6 month old suddenly cranky and whinging

[Firsttimemama01]

Hi, I'm a first time mum and my baby turned 6 months last week. She was a very happy and excitable baby before this but she has become so frustrated and whingy overnight!!! The past few days she's super clingy to mama but still whinges unless I'm constantly walking around with her/entertaining her with something new. I checked and don't think she's teething. Her sleeping habits have changed and she wakes up at 9am, naps for a max of two hours all day and won't sleep untill 9pm (previous bedtime was 7-8). She used to take 3 naps at 1 to 3 hours each. She doesn't cry when I leave the room or anything, just generally whinges all day long. I don't mind, she's a baby and needs attention but I can't use the toilet/eat some days. Anyone have any tips on how to help her through this?

Any other signs of illness? Ears?
We had a similar thing around this age. I think a lot of it was him being more awake to the world and getting frustrated he couldn't do things - reach what he wanted, move fast etc.
We hust kept doing what we were doing. As long as baby isnt screaming in pain and is in a safe place its fine for them to winge for a few mins while you make a cuppa/go to the toilet.

Settled down for us about 7 months when he was more mobile and moved faster!

@Cluelessfirstimer thank you, this gives me hope! Her whinging is more just screaming and shouting and she seems angry. I do believe it may be lack of mobility etc and just realising more about the world but it just feels abit hard some days. She will shout and scream in public if we sit down somewhere (to eat etc) or if I stand still for a second whilst walking her around. She also screeches in the car seat non stop untill she gets out. I will get her checked for an ear infection but it doesn't seem a painful cry, more just angry 😂

It is probably teething. They take a while to come through and you have to remember they’ve never really experienced pain.

I was of the ‘I’m only going to give teething powders’ mentality until I had really bad toothache requiring root canal at the same time as my daughter was teething and when I was on full dose painkillers I then decided to give her some Calpol, as I realised what agony it actually is!

*all of her teeth came in two at a time. Poor babe.

After they were done she went from being cranky all the time and awake half the night to sleeping through and happy all the time.

@Fluffyowl00 thank you for the info!! I thought it wasn't teething because she doesn't seem upset when she screams and shouts, her face quickly goes back to normal and she smiles in between. I assumed she was just bored or something but I will surely try calpol tomorrow morning and see if it makes a difference. Your poor girl! At least she's okay now x

Ah yes. Mine were both angels until this age. I was wonderfully smug the first time, thinking that this motherhood stuff wasn't that bad. Then six months hit me like a ton of bricks. Neither of mine have ever been that easy again as they were those first few months. Teething, frustration, I've no idea what causes it but I don't believe it's coincidence.

Sorry OP, I don't mean to depress you.

@SharpLily are we the same person?? I was so smug thinking omg my baby is an angel I could defo give her a few siblings!! Haha. Her few smiles and cuddles she gives me through her screeching keep me going 😂

Has she just started solids? That can throw them out for a bit, particularly if they have any food sensitivities.

Yeah she had pretty much a full set of teeth (bar back molars) by 9 months. Everyone commented on how lovely they were. I, meanwhile, was a wreck who struggled to string a sentence together!

It was sometimes up to two weeks before a tooth (or usually two) would pop through.

Have you tried putting your finger in her mouth? If she really clamps down in one area (move your finger around but it’s usually bottom I think) or starts dribbling. That could be a sign.

Another thing it could be is a really big poo about 1-2 hours later?

The also go through a growth spurt around this age and I know it made mine extra cranky though he was a smiley angel usually, well unless it was nap or bedtime 🤣

@Careerdilemma she has yes, I have just given her some fruit or veg in puree form once a day to start her off.

To echo @Fluffyowl00 her poops are not as consistent now, she's going longer between them. Could be that but it doesn't explain why all she wants to do is walk around and look at new things haha

@Devilsmommy growth spurt is possible yes!!!! She wasn't cranky during her other ones but she's more vocal now I guess