DD 7 months - just hard work! Miserable all the time!

[chloemegjess]

Right, I know having a baby is never easy, but this is getting silly. Everybody that comes round omments on how much hard work my DD is and how they get tired just watching me etc etc.

I need to change something, or I am going to go mad! Please help me to do something right!

DD gets so bored, and wont sit and play with anything or anybody. She wants to be constantly doing something very exciting like being lifted in the air or jumping around. She can crawl, but very raily goes down on the floor for long without wingeing. She doesnt sleep well, which doesnt help and we are trying to address the sleep issues, but even if she has slept, she isn't "happy"

She will go from one extreme to the other. She is very very smily when she is seeing new people and new things, but as soon as we go back home, she is miserable. I work as a nanny at the moment, on an as and when needed basis, and now prefer working to being at home, as at least DD is happy as she has different toys, children to watch etc.

I am also pregnant again and extremly tired and have morning sickness all day, which is why I am so down about this at the moment. It is at the point where we spend hours walking outside, to the shops etc, because DD is quiet when walking and I need to get away from crying! She has tonnes of toys, but isn't interested.

She is happy when she has food in her hand to make a mess with, or when she is in the bath. Other than that, she wines all day when we are at home!

I can't have 2 babies like this! Please tell me where I have gone wrong her so I can try and change this before next DC comes along!

[TreeandMistleJoe]

Hi Chloemegjess, (formerly meandmyjoe with a new festive name, started the thread angel1976 linked to!!!) just came accross this thread, I know it's old now but just wonderedhow things are going? Seen any improvements and for what it's worth, you were right most 7 month olds can entertain themselves for 10 minutes with toys/ treasure baskets without crying, I've seen it at toddler groups although i never experienced it with my ds! Just wanted to say that I hope things have improved and that I wish I'd have found this thread when you first wrote it, our babies sounded very similar!!!

[Aitch]

eyeballs. good luck cmj.

[nappyaddict]

Better for her only to be whinging for part of the day than all of it though. Does she not have daytime naps? The only time we are in the house is when ds has his nap.

[chloemegjess]

Sorry nappyadict - i didnt answer that question very well. I meant there were no baby groups within walking distance, and meant to go on and say there there are parks....

The one park within close walking distance doesnt have any baby swings or anything, we do walk there, but there isn't really anything to do. There is a bigger park about 20mins or so walk, which we do go to often.

We do ogo out at least once a day, usually several. But it doesnt matter what we have been doing, she will still cry as soon as I walk in the door. This is the problem that I need to resolve as I will soon be doing childminding from home, istead of doing nannying, and cant have her crying all day. We will of course be going out several times a day (scholl run is half hour walk each way twice a day, plus aim to do a toddler group or park etc every day) but that stiill doesnt change the fact that as soon as I get home, she is a total winge bag!lol

[EyeballsintheSky]

LOL Aitch. D'you think I could book one every evening about 7?

[Aitch]

oh, and it's called cranio-sacral therapy.

[Aitch]

'course i do, i took dd. they manipulate their spines etc, which in real terms means that the baby sits on your lap and the therapist makes the teeny tiniest touches to her back and neck and then ime the baby will drink her fill of milk (regardless of whether she's due or not) and then sleep like a catatonic...

as for who to go to, can't help. what about starting a thread asking if anyone can recommend a good baby specialist in your area?

[nappyaddict]

it is a pain in the summer hols. we stick to the park, swimming and soft play. am amazed you don't have a park within 20 mins though! do you live in the countryside?

[chloemegjess]

There is nothing within walking distance but quite a few within driving distance. But all the groups are off fro the summer hols! We used to go twice a week till they broke up!

[nappyaddict]

chloe - how far away are your baby groups/parks etc? are there not any less than 20 minutes walk away? my furthest one is 20 mins but there are loads nearer.

[chloemegjess]

Oh and I will look into the cranal therapy - any idea how I look it up and what they actually do?

[chloemegjess]

msdemeanor - People have replied on here with ideas on what keeps their babies "ammused" for a while while they have a shower or whatever. Are they "stupid" for thinking they can let their DC play like this for 10mins, as that seems to be what you are implying to me!

And yes, i have a door bouncer, and a learn and grove, which is similar to the jumperoo and a hop and pop (similar idea but smaller) and a walker, and a playpen, and hundred of toys, the list could go on. She wont play with them at home, but she will play with anything while I am nannying, as does the other baby I Nanny for, so its certainly possible. I also know a lot of babies the same age as her from my postnatal group etc and none of them cry any where near as much or need any where near as much attention as my DD.

[Dropdeadfred]

Glad to help! Sorry I don't have such a quick fix for your situation with dd...
Just keep chanting 'this is just a phase' ..

[chloemegjess]

Thank you! Much better!! I can see without straining my eyes! I now have it set to bigger than I originally had it, but it is definatly easier!

Learn something new everyday!

[Dropdeadfred]

Look at the bottom right og your MN window, there should be a magnfying glass there...clck on thr plus sign in it

[Aitch]

i remember the cs woman saying to me that she'd helped a lot of high needs babies, if that's any use. and btw... back to back. ouch.

[Aitch]

don't know abut the screen, soz. have you thought of taking her for a CS appointment? it'll cost you about forty quid but might be worth investigating.

[chloemegjess]

It was a natural birth, but she was back to back and I was in full active labour for 39hours. And induced to speed things up. Not sure if this is what you mean? There was no forceps or anything like that though.

The writing has gone really small on my screen, only on mumsnet - is this just my PC? How do i get it bigger again? Can hardly read it!

[Aitch]

what was the birth like? i know a particularly high needs child who went to a cranio-sacral for some therapy (apparently his neck was pretty injured but not in a way that a doc would recognise) and it helped.

all i know is that dd wouldn't do tummy time before we went for CS, one treatment, she slept for ages and then was perfectly happy on her tum from then on.

[chloemegjess]

EyeballsintheSky - My Dd has been early with things too. She seemed to be the first in our group to sit, crawl etc and is now walking round furniture

She is now almost 8 months old.

And we do go out lots, usually at least twice a day. But she wont sit in the buggy for more than maybe 20mins without crying and hates the car. So this limits us a bit really as to what we can do with her beng happy.

[chloemegjess]

msdemeanor - Of course I know what a 7 month old should or shouldn't be doing and thanks for the really helpful reply. I never said he should sit an entertain herself all day, but she cries/winges all day, even when you are talking/playing with her. I am assuming your not tryingto say that all babies just cry all day if at home for more than 5 mins???? ffs

[MrsBadger]

nappyaddict is right - get out of the house whenever possible, even if it;s just to the park or to watch the binmen.

msdemeanour has a point too though

have you got a wnaky treasure basket?

[Lilyloo]

mrssnorty i selling mine on ebay as i have junperoo but agree it gives you long enough for quick 'me' time

[MrsSnorty]

Have you got one of those bouncer things that hang in a doorway? Use to give me nearly a whole twenty minutes (to wash up usually) when DS was like this - he loved it.

[msdemeanor]

I hate to be unsympathetic, because I've had nightmare sleepers, but i simply cannot believe you are a nanny yet still believe that seven month old babies can play with toys and entertain themselves. THey can't. They need regular food and sleep and entertainment. YOu need to plan lots of activities out of the house. Work more! And never, ever expect a seven month old to enterain herself with toys.