9/10 month old cries and screams a lot

[Pizzaandsushi]

So I always knew I had a high needs baby. Never been very chill, needs lots of stimulation and is always described as alert by everyone that sees him.
since turning 9 months, it’s like a switch has gone off and he is really frustrated by everything to the point he cries and screams many many times a day.
nappy changes are impossible and now usually involve two people to get it done. Getting dressed, getting undressed, going in the pram, getting out of the pram, not being fed fast enough, moving him away from things he shouldn’t touch, trying to get to sleep, pretty much everything you can think of results in screaming and it’s not only getting me down but I’m finding it very exhausting after an already difficult 9 months.
is this normal? Is this a phase? How long will it last until I have a reasonably happy baby again? I know they say everything is a phase with babies but sometimes it feels like one rubbish phase after another!

Bump

I also have a high needs 9 month old.
I dread nappy changes and getting him dressed but distraction works well when changing his nappy (I will literally hand him anything in sight!) and I’ve found he’s much happier getting dressed if I sit him up and try do it that way, although I appreciate this isn’t always possible.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help but to answer your question ‘Is this normal?’ It most certainly is, because it appears we have the same baby 😂

@Foodiebeauty thanks for your reply!
gosh I dread nappy changes too. Probably my least favourite thing at the moment and that’s saying something.

so I do hand him things. Usually has to be something that’s not his and initially it worked really well but now he can sit up from lying down it’s all he wants to do. Might need to get a few different items and try them in rotation to keep him occupied 😂. The getting dressed sitting up is a good idea! He hates lying down so half the battle is stopping him from sitting up during the whole thing so I’ll give that a go.
comforting to hear it’s not just mine!!

Might be in pain with earache from a cold or teething

Try calpol

@formulatingAresponse I did wonder about his ears as he’s had a runny nose for weeks after recovering from bronchiolitis but GP checked them and they’re fine.
I also suspect teething which it could definitely still be but even when I give calpol or nurofen he still gets frustrated when I do things he doesn’t like! Demanding I guess.

This was exactly what happened with my DS. Very, very high needs baby, but chilled out the tiniest fraction between about 6 and 10 months. Then BAM, he just turned into a permanently frustrated, grumpy little ball of anger. Our soundtrack was him whinging, crying or screaming nearly 24/7. I have to say he was like this for probably 4 months or so (sorry)…basically until he’d mastered walking and started properly understanding what we were saying and talking back. He then turned into the sunniest little character and has been like that since (he’s nearly 3). Still high needs in that he still needs tons of stimulation and doesn’t have an ounce of chill about him, but he doesn’t tantrum, is very articulate and is generally very happy. Hope you have the same outcome.

@VivaVivaa thank you for your reply! That is EXACTLY what happened with him. 0-6 months so so miserable and then when he could sit up and eat became much happier. Going to nursery practically turned him into a different baby too as they could provide so much more stimulation than us. He was still hard work but happy and felt great to turn that corner and then out of nowhere changed again and it did all seem to tie in with crawling. It’s like he’s happy he can crawl but we stop him moving to parts of the room he shouldn’t go to and he also realises walking is a thing and he cannot do it so gets extremely frustrated. Definitely the same as you with the being annoyed he can’t properly communicate with us too.
Four months does not sound fun but in a way it’s just glad to hear things do improve. I can just about cope with a high energy child but the near constant crying/screaming at the moment is hard.

I have a 13month high needs DD, I'd say months 9-11 were the best tbh but we're definitely in a tough, relentless, never ending, can't do anything or get anything right stage.
No advice but solidarity x

just seen your threat after searching about my 10 month old . This is EXACTLY my baby at the moment and I’m struggling with the constant screaming and fustration . Did it stop eventually for you ? Or was it all due to something ? Just wondering if it’s normal as taking her to doctors and hers ears throat and chest were all checked and she is absolutely fine x

My boys are 14 and 11 so this was a long time ago, lol, but both of them were a nightmare when it came to nappy changes.

I copied my mum and became quite the pro at changing them on my lap. I can't even describe how to do it but I know I was able to control them better. My friends used to be in awe at my contortionist skills, lol.

Distraction is also key to stopping yapping (if you're sure he isn't sick or in pain somehow). It can be exhausting though.

@Meals86 my little boy is now just over 12 months and to some extent it’s better. He is a super happy friendly baby most of the time. Very sociable, smiles at literally everyone and is very interactive but he does still have meltdowns over things.
Anything that stops him moving or where he has to sit still he will cry/scream over. Getting out of the bath, scream. Not getting in the bath fast enough, cry. Changing his nappy and getting him dressed is a full on work out for us as he immediately tries to crawl away. We try to gently pin him down with a leg but that elicits a scream. He just loves to be on the go and constantly entertained and doing something. He’s nearly walking and I’ll be relieved tbh because he moves with such force, I’ll be able to relax a bit more once he can confidently walk and not have to be behind him to stop him falling.
Basically, he’s still very much a demanding baby and I’m exhausted but he has also got happier the more he’s been able to move and do things for himself. Nursery has saved our sanity tbh. I could not do this day in day out!!

I found those months really really tough. Where is he with crawling/walking? Similar to a poster above, my DD became immeasurably easier in the months after she started walking and was able to communicate more.

She was a hard baby - colic, reflux, wouldn't sleep, wouldn't wean, wanted to be held all the time, fussy, was known for being a hard baby...! But we're at 19months now and life is SO different. Not a chill kid by any stretch, still very much her same wonderful personality.... just without this cloak of frustration. So from 13months for us when she took her first steps.

(We had so many "just you wait til she starts walking...!" comments 🙄)

@Pizzaandsushi How are things now? Is it less?