Don't know what to do about this

[LHMB]

My baby is 6 weeks old today. She's always settled fine in her moses basket, chair or on her play gym. This week she's become very clingy and will only settle if I hold her, she'll only sleep on me. As soon as I put her down to go to the toilet or do something she wakes up and cries, I've tried rocking her, talking, singing, her musical toys, dummy, nothing works and if I don't have her on my knee she will just cry all day. Really frustrated and worried she's ill but HV was here on Wednesday and said she seems fine and healthy. Have no idea what to do and my anxiety is through the roof

6 weeks is a growth spurt - usually - is baby hungry? Classic cluster feeding time I hear (I FF) no experience though

And yes the crying goes right through you, it’s their survival mech, make you want to go back !

Yes always try feeding more first. If it's not that and she's perfectly well, recent research says that babies who are cry for a bit to self settle, don't come to any harm. A baby may also settle better in their crib, if their mother is anxious.

Have you got the wonder weeks app? Might be a leap? DS is like a different baby when he's in a leap, clingy and grouchy!!

Sounds like the first wonder week. If she’s 6 weeks old it should be over any day now (usually 5 weeks after EDD). Mine just went through it and it was hell (awake 12-7 every night, would not be put down) but is back to normal now and much more alert as a result. Get the book/app to read up on them - and expect the next ones at 8 and 12 weeks.

Thank you everyone. She does seem to be extra hungry this week, I combination feed as I don't make enough milk to sustain her just with bf. Just had the biggest poo explosion as well, just as I was saying to someone that she can go days without a bowel movement. I'll get that app, thanks everyone

Also google 4th trimester, at this age they still think they’re part of you and so it’s totally normal , albeit exhausting , that they don’t want to be put down. A sling is useful! DH and I used to take shifts at night holding ours for a while. Good luck x

Don't get the WW app. It's been discredited quite a while ago. However, there are lots of growth spurts and developmental things going on so some weeks can be tougher than others!

@DesLynamsMoustache that’s fair enough - i admit i haven’t looked into it in depth, however I always found it very accurately described/ predicted my elder dd’s difficult weeks.

I would note that a quick google indicates that the “discrediting” paper had a sample size of 4, so may also not be too reliable, unless there has been a larger follow up study?

But as with any study of humans, even if it is correct, there will always be outliers to the study who don’t follow the observed pattern.

The problem is that it's cognitive bias (everything can be attributed to a baby 'entering' a leap, being in a leap, coming out of a leap). Children develop at entirely different rates; an app can't tell you the exact days that your child is going to be grumpy or difficult. But when they are difficult, just because that's what babies are like, you can open the app and say 'oh there's a leap starting/he's in a leap/he must be coming out of a leap', when in reality it's just because they are babies and that's just how they behave.

It's also a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy as you see the 'stormy' weeks and expect them to be difficult, and everything that happens in them you use to justify how awful this week is, when a lot of the time it's just normal stuff.

It is useful, however, for the broad stages of child development. But not as some sort of calendar.

Growth spurt! Honestly, it helps me to remember everything is temporary. Also maybe get a sling so you're a bit more hands free.

Can be hard but nice to remember that there will be a point they don't want to be held anymore. Right now you are her world and she's scared outside the womb, so that's pretty special.

Thank you everyone, really appreciate your advice x