My 7 month old is driving me crazy

[Mayflower193]

My 7m/o is really testing my patience at the moment to the point where I just feel so angry. He whinges constantly, apart from an odd 10/15 minutes just after being fed or waking from a nap. He doesn’t want to be put down but when I pick him up he just wants to wriggle away. The repetitive whining and noises are really getting to me. I can’t get anything else done because he wants my attention all the time. I feel so so guilty for getting angry with him and I obviously would never actually hurt him but sometimes I just feel like I could scream at him.
Is this a common thing for his age? And am I bad for feeling anger and frustration? 😔

He sounds like a normal 7 month old. They get very frustrated because they want to move, but they aren’t completely in control of their little bodies.

It sounds like you are being overstimulated. Do you struggle with certain noises and environments? it might be worth speaking to your health visitor or perinatal team for some strategies. And you need to make sure you get appropriate downtime too. Is dad around? Is he pulling his weight.

I don’t think it’s normal to be so angry that you want to scream at your 7 month old for making normal 7 month old noises. I’m not saying that to pass any judgement, just to let you know that you need some help and a break.

I found this a tricky stage OP. My babies really wanted to be on the move and got so frustrated that they couldn't crawl / walk. I think things will improve when he gets a bit more mobile and independent.

In the meantime, lower your expectations. You say that you can't get anything else done, but at the moment the main thing you need to do is take care of your baby. Don't stress too much about housework etc.

Do you go to baby groups? It's good to get out and meet other mums.

Might be teething?
I found with mine we had to be doing something.
playing, going out, looking out the window, walks, play groups, talking, baths, reading books.

lots of cuddles and lots of play! I know it’s hard, super tiring but it will pass! They just need to be entertained more. But I do think you should consider that they may be teething.

I think manage your expectations. Most babies that age do need constant attention when they're awake.

If you don't expect to get anything else done it's not so frustrating. Sometimes you might be able to get some housework done while they're in a sling if it's near nap time?

What else are you trying to do?

Hello love.

I agree, a little what others are saying; he may have frustrations he can't get to places/let you know what he wants. He may have teething going on, he may be hungry for food, he may be intolerant and upset from certain foods (stomach ache). There are many reasons really. Does he have down time?

I play with my daughter a lot on the floor, working on various skills/playing then when she begins to whine, I go through the cry checklist (hunger (food or milk) nappy, teething, wanting a toy, too hot/cold, nap time due etc) and she is still not settled, I go outdoors and it calms her right down. Or give a bath 🛁 Sometimes, babies just want a change of scenery. Fed up of the same four walls. We go out a lot (baby carrier or pram). We also have quiet time build into our routine and when she sometimes becomes whiney, we will sit and read stories, or I'll put Winnie the Pooh on Tv, pass her the matching cuddly toy and make a cup of tea! :)

Please talk to your HV team. They'll reassure you and help you see if there is any other reason for his mardiness. Sometimes, babies are just like this, you are not alone. You Amy also benefit from support form family and friends? Or if you feel you really need it, one a day in nursery? Take care.

Oh my gosh, I found 7months so hard! My DS was very similar to how you describe - totally unable to play independently, constantly wanting something but didn't know what it was. I would put him down to get a book/toy or get my shoes on, put on the baby carrier, get his meal ready whatever and he would be reaching and grabbing and whining and crying. He was really bored and really frustrated and really grumpy. And his attention span was about 3 minutes so I was constantly casting around for things to do to keep him occupied for the next 15 minutes. I was completely at the end of my tether, really exhausted and overwhelmed.

It does pass. He's just turned 1 now and is like a different child. Things got a lot better when he learnt to crawl (about 8 months) and could reach things for himself. Some of his separation anxiety reduced around 9 months too and he was more able to play on the floor without needing to be on my lap all the time.

For coping in the moment, I really sacked off anything that wasn't looking after him when I was on my own with him. I went out to so many baby groups, went on walks through town with the buggy to keep him entertained, took a lot of buses so he could look out the window and watch the world go by, made a lot of very quick meals, ate a lot of biscuits and drank a lot of coffee. Don't know what sleep is like for you, but we also did quite a lot of work on gently reducing reliance on breastfeeding for sleep so that I wasn't being woken 6 times a night to feed him, which also helped me to feel less frazzled and cross.

This was actually my thread from when DS was 7 months old if you want the gritty details of how frustrated I was:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/parenting/4729671-what-do-i-do-with-my-high-needs-baby?reply=123441100

Despite some ongoing clinginess because of struggling with transition to nursery, things have been much much easier for a while now!

I'm convinced they learn to whinge at 7 months. Between teething and trying to move I think they get very frustrated and agitated. My DS took off constant whinging just like you described and it used to make me want to scream into the abyss to get out my frustration. I definitely think I struggle with the sound of whinging as you just cannot reason with a baby so it feels like there is no fix.

I do think it got better around 7.5-8 months, but that's when my DS started crawling properly and his 4 top teeth popped through so that might be why.

Instead of the whinging it's just a continuous episode of "Jackass" trying to stop him from living out the life of a stunt double now that he is mobile. Still probably better than the constant whinging though.

Is it teeth working through? Ds is almost 7 months and will go through periods of gurning and then will be OK again and I do think sometimes it's teeth. I've also found his wake windows have shortened with him getting more mobile and the hot weather. He used to do a 2.5hr wake window now is 1.5 hrs. So when nothing else works I'll give him a feed/ dummy and snuggle up and see if he'll sleep. It usually works.

My daughter didn't crawl until eleven months and was in a state which can only be described as 'fucking furious' from about six months to eleven months.

As soon as she could move independently everything changed and now she limits her fury to more reasonable things. Anything which impedes her movement; anyone eating food and not immediately sharing it with her; failing to acknowledge her immediately when entering a room.

In old threads looking for some commiserations for myself and this ‘fucking furious’ made me lol! Haha thanks for cheering me up (7mo getting mardy all the time hahaha he’s dying to crawl!)