Extremely cranky toddler since birth

[Roro001]

I guess I'm just looking for hope, my daughter who's 18mths has since birth been so cranky. Always crying, always wanting to be held, hates most things. As a baby she roared if she was in the car seat, buggy, baby carrier, bouncer, play mat anywhere but my arms & just screamed all the time. Now she's moving she is slightly better but could still spend a lot of the day crying & screaming. It's soul destroying at times, the sound, the fact that she's never pleased & that her poor brother always ends up in second place as she's so demanding. Not even tv gives me peace within 30secs she wants a different cartoon & nursery rhyme, It's very hard to enjoy time with her at times as she just screams so much! So just wondering did anyone else have a baby/toddler like her and does it get any easier/enjoyable? X

That sounds tough! My DD is the same age and the past few days she's been very irritable and upset with a cold and it's exhausting, so I can only imagine what it's like on a daily basis.

Have you spoken with your HV/GP about this? It does sound extreme, so might be good just to check there's not a medical reason for why she's so often upset.

Talk to your GP and rule out any underlying medical issues. Some children are just cranky, but 18 months is a long time to be grumbling almost non-stop.

My daughter was like this she had eczema and her skin was causing her so much distress! She didn't settle at all until she was nearly 3, what changed was I stopped using anything in the bath other than porridge oats and changed from baby shampoo to head and shoulders. She changed over night, her skin was never really bad and had only needed steroid cream once but it was obviously causing her a lot of discomfort. Does your daughter have any skin issues?

I have mentioned it at her development checks & gp visits for her vaccinations but they just shrug, and say its just how it is. She's passed all her development checks with flying colours & no medical issues have ever been highlighted.
She's very demanding so I think her go to when not getting her way is to scream and cry. Still wakes about 4 times a night so no break from her at all (she's bf)
When she's in good form she is great, very funny & goofy but she just flips so easily & quickly. So I really do just think she's just a very cranky child unfortunately 😕

If she's waking 4 times a night still she could be really tired? My DD is also bf but we night weaned (took one night of DH rocking and cuddling her when she woke instead of me feeding her back to sleep). She sleeps 11 hours straight now. It could make a big difference to both of you if it's something you want to try.