemed happy.

He didn't cry but grumbled and moaned constantly. I found it really hard work. I thought where has my lovely, happy baby gone? Is he lost forever?

Then at exactly 6 months and 1 week two little teeth appeared and along with those teeth my happy baby came back.

I think it also helped that he started to sit at that point and suddenly had a new view of the world. Also, we started BLW which he really enjoyed.

Stick with it. It wont last forever!

(I also cheat a bit and have a Jumperoo. He's always happy in that)

It could def just be teeth, maybe have a look at his gums if you haven't already, you might be able to feel if anything is about to surface. Like Burley's DS I think DD would be worse for a couple of weeks or more before they actually broke through the gums. I hope his smile is back with you soon!

Ooooh same here! Past two days it's been sobbing and moaning in the afternoon even in his jumperoo he's getting cranky quickly. Hope it passes soon, he seems so angry and upset. He doesn't want to sit in his bumbo or eat very much... He's just impatient. I'm hoping it's teeth and my baby hasn't morphed into a monster. He also had a really bad, watery runny poo this afternoon, could that be a sign of teething?

Deep, I'd guess that a developmental spurt could be part of your issue too - there's a big one at around 37 weeks, which causes the 8/9 month sleep regression. The effects usually last for 6 weeks or so beforehand (it starts earlier if your baby was born late).

Teething can always affect things too, and lots of babies do get frustrated when they want to be on the move but aren't quite there yet.

Yes, watery poo might be a teething sign.

Us too. Dd never the happiest baby - colicky at beginning and always cried a lot but around 5mo her sleep went to pot and she got noticeably crankier in day. A friend said she'd had the same but getting going on solids had really helped. I didn't really notice much improvement then but at 8mo now she is def much happier - although still waking a lot! I think being able to move a bit more possibly coincided with her getting a bit less cranky so maybe that's a factor.

I remember wailing at her 'why are you crying at me?!' getting really upset and frustrated. I think you need plenty of chances to refuel to keep regaining your positivity - if anyone else can watch your ds for a bit and give you a break might be good idea? I also felt around this time that she only smiled at others, not me which was v demoralising but good for her to be around other people.

My 7.5 month DD is like this now. up till about 3wks ago she was Ok with playing for awhile sometimes (she's never been one for playing with toys anyway though). She got chickenpox and then I think she is now teething, watery green poes, stuffy nose, high temp, but no sign of teeth yet. She always wants to be held and starts crying if she is put down. We do BLW and she crys after aminute of playing with the food.

My DS was never like this. Happy to play on his own for ages, crawled early on (DD doesn't like being on tummy at all) and fed himself loaded spoons really well at 6 months and DD is not like this at all! All babies are different I guess. I'm just hoping this ia phase with DD.