If you had a fussy/high-needs/high-crying baby...

[usydb]

... when did they/it get easier?

Things started improving at 18 months. By 3 much easier child. Since then had been the most well behaved, polite child and fun to be around. His Headteacher said he exemplified everything they wanted in a pupil.

I do tell him regularly if there had been an option to send him back in those 18 months I would. He didn’t sleep for more than 90 mins in the first 7 months (and then only on me), cried unless held.

(Possibly worth saying that DS started to be assessed for autism by the Ed Psych when he started school, and was a selective mute for a while. Many traits associated with autism for a long time - into secondary. As I say, NT but unusual)

It didn't. She is autistic.

Age 3, briefly and finally age 5. But could change tomorrow.
IF I have a second baby it's straight into cot in own room, controlled cry method to sleep at 8 weeks and bollocks to breastfeeding - its straight onto formula!

My second woke pretty much hourly for 11 months which nearly broke me. So much easier from then on. She's nearly 16 months now and life is great.

So were mine. Neith of them slept through the night until they were about 5 (not Autistic or anything)

We have a garden variety high needs baby (now toddler). I didn’t realise how hard she was until I attended my post natal course and I had the only one that flatly refused to do anything but sit in my arms, glared at anyone who dared come near her mummy and howled from 5pm-10pm every night.

She got better as we resolved her CMPA issues, her reflux and her tongue tie but the biggest change was when she learnt to crawl at 9 months. She was instantly a great deal happier and although we are in the thick of clinginess it’s nowhere near as bad as it was. I genuinely think she hated being a baby.

At 3 weeks I got a wrap sling which meant at least I could do some things without her screaming. I got a Tula when she was about 6 months. Things improved when she could sit up and even better when she could walk. She had bad reflux and being upright helped. It just gradually got easier although I would say getting melatonin to help her sleep when she was about 5 was a massive help - going to sleep earlier means she gets up better and she is so much happier in herself! I’d say those were the key turning points.

DD was diagnosed with Coeliac disease age 8 and things improved from there.

I had an emcs at 35 weeks. Was frankly a miserable little buggar for 9months! Sleep trained and he transformed literally in a few days! Honestly think he was just exhausted! I know I bloody was!

I've been unlucky enough to get 3 high needs babies (but very lucky for them in general!). Dd1 got much easier around 8 months I think, even easier at about 1. Dd2 got a bit easier around 5 months, then even easier at 9/10 months and has now begun tantrums and gotten much harder at 17 months 😂 Ds is 7 weeks so we haven't got to that stage yet! Sending strength! ❤️

14 months. Basically when he mastered walking, the beginnings of talking and only napped once a day. My miserable, high needs, frustrated none sleeping baby became a little ray of sunshine toddler who also started sleeping!

Months 18-36 were truly wonderful, he was an exceptionally funny and cheery natured child and I’d live that 1.5 years over and over again if I could. He’s been a little bit more difficult from 3 onwards. But nothing beyond standard 3 year old behaviour. I still utterly adore parenting him where as the first year, especially the first 6 months nearly broke me in two.

19 and still waiting.

Mine also turned out to have ASD

Got a bit easier about 4 yo. Lots easier at about 11. Sorry.

I think most babies settle by 4 months/weaning? A lot of it can be gastric discomfort.

My fussy colicky reflux baby got mucb better from about 9 months and was a dream a of a toddler, preschooler and shes a breeze at school. Such a cool kid, shes no bother at all. My dream baby is turning out to be a bit of a challenge through the toddler and preschool years I must say!

Basically she was happy as soon as she could get herself about, was crawling and cruising early and she walked independently at 10 months and was happy as anything after that

I dont think she liked being a baby ha

DC2 - 18 months was the turning point for us. Still doesn't sleep through but now doesn't scream all day and all night long, thank god. Cranial osteopathy as a baby made a massive difference. Then gaviscon for silent reflux. He was just a really miserable baby and he's much better now he can communicate. I see improvements every month these days (22 months old). It's so hard when you're in the thick of it though, hang in there

in some ways they get easier, and it’s replaced with something else just as hard.
As a baby they struggled with silent reflux and improved a bit with medication and then weaning but they were worn in a sling for what felt like 14 hours a day. And then co-slept at night for 18 months. Had a dummy til 3 years old. Never grew out of tantrums and seems like a teen now at 8.

6 months things got a bit easier then much better once she was a year. I think it depends why they're high needs, my daughter had severe reflux and allergies, once these got better (or food excluded from diet), things massively improved. My second is so laid back in comparison and it's made me realise just how tough those first 6 months were with my eldest.

Mine too

The real turning point was 18m for us but slowly slowly slowly got better each month from 5 months after a late tongue tie cut.

happiest little toddler now!

My youngest was a nightmare baby. There’s a reason she’s my youngest! By the age of 2 when she could walk and talk and properly express her needs she started to improve. She was actually a dream toddler- don’t think she ever had a tantrum! However, she’s still very demanding, quite highly-strung, over sensitive and needy as a 10 year old. She does sleep now though!

About 6 months but very gradually and she's still very highly strung at 4 years old. She also doesn't yet sleep through the night.

Thanks for all your honest answers!

I'm at 4 months and he's just very fussy during the day... needs a lot of attention at all times or is grizzly. If he could live in a carrier he'd be quite happy ☺️

Luckily our nights are decent, and I've no developmental concerns to date- when he's not crying he's very smiley!

Fingers crossed that once he can get weaned and mobile he'll cheer up.