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How to stay calm when baby hurts you

8 replies

WhiskyCollins · 19/06/2023 17:32

My baby is 7 months old and he is getting really strong. Whenever I hold him it’s constant hair pulling, grabbing handfuls of neck and face skin. The hair pulling in particular is so painful, it’s getting to be where I have to put him down because I can feel myself getting tense and grinding my teeth, and I am worried I’m going to shout at him. It’s not just a few times a day, but constantly any time I hold him.

I wear my hair tied up tightly but he just grabs the baby hairs around my hairline and pulls handfuls of them out by the root. I tried covering my hairline with a hairband and he still manages to get his paws in there. Short of shaving my head I don’t know what I can do! Distracting him doesn’t work, and by the time I’ve caught hold and disentangled his hand the other hand has got hold of something!

it’s really stressing me out and getting to the point where I’m completely overstimulated and touched out and angry with him by the end of the day. Obviously he is too young to understand what he is doing and I’m sure this is normal, but I don’t want to dread picking him up anymore - any tips for coping with the pain and staying calm?

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
SeulementUneFois · 19/06/2023 17:34

Do you say ouch, make a face and put him down immediately when he hurts you?
That way he should learn to stop doing it by association....

SeulementUneFois · 19/06/2023 17:35

I mean ouch loudly

WatchOutLurkerAbout · 19/06/2023 17:44

At that age I'd definitely start saying ouch, pulling sad face and showing kind hands - the phrase we use. Also if you feel yourself losing it, it's absolutely ok to say no and put them down for a minute until you can be confident you're calm again. You're only human!

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WhiskyCollins · 19/06/2023 19:45

Yes I do say ‘ow, no!’ quite loudly, and if I see it coming I’ll catch his hand and demonstrate a gentle touch, and smile but I don’t think he understands any of it tbh - I thought maybe he was too young. If I put him down every time he did it I’d never be holding him for longer than two seconds but maybe sticking to that for a few days would help?

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DownrightCelestial · 19/06/2023 19:48

Handing DC a soft toy with woollen hair worked for me with my 6mo. DS is now 10 and still has it for comfort 😊

Ged94 · 20/06/2023 21:18

My son hates being out down so the odd time he bit me/ hit me I just put him down and he'd cry and after a minute we'd have a cuddle and all was fine. He's only bitten me twice (breastfed baby) and hit me a handful of times and he's 2.5 which I see as a success!

TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 20/06/2023 21:25

I'm really struggling with this with DS2, he's 18 months and has started really biting hard. He was combi fed, but stopped BF a week before his 1st birthday, stupid bloody chicken pox.

Webe just been using the same ouch technique, but its not working. I've got several bruises all over from it, and a split lip where he headbutted me. I don't know what else to do tbh

SamanthaVimes · 21/06/2023 14:53

I don’t know the answer but here in solidarity with an 11 month old whose new favourite thing to do is bite and pinch. It’s horrible!

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