My 3 month old only wants to be held by me

[Charlottef94]

For the last 2 weeks or so, my baby who just turned 3 months has started hating being held by anyone who isn’t me, he tolerates my DH but over Christmas it’s become clear he gets extremely upset when anyone else, family he’s met at 6 weeks, my parents or our friends, have held him. His little bottom lip flips out and he bursts into tears, and is looking at me inconsolable and then stops as soon as I take him back.

We are visiting our PIL soon who will have expectations of being able to sit holding him for hours as they did when they met him as a newborn. I’m worried about how to manage this as I know he will see them as strangers and want to be with me.

I also have googled and wonder if it’s normal for such a young baby to display stranger anxiety / such clinginess to me? I don’t know if this is a problem or normal. Any experiences would be helpful!

Totally normal, it’s hard on everyone but fighting it makes it worse. They’re a tiny infant who’ve only ever known your heartbeat and smell and you’re their safe place. Have you a sling you can pop baby in around visitors to keep them settled and less ‘passed around’?. This is one of those parenting things that you just need to do what’s right for baby, it’s temporary!

My 2 year old went through exactly the same thing over the holiday period.. i think around this time with a change in routine and more people around it ramps up their separation anxiety a bit. Try not be too concerned with what your oarents in law will think/ feel, they will pick up soon enough and you can just explain that he is a bit of a mommies boy at the moment, like the previous post says - its easier not to fight it!