6 months...who the hell swapped my baby!

[darksideofbuttonmoon]

Dd is coming up to 6 months and over the past couple of weeks has gone from a chilled baby who could happily entertain herself to a whiny boob monster!
The whining feels like it's constant, but to be fair I know it isn't. It is really grating though! She either sounds like a wounded puppy or makes a little crying sound that if she were older I'd describe as 'fake' crying.
She's never been a great napper - needs to be fed to sleep and then will only sleep on me - but now I can't even take my nipple out her mouth without her waking up/fussing! Even though she has finished feeding.
I'm thinking teeth/ wanting to crawl (she's been sitting up unaided since 20 weeks but still can't roll over fully) / being bored.
Guess I'm just looking for some insights from you lovely people or at least some reassurance it's a phase that will come to an end at some point...like soon!

My ds was the same. He was much fussier, frustrated at not crawling, whining lots and bf lots more than previously. He's now nearly 8 months and back to his sunny self. He is less fussy, feeds well and those teeth came through! (Even if he did have a bad night last night!). I just rode it out and made sure we stayed busy during the day: he was much less fussy when we were out and about. It got better

Just on the napping front there may be light at the end of the tunnel. My lo got to 6/7mnts only ever napping on me having bf to sleep but one day I put her down in her cot one morning and there she stayed for an hour! I had tried it on and off before but she had woken the minute I let go, however once she got it she really got it and now naps reliably twice a day (Please let this post not jinx everything! shr is 9mnts now) It has made a huge difference to both of us. For me I feel more able to give my all when she is awake having had a break all to myself and for her she is definitely less ratty having had a proper sleep rather than a cat nap. Persevere with putting them down it will happen ! keep the faith!

My DS was the same at 24-25 weeks- down to the wounded puppy noise! He's only 28 weeks now but two weeks ago he learnt to roll over, sit up from lying down, crawl backwards, then forwards and eat. In about two days. Now the whining's stopped and he's loads more cheerful. He will still only nap on me or in his buggy though. It was starting to get a bit tiresome but now I need the rest as it's much harder work looking after him now he doesn't stay where he's put. He also stopped sleeping through and started waking 2/3 times in the night but that seems to have stopped too . I'm guessing it will come to an end very soon.

Get hold of a copy of the Wonder Weeks book. This sounds like classic 'leap' behaviour (i.e. she's going through a big developmental spurt, her brain is going haywire, so she becomes more needy/ whiny/ clingy and finds it harder to sleep or eat. They can be tough to endure (for all of you), but the result is that she'll be able to do all sorts of new exciting things soon!

Agree with everything said above - I found 6 months the hardest so far with DS. He did the wounded puppy noise too! I honestly thought I was going to crack up with the night wakings and the days where he just wouldn't nap no matter what.

It did pass though, and the next few months were great as regards napping and sleeping! We've just hit 9 months now and I suspect we're heading for another growth spurt - more clingy behaviour and worse nights - but the good thing is that naps are still fairly reliable and taken in the cot so I can have some much needed free time!

Here's to whatever the next phase brings ... Good luck!

Thank you all so much! I tried to keep my OP light hearted but it has been pretty rough lately.
Last night was really tough. I finished one of her feeds before even waking up properly, and had no memory of getting her out of her cot and bringing her in bed with me to feed!
I think I might have been a bit spoilt until now, could leave playing happily and get on with house stuff or cooking. Definitely need to keep her busier. Really not looking forward to the summer holidays as all of our baby classes take a break. Going to need to get creative at home I think
Think I need to try harder with naps too. I think I can be a bit defeatist with her sometimes. Like I won't try something that hasn't worked in the past, but maybe if I start giving her the chance to prove me wrong she will!
Thanks again everyone

Me too op. DS slept through at 12 weeks so when he started to wake several times a night(sometimes for an hour) a few people more or less said "good! you've had it easy". I think I've been spoiled too-DS is a very calm, chilled baby (usually)but even easy babies are hard and its more when you genuinely don't know what's going when your lo changes.
I'm totally defeated on the napping in his cot thing!! I've tried but it just ends up with DS in tears and me frustrated. Part of me thinks I should just relax about it and he'll get there in his own time but just now I'm struggling with housework and stuff so sitting with him on me for an hour feels like a waste!

Yes NickyEds totally get what you mean!

When they start going through phases you can't helping thinking 'shit what have I done to break my baby?'! Will probably take a look at the Wonder Weeks book.
Yeah, I'm so conflicted about naps in cot. Part of me thinks I should keep giving her a go in there (other people definitely think I should!), but when I know she's tired and know she'll sleep on me it's hard to risk sneaking her into her cot when there's a good chance she'll wake up! Especially when getting her back to sleep means another half hour of boob action lol
But you're right about getting stuff dome around the house. It wasn't too bad when she was a newborn, but now I just sit there with her asleep on me thinking 'there's so much I could be doing right now!'

There seems to be two schools of thought on the napping in cot- MIL who thinks I'm ridiculously indulgent and mums with slightly older babies who are jealous of the cuddles!!! I also find that there's never a good time-I always seem to want to do something in the afternoon so can't "risk" him not having a good nap and being really grumpy.
I too just sit there thinking ,that needs dusting, how long has that sick been there, I need a wee......it is a bit silly really but I won't leave him to cry and that's what he does in it so I don't really know what else to try!!

Yes to wonder weeks, sounds like a 'leap'

There is a wonder weeks app....

If your baby groups shut over the summer maybe it is worth getting contacts for all the nice people now, and arranging informal sessions at your houses