Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

12 month old constantly cries

5 replies

Needausername99 · 19/06/2021 12:48

I'm struggling so much with this at the moment.

12 mo is going through a really tough phase at the moment. I know some of it is likely down to separation anxiety but it doesn't explain the rest. Below is the current situation.

He stirs often at night and can be hard to settle. He cries sitting on my lap after a few minutes. Cries when I put him down. Cries when having a nappy change, getting dressed and sometimes in the bath. Often cries during walks. He cries in his highchair and this starts if I don't give him food within 10 seconds. He'll then refuse food once he's started crying. Sometimrs cies when going off for naps. Cries when he wakes up from naps. I play with him lots which will distract him for a maximum of 5 minutes before he whinges again. I just shut a door to stop him going into the toilet and he screamed at me in a real fury. Cries when he falls onto his bottom when walking (he's not hurt himself.)

I am exhausted and feel physically ill at times from the stress of it. I can honestly say that he has probably cried almost every minute of today so far. I dread weekends when he is like it.

It's impacting on the relationship with my older child as I have so little time to spend with him and baby cries as soon as older child comes near me. I also (wrongly) am often zapped of patience when it comes to parenting older one.

He isn't always as bad as outlined above and goes through good phases where he is lovely. This is an exceptionally bad one but bad phases happen often. I sometimes blame teething but think it happens too often to be that.

Any advice? I've spoken to the Health Visitors who were unconcerned. I'm thinking of getting him checked out by a GP too.

DH does his fair share but gets drained by it too. I'm not long back at work so do get 'a break' during the week.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
MaMaD1990 · 19/06/2021 12:56

I feel for you OP. By all means take him to the GP but from what you describe, it really does sound like a 'phase'. Could also be a sleep regression, I'm sure there is one at 12 months so if his sleep is a bit rubbish at the moment, he could be overtired and more cranky than usual. My DD at that age could've won a gold medal for whinging and crying - it's exhausting but it will pass. I used to encourage independent play so I could get on with some cooking, cleaning, got the loo etc and even though it took time, she finally figured out she could have fun without me. It sounds awful but I just used to give her some toys I knew she liked/pots and pans to bang and I'd crack on with whatever needed doing - if she didn't like that and started crying, I'd tell her "mummy has to do x right now so you'll have to play on your own for a few minutes" and then I'd do my thing. It's hard, but it will pass!

Needausername99 · 19/06/2021 13:14

Thanks @MaMaD1990. He's got a load of new toys from his birthday so I really encourage he plays with those but he just crawls after me crying.

He also has a habit of throwing himself back when crying if I don't pick him up so I feel like I have no option sometimes as he's in danger if really hurting himself on walls/floors/corners sometimes. It's like baby blackmail!

OP posts:
AliceW89 · 19/06/2021 14:05

My DS has phases like this. If I’m honest, I’d say he spent more of his first year in a fuss/cry at everything phase then he didn’t. I do however hear you and sympathise about 12 months - we had probably the worst 8 weeks of parenting from about 10.5 - 12.5 months. Just whinging and crying at everything, alongside lots of night wake ups. I was utterly exhausted and couldn’t wait to get back to work. If you are concerned you should took him to the GP, but as it’s so situational it’s probably like you say - a mixture of separation anxiety/poor sleep/developmental leap/just another bloody baby phase. Assume no other symptoms, eg reflux/eczema/poo problems? Hope it passes for you soon x

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Needausername99 · 20/06/2021 07:58

It's reassuring that it's not just him @AliceW89. Did things improve ok after those 8 weeks? I hate how I feel at the moment, it's miserable dreading every weekend. You see other people with their babies having lovely times and I just feel like I must be going wrong somewhere as it's the total opposite for us. No other problems apart from a bit of a cough/cold which seems fairly constant at the moment!

OP posts:
Vicky1989x · 20/06/2021 08:26

Sounds exactly like my 13 month old DD. I work 3 days a week and my mum and sister look after her but when I’m here she is constantly after me, crying for me to pick her up etc. I think a lot of it is separation anxiety, they can’t get to grips with you being home one minute and gone the next. Hoping it gets better soon, for the both of us! Flowers

New posts on this thread. Refresh page